Instructions:
In STEP 7 version 5.1 and higher it is possible to save a STEP 7 project (including comments and symbols) on a MMC (Micro Memory Card) in an S7-300 CPU, so that the on-site programmer always has the latest version of the project available. In this way you can make modifications and changes as you wish without any restrictions and then save the project again in the same place.

You can also set up a password protection for the STEP 7 project on the MMC in order to restrict access to authorized persons only. The requirement for this is a compression program (e.g. WinZip) that can create password-protected ZIP files and a module that supports the saving and retrieving of project data on a memory card. Also make sure that enough memory is available on the MMC (at least as much as the size of the zipped STEP 7 project).
 

No.	Procedure
1	Close the STEP 7 project and all the SIMATIC programs that access the STEP 7 project (HW Config, ProTool, WinCC flexible, ...), so that there are no files open when archiving.
2	In the SIMATIC Manager open the "Archiving" dialog with the menu command "File > Archive..." and select your STEP 7 project for archiving. Fig. 01
3	In the dialog that follows you assign a file name and a storage location for the project to be archived. Fig. 02 Click on the "Save" button and make sure that in the "Archiving Options" dialog the "No" is set for the "Cross-disk archive" option.
4	In the Explorer you now open the archived ZIP file and click on "Encode". Acknowledge the subsequent message with OK. Fig. 03 In the "Encode" dialog you enter a password in the "Enter the password" field and confirm the password by entering it again in the "Confirmation of password" field. Fig. 04 Acknowledge with OK and close the WinZip file.
5	In the SIMATIC Manager you open your STEP 7 project and in the project you mark the target CPU or block folder. Select the menu command "PLC > Save to Memory Card...". Fig. 05
6	In the next dialog (Fig. 06), for the STEP 7 data you deactivate the check boxes for "Current user program" "Current project" Then browse under "Other Files" to where your archived STEP 7 project is stored and mark the ZIP file. Click on the arrow key "->" and the ZIP file appears in the right window and is thus earmarked for transfer to the MMC. Fig. 06 Start transfer to the MMC with OK.
7	After transfer the ZIP file is displayed in the Online View of STEP 7. Fig. 07
8	To access the zipped STEP 7 project again on the MMC you open "Accessible Nodes" with STEP 7 and select the block folder. Under "Your project files" (Fig. 08) you mark the ZIP file and execute the menu command "PLC > Retrieve from Memory Card...". Fig. 08
9	In the dialog that follows you select the storage location for the ZIP file and unpack the ZIP file with the WinZip program. You must enter your password before extracting.

Note:
Please note the STEP 7 does not support dearchiving of password-protected ZIP files. If a password has been set up for a STEP 7 project with WinZip (or other ZIP programs), that project can no longer be dearchived with the STEP 7 dearchiving program.

We recommend that you inform all people working with project not only of the password and also that the project can only be unpacked with the WinZip program. Here it is obligatory to enter the password before extracting. After extraction you can open the unpacked project again in the SIMATIC Manager via the function "File > Open...".

Important:
The authors and owners of this entry take no responsibility whatsoever for the functionality and compatibility of this procedure with WinZip (or other ZIP programs). Use of the software is at the user's own risk and should only be used by experienced users.

There is further information available in our entries:

• "How do you assign a version ID when archiving the project data?"
  Entry ID: 25468861
• "How do you activate access protection for a STEP 7 project and set up a user as project editor?"
  Entry ID: 25470496.