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MiKTeX: 2.9.7440 GitInfo: af89c1b / 2020-05-20 09:20:28 OS: Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit, build 10586

  1. Miktex deinstalled and reinstalled after cleaning all paths (and I searched the registry)
  2. Tried different settings (each time first deinstall --> then clean install): windows 64 installation, windows 32 installation, local user, all user, admin, no admin, update/no update ...
  3. pdflatex --> build package generates error: C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\bin\x64\initexmf.exe did not succeed; exitCode: 1"
  4. I also tried Miktex as a portable App and got the same results.

A week ago I had no problems. I just wonder if a Windows Update causes the trouble.

This is now the content of the log file (pdflatex.log):

The log file hopefully contains the information to get MiKTeX going again:

C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex\log\initexmf.log


2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - The memory dump file could not be found.
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Data: fileName="pdflatex.fmt"
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp:692
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex - The memory dump file could not be found.
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Info: fileName="pdflatex.fmt"
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Line: 692
2020-06-26 16:03:13,851+0200 INFO  pdflatex - this process (14480) finishes with exit code 1
2020-06-26 16:44:00,069+0200 INFO  pdflatex - this process (5508) started by 'texmaker' with command line: pdflatex -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode test.tex
2020-06-26 16:44:00,079+0200 INFO  pdflatex - allowing known shell commands
2020-06-26 16:44:00,079+0200 INFO  pdflatex - enabling input (output) from (to) processes
2020-06-26 16:44:00,114+0200 INFO  pdflatex - going to create file: pdflatex.fmt
2020-06-26 16:44:00,149+0200 INFO  pdflatex.core - start process: initexmf --dump-by-name=pdflatex --engine=pdftex
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 ERROR pdflatex - C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\bin\initexmf.exe did not succeed; exitCode: 1
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 ERROR pdflatex - output:
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 ERROR pdflatex - 
Sorry, but "MiKTeX Configuration Utility" did not succeed.


The log file hopefully contains the information to get MiKTeX going again:


C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex\log\initexmf.log


2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - The memory dump file could not be found.
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Data: fileName="pdflatex.fmt"
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp:692
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex - The memory dump file could not be found.
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Info: fileName="pdflatex.fmt"
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp
2020-06-26 16:44:02,816+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Line: 692
2020-06-26 16:44:02,817+0200 INFO  pdflatex - this process (5508) finishes with exit code 1
2020-06-26 17:14:23,162+0200 INFO  pdflatex - this process (14576) started by 'texmaker' with command line: pdflatex -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode test.tex
2020-06-26 17:14:23,172+0200 INFO  pdflatex - allowing known shell commands
2020-06-26 17:14:23,172+0200 INFO  pdflatex - enabling input (output) from (to) processes
2020-06-26 17:14:23,206+0200 INFO  pdflatex - going to create file: pdflatex.fmt
2020-06-26 17:14:23,238+0200 INFO  pdflatex.core - start process: initexmf --dump-by-name=pdflatex --engine=pdftex
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 ERROR pdflatex - C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\bin\initexmf.exe did not succeed; exitCode: 1
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 ERROR pdflatex - output:
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 ERROR pdflatex - 
Sorry, but "MiKTeX Configuration Utility" did not succeed.


The log file hopefully contains the information to get MiKTeX going again:


C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex\log\initexmf.log


2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - The memory dump file could not be found.
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Data: fileName="pdflatex.fmt"
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp:692
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex - The memory dump file could not be found.
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Info: fileName="pdflatex.fmt"
2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp
2020-06-26 17:14:26,003+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Line: 692
2020-06-26 17:14:26,003+0200 INFO  pdflatex - this process (14576) finishes with exit code 1
Francois
  • 21
  • you should spent less time on installing and deinstalling and more on getting some clue what doesn't work. miktex writes a number of log files. Check them. Compile on a command line to see if you get a meaning full error. You can use debugview and trace streams too https://miktex.org/diagnosing. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 06:48
  • I have tried in the command line the last command displayed in the log file before the fatal error occured and got the following: ! LaTeX3 Error: File 'UnicodeData.txt' not found.For immediate help type H <return>.l.28193 }! ==> Fatal error occurred, no output PDF file produced!Transcript written on pdflatex.log.'. – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 13:44
  • Go to the miktex console and either install the unicodedata package or update it. Check for updates both in admin and user mode if you have a multi user installation. But it is curious that this file is used with pdflatex. How does your document looks like? Or is this when the format is created? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 13:57
  • I think I have a clue of the problem. There is no package "unicodedata", there is a package "unicode-data" (with hyphen). The file is already installed in c:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\tex\generic\unicode-data\. In Miktex ist is installed as "uncategorized". Thus I renamed the directory to "unicodedata" without hyphen. didn't help. Deinstalled and reinstalled "unicode-data". Didn't help either. Both variants of the directory are alongside each other. The wanted file is there but Miktex doesn't find it. – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 14:06
  • No don't rename it, the name of the package is with a hyphen, I only had a typo. What do you get if you run kpsewhich article.cls on a command line? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 14:09
  • I get: C:/Users/xxx xxx/AppData/Local/Programs/MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/base/article.cls – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 14:13
  • And what you get from findtexmf -file-type=tex unicodedata.txt? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 14:23
  • C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\tex\generic\unicode-data\unicodedata.txt – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 14:26
  • You need to show the complete log, and whatever example file you are trying to compile. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 14:38
  • Ok I can do it, but it will be a lot of text.Takes some minutes – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 14:41
  • Which command shall I enter in the command line editor? I just tried miktex-tex and path to my test.tex file but I get the answer I can't write on file `test.log' or whatever name I enter. – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 14:48
  • ?? what did you try above to get the unicodedata error? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 14:56
  • I have added the file content above: miktex-pdftex + full path to test.tex in apostrophes. I also run the file in Texmaker and also tried before to build the pdflatex format in Miktex (and got an error). – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 14:57
  • It was the last command in the file initexmf.log before the fatal error occured. I entered this command in the command line editor: miktex-makefmt.exe --engine=pdftex --dest-name=pdflatex --no-dump pdflatex.ini --engine-option=-tcx=cp227.tcx --miktex-disable-maintenance --miktex-disable-diagnose – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:07
  • why are you loading a lua package? Start with a hello world document \documentclass{article}\begin{document}hello \end{document} Beside this: run in test folder one the command line miktex-pdftex.exe --initialize --alias=pdflatex --job-name=pdflatex -tcx=cp227.tcx --enable-etex pdflatex.ini if you get an error type x and then enter. This should then write a pdflatex.log file in this folder. Show this log-file. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 15:09
  • And better close at first everything, shutdown your pc and restart. All this "still open files" don't look right. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 15:14
  • This is the log file content: ` C:\Users\xxx xxx\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex\log\initexmf.log

    2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - The memory dump file could not be found. 2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Data: fileName="pdflatex.fmt" 2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex.core - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp:692 2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex - The memory dump file could not be found.`

     – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:19
  • 2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Info: fileName="pdflatex.fmt" 2020-06-26 17:14:26,002+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\TeXAndFriends\texmfapp.cpp 2020-06-26 17:14:26,003+0200 FATAL pdflatex - Line: 692 2020-06-26 17:14:26,003+0200 INFO pdflatex - this process (14576) finishes with exit code 1 I also run your command and got a message that first the unicodedata.txt file was missing and right after that : "! LaTeX3 Error: File 'l3deprecation.def' not found." – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:24
  • look if I write that I need the log, then I mean the full log-file. You will have to make it available somewhere. That is the only way I can compare with mine. And I mean the log-file of the miktex-pdftex.exe .. call. This will create a pdflatex.log in the folder. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 15:26
  • Sorry, I don't currently find a way to add a file here. – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:32
  • As a workaround I modified the content of my question above and entered the content of the pdflatex log file. I hope, this is the info you need. – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:44
  • No this is not the log-file. That is from miktex. run miktex-pdftex.exe --initialize --alias=XXXXXXpdflatex --job-name=XXXXXXpdflatex -tcx=cp227.tcx --enable-etex pdflatex.ini and then look for XXXXXXpdflatex.log – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 15:46
  • Yes, I see, sorry. I tried to copy paste the file in the question but it is much too large. I don't know how to send you the content. – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:48
  • Use some internet site, github or pastebin or whatever to add the file. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 15:49
  • [https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wfa3e94bo3ko2fx/AAAxqF4e7qUPP-HRtQ6XovPMa?dl=0]pdflatex_log – Francois Jun 26 '20 at 15:54
  • Hm. Well I don't see a real reason why it fails. it doesn't make much sense if expl3 is found but l3deprecation.def not - they are in the same folder. What happens if you copy the UnicodeData.txt into the folder where you run this test and then call again the miktex-pdftex.exe line? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 26 '20 at 17:09
  • I did that, but no change. Here is the log file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/y9uk4xk43i3oul9/XXXXXXpdflatex.log?dl=0 – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 05:55
  • I notice that in the list of installed directories in Miktex there is C:\Program Files\Miktex 2.9 --> There is no such directory on my computer. and with ProgramData the directory is empty. That may be a reason for which it doesn't work. – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 06:35
  • Copied Miktex 2.9 to C:\Program Files. Didn't help. But looking at the last lines of the log files xxxxlatex I see this: `### semi simple group (level 1) entered at line 31211 (\begingroup)

    bottom level

    ! You can't dump inside a group. <*> ...MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/00miktex/pdflatex.ini"

    ! ==> Fatal error occurred, no output PDF file produced!`

     – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 06:49
  • No it is normal to have a root in c/program files. Can you open the local copy of unicodedata.txt in some editor and shorten it to a few lines? And if this fails make a copy of expl3-code.tex in the local folder, open it in a editor and find the part which reads the file and comment it? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 06:56
  • I did as you describe. No copy of expl3-code.tex was generated. I comment lines 28034-28176 (group_begin-group_end, only place where the file unicodedata.txt is mentioned).I get now the following message: `! LaTeX3 Error: File 'l3deprecation.def' not found. (shortened)

    l.31084 ..._configuration_load:n { l3deprecation }

    ))) ) ) (\end occurred inside a group at level 1)

    semi simple group (level 1) entered at line 31069 (\begingroup)

    bottom level

    ! You can't dump inside a group. <*> ...MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/00miktex/pdflatex.ini"

    ! ==> Fatal error occurre (shortened)`

     – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:01
  • Hm. l3deprecation.def is load at the very end of expl3-code.tex. What happens if you comment the line there \__kernel_sys_configuration_load:n { l3deprecation }? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:13
  • Ah and better comment everything from line 28033 (starting with \bool) to 28192 (just before the comment %% File: l3text.dtx. ) – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:20
  • `! LaTeX3 Error: File 'l3deprecation.def' not found.

    (...)

    l.31226 ..._configuration_load:n { l3deprecation }

    The requested file could not be found in the current directory(...) or in the LaTeX search path.

    ))) ) ) (\end occurred inside a group at level 1)

    semi simple group (level 1) entered at line 31211 (\begingroup)

    bottom level

    ! You can't dump inside a group. <*> ...MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/00miktex/pdflatex.ini"`

     – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:25
  • It should do this ;-(. Did you really comment the line for l3deprecation in the local expl3-file? What happens if you add \endinput after line 28032 so that the whole part is no longer read at all? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:28
  • Sorry, I now have commented the line: ` ! Too many }'s. l.28193 }

    You've closed more groups than you opened. Such booboos are generally harmless, so keep going.

    ))) ) ) (\end occurred inside a group at level 1)

    semi simple group (level 1) entered at line 31211 (\begingroup)

    bottom level

    ! You can't dump inside a group. <*> ...MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/00miktex/pdflatex.ini"`

     – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:29
  • No error after "\endinput"! Ich check now with a latex project in Texmaker – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:32
  • the command created the format locally in the test folder. So what ever test you make you should do it in this folder too. Also you are now missing parts of expl3 so expect errors. This is not meant as a solution, but only a try to get a clue what is breaking. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:34
  • the hello word file is OK. I take now a more complicated project – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:34
  • try as next step to remove the endinput but to comment everything between %% File: l3unicode.dtx and %% File: l3text.dtx. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:35
  • I'll do it right now. The more complicated file produced a pdf, was not able to process the grafic files (empfy box with file name). – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:41
  • Error:` l\expl3-code.tex"))) ) ) (\end occurred inside a group at level 1)

    semi simple group (level 1) entered at line 31211 (\begingroup)

    bottom level

    ! You can't dump inside a group. <*> ...MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/00miktex/pdflatex.ini" `

     – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:43
  • BTW: When I compile the more advanced Tex fil I get the error: ! Package pdftex.def Error: Filexxx.jpg' not found: using draf` – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 09:46
  • don't complicated projects. you are missing important parts of expl3 and so it breaks. You really need to find the source of the problem. What happens if you comment additionally the part after %% File: l3deprecation.dtx until the end? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:52
  • And in the case with the \endinput where you got a format: Can you load unicodedata.txt with \input[unicodedata.txt} in the hello world tex? (it will probably error, the question is if it is found at all.) – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 09:57
  • If I comment everything after l3deprecation I can generate files. If the file has a graphic, the graphic is not processed and I get an empty box.
    • – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 10:00
  • If I modify the helloworld file, I get an error message: the file unicodedata.txt could not be found.
    • – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 10:01
  • hm, I wonder if the search types are broken on your system. Can you make copies in the current folder of unicodedata.txt with extension tex, say unicodedata-txt.tex and similar for l3deprecation.def and adapt the expl3-code to use this file names and look if there are found now? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 10:07
  • Doesn't change. I took back the original expl3-code and modified the files and the filenames as you write: LaTeX3 Error: File 'unicodedata-txt.tex' not found. – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 10:17
  • What on earth is going on there. Can you show the log of the successfull format creation? – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 10:24
  • https://www.dropbox.com/s/w7g3k6mbv6h0ow7/09pdflatex.log?dl=0 – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 10:28
  • did you reinstalled miktex? I thought I had seen yesterday a 32bit miktex. But beside this, I see nothing obvious that could explain why the files are not found. Your memory settings looks ok. The only difference to my system seems to be that you have spaces in your name, but I have a space in the miktex path one on pc too. You could try to use debugview and trace streams. But perhaps you would be better off if you simply install texlive 2020. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 10:57
  • Yes I reinstalled the 64 bit Version of Miktex after the tests with commenting code in the expl3-code file. I tried an earlier version of this file I found here https://www.tug.org/texlive/Contents/live/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/. the file expl3-code.tex dates back to 2020-03-06 and even if I had errors messages (including the unicodedata missing, it could compile to the end undlike the current file. Thus, maybe some of the recent udates to this file are cuaing problems on my computer. – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 13:29
  • sorry but if there is an error it doesn't really matter if it recovers enough to compile to the end - the output is quite unreliable after such an error. The unicode data is not loaded for fun, it is used by commands. So you should either try to debug miktex to find why it can't load it, or switch to another tex system. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 13:37
  • Solved! I deinstalled the current package and installed the following package (64B): org.miktex.MiKTeX64-2.9.7269-basic-miktex-2.9.7269-x64.exe. Last modified: Thu Jan 30 05:02:11 UTC 2020. Something has been changed since, that causes the problem on my computer. I didn't update the packages. – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 13:44
  • I have compared the old version and the current version of the expl3-code.tex file and one of the big differences is the section beginning with "%% File: l3text.dtx" that has been added. This is indeed the section where Miktex lost the unicodedata.txt file. I am not a programmer, but this is where I would look for a source of error. There was e.g. a message error saying "\end occurred inside a group at level 1". Maybe issues with some curly brackets. – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 13:57
  • The l3text code is new, but UnicodeData.txt is loaded before this part of the code is processed and the error is there. You said yourself that miktex couldn't find UnicodeData.txt when you tried to input it. The end group error is simply a follow up error from the missing file error. Beside this: if the expl3 code were broken it would affect more people (including me). – Ulrike Fischer Jun 27 '20 at 14:02
  • You know it better. Thank you for your time and support. – Francois Jun 27 '20 at 14:15