: Insert the memory card into a PC with a card reader and ensure it is empty. You can also format it via the Siemens TIA Portal under "Card Reader".

This is the standard way to clear a password-protected PLC. You must use an (at least 2MB).

Technical background

Always backup your S7-1200 program before you lose the password. A simple "Upload to PG" takes 30 seconds. An unlock takes days.

He pulled up a forum thread titled "S7-1200 Password Unlock - Top Priority." The comments were a graveyard of "impossible" and "you need a factory reset." But one user, NullByte , had posted a cryptic string of hexadecimal code an hour ago.