1. Check Windows Event Viewer Again

• Go to Event Viewer→Windows Logs→System & Application.
• Look for Critical Errors,Application Crashes, or Unexpected Shutdowns around the time the issue occurred.
• If nothing appears, check Custom Views→Administrative Events.
• Filter logs by Event ID 41 (Kernel-Power), 6008 (Unexpected Shutdown), 1000 (Application Error), or 7031 (Service Termination).

2. Analyze WinCC & PCS7 Logs

• WinCC Logs: Check \Siemens\WinCC\Diagnose\ for .lgz or .log files.
• PCS7 Logs: Look into C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Diagnostics for error messages.
• If WinCC Runtime crashed, check WinCC_RTSYS.log.

3. Memory & Resource Utilization

• A sudden restart might indicate high memory usage or CPU overload.
• Open Task Manager(Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and monitor:
  • WinCC.exe
  • CCConfigServer.exe
  • SimaticNet.exe
• If memory spikes before the crash, you might need to increase virtual memory or reduce the number of active WinCC processes.

4. Look for Dump Files

• Check C:\Windows\Minidump\ for any.dmp files.
• If available, use WinDbg or Siemens Support tools to analyze the crash.

5. Check for WinCC Runtime Scripts & Alarms

• The popup may be a scripted message box triggering an unhandled error.
• Verify:
  • WinCC Global Scripts(C:\Siemens\WinCC\Scripts\)
  • Custom C or VB Scripts running during the alarm.
  • Alarm Logging System(ALM.log) for runtime failures.

6. Hardware Health & Drivers

• A power supply failure or overheating could cause sudden restarts.
• Run Siemens PC Diag Bridge to check:
  • CPU & RAM health
  • HDD/SSD integrity(Use chkdsk /f).
  • Network card & SIMATIC IPC logs.

7. Verify Windows Update & Compatibility

• Windows patches may interfere with PCS7 components.
• If the issue started after a recent Windows Update, consider:
  • Checking installed updates (winver).
  • Uninstalling the latest updates using appwiz.cpl.

Next Steps:

• Run diagnostics (DiagnosticsViewer.exe).
• Check for WinCC scripts triggering unexpected errors.
• If issue persists, consider a WinCC reinstall or OS reinstallation.

Hi,

The reboot popup is shown when the WinCC application detects a problem with one of the running processes. This could result from other problems with the PC station. It is normal that the station is rebooted when pressing the button.

What I always check first is the WinCC diagnose directory under C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\WinCC\diagnose. Sort the files by date/time and check which one is last written during the reboot popup. 

The file: WinCC_Sys_xx.log or SIMATIC_S7_Protocol_Suite_xx.log can give you more info about the error. 

For example, if a problem is detected with the network card, it could result in the reboot popup or a problem with the WinCC archive manager. 

If you cannot find anything, you can create a support request and you are asked to upload the files from the diagnose folder and run a program to collect information from the system.