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Setup Guide

How to connect T-IA Connect to TIA Portal

T-IA Connect uses the Siemens TIA Portal Openness API to communicate with TIA Portal. This requires a one-time configuration of Windows security groups. The installer handles this automatically, but here's what to do if something goes wrong.

Prerequisites

Before installing T-IA Connect, make sure you have:

  • Siemens TIA Portal V17, V18, V19, V20 or V21 installed on the same machine
  • TIA Portal Openness feature enabled (included with TIA Portal Professional/Advanced)
  • Administrator rights on the machine (required for installation only)

If TIA Portal is not installed, T-IA Connect cannot connect to any project. You can still explore the interface, but all Openness features will be unavailable.

Siemens TIA Openness Group

Siemens requires that any application using the Openness API runs under a Windows user that belongs to the "Siemens TIA Openness" security group. This is a Siemens security requirement, not a T-IA Connect limitation.

Automatic setup (during installation)

The T-IA Connect installer automatically adds your Windows user to the Siemens TIA Openness group. Since the installer requires UAC elevation (administrator rights) to install in Program Files, it has the necessary permissions to perform this operation.

Manual setup (if automatic failed)

  1. 1Open the Start menu and type lusrmgr.msc, then press Enter
  2. 2Navigate to Groups → Siemens TIA Openness
  3. 3Click Add and enter your Windows username
  4. 4Click OK to confirm

Session Restart Required

After being added to the Siemens TIA Openness group (whether automatically or manually), you must restart your Windows session or reboot your computer.

Why is this necessary?

Windows security groups are loaded into your session token at login. Adding yourself to a group takes effect only after a new login. Without restarting, Windows still sees your old permissions — and TIA Portal Openness will reject the connection.

What happens if I don't restart?

T-IA Connect will detect that the Openness group is not active in your session and will block access with a clear message asking you to restart. This is intentional — it prevents confusing errors where the software appears to work but silently fails on Openness operations.

Common Error Messages

"Not member of the windows group 'Siemens TIA Openness'"

Cause : Your Windows user has not been added to the Openness group, or you haven't restarted your session after being added.

Fix : Follow the manual setup steps above, then restart your Windows session.

"The Siemens TIA Openness group does not exist"

Cause : TIA Portal is not installed on this machine, or only the basic/runtime version is installed (which doesn't include Openness).

Fix : Install TIA Portal Professional or Advanced (V17 or later). The Openness group is created automatically during TIA Portal installation.

"UAC elevation required"

Cause : The installer or application needs administrator privileges to add your user to the Openness group.

Fix : Right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator". On managed corporate machines, contact your IT administrator.

Still having issues?

If you've followed all the steps above and T-IA Connect still can't connect to TIA Portal, please contact our support team. Include the error message and your TIA Portal version.

Contact Support