Windows API Error 2 when installing MikTex 2.9

I am trying to install MikTex 2.9.3927 on Windows 7 x64. Very early in the installation process, I get a MikTex setup wizard error saying: «Windows API Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified Details: C. \somefile.tpm»

The file that results in the error seems to be different every time I try. I have tried many different installation paths, with many different setup options. The same error occurs if I download the

138MB «Basic MiKTeX 2.9» Installer or if I use the Net Installer to download the entire setup (

Thanks for help in advance.

2 Answers 2

One proposed solution is to try to install to c:/MikTex/ but others say that doesn’t work.

I might be able to help. I had the same problem at installing Miktex-Basic in a notebook with XP SP3. Most probable cause is a corrupted file. So, I downloaded (in my case) miktex-zzdb1-2.8.tar.lzma, miktex-zzdb2-2.8.tar.lzma and miktex-hunspell-bin-2.8.tar.lzma from a repository for instance: http://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CTAN/systems/win32/miktex/tm/packages/

I moved them to the installation sub-directory. Run again Miktex2.8 Net Installer and this time the installation went fine

Someone suggested it may be a conflict with adobe reader and could be resolved with a simple registry edit. http://entangled.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/installation-of-miktex-2-8-failed/#comment-1748

While there isn’t a complete concensus try these three options here and see what works for you. If nothing else a google search for «Windows api error 2 minitex» yielded the most results.

MikTeX 2.8 Update Error “Windows API error 87”

I was happily updating packages when the following error appeared:

The full update report with this error at the very end is as follows:

What happened and how do I fix it? Thanks.

4 Answers 4

The final solution there was:

It turns out the problem was, I had an instance of MikTex open which was blocking the files needed for the install. After I closed the MikTex instance the install worked fine.

In general it is a good idea to close all application for updates under Windows. On failure reboot the machine and retry it again.

I had the same problem — the sollution above didn’t work for me, but what worked can be found at http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.editors.lyx.general/69152. The sollution is:

Problem solved. PDFLatex doesn’t die after a problematic run due to an uninstalled package. It was blocking some files which, I guess, needed to be modified by the Package Manager. After killing PDFLatex installation run smoothly.

I found that, for any «Windows API error 87» in MikTeX, deleting all the files in the following folder works.

I have the same trouble, then I tried to re install MiKTeX. Another problem was that install is not posible for «API error 87» .

This is because another program is using the file, on my case was adobe cloud creative.

If you close the program wich use this dll, then you can actualize, install or use it .

Other option is seek the file, if don´t appear at the correct place, use the file of acrobat, is the same.

Paste at the root where MiKTeX is installed, normally: c:program files/miktex2.9/miktex/bin/x64

Problem Updating (Windows API error 87)

Classic

List

Threaded

Problem Updating (Windows API error 87)

——BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE——
Hash: SHA1

this is my first post to this list, and i suspect it to be redundant and
already answered, but somehow I can’t access the archives. Sourceforge
tells me

> Your mailing list, miktex-users, appears to be either not archived yet, or has had no e-mails sent to it. If it is a new list, please wait 2-4 hours after the first message is sent for the archive to show up.

Now to the problem:

I try to update miktex, but after downloading it always fails with the
following error: «Error: Windows API error 87: The parameter is incorrect.»

The line before (from the log) reads: «extracting files from
bidi.tar.lzma. «

I hope you have a solution to this problem,
kind regards,
Till

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——————————————————————————
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting — Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment — and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what’s new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
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[hidden email]
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Re: Problem Updating (Windows API error 87)

Till Fischer schrieb:

——————————————————————————
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting — Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment — and
focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what’s new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
MiKTeX-Users mailing list
[hidden email]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/miktex-users

——————————————————————————
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting — Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment — and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what’s new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
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MiKTeX-Users mailing list
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Re: Problem Updating (Windows API error 87)

It solved itself. Somehow after waiting a week, it suddenly worked.
But this mailing list is really disappointing.

Till Fischer schrieb:

Re: Problem Updating (Windows API error 87)

Hello,
Just now I got the same error as you did while installing a new package with the Package Manager:
—
MiKTeX Problem Report
Message: Windows API error 87: The parameter is incorrect.

While googling for a solution I found your post, without a solution :(, I know this answer won’t help you but for the sake of future people googling for a solution to this problem:

It turns out the problem was, I had an instance of MikTex open which was blocking the files needed for the install. After I closed the MikTex instance the install worked fine.
Greetings,
Marius

——BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE——
Hash: SHA1

this is my first post to this list, and i suspect it to be redundant and
already answered, but somehow I can’t access the archives. Sourceforge
tells me

> Your mailing list, miktex-users, appears to be either not archived yet, or has had no e-mails sent to it. If it is a new list, please wait 2-4 hours after the first message is sent for the archive to show up.

Now to the problem:

I try to update miktex, but after downloading it always fails with the
following error: «Error: Windows API error 87: The parameter is incorrect.»

The line before (from the log) reads: «extracting files from
bidi.tar.lzma. «

I hope you have a solution to this problem,
kind regards,
Till

——BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE——
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla — http://enigmail.mozdev.org/

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MiKTeX update error (Windows API error 32): MiKTeX console already in use

I just downloaded MiKTeX with the goal of using TeXstudio. My laptop is running Windows 10 Pro.

After installing MiKTex 2.9.6942, when I try to install updates using the MiKTeX Console (as per the instructions on their website), I get an error saying that the file ‘miktex-console.exe’ is in use and that I need to close running MiKTeX programs and try again. Of course, I’m using the console to run my updates, so that’s why the file is in use.

Details included below. Does anyone have any ideas for how to get around this?

None of the previous posts I’ve found address the same problem.

Main error message:

Something went wrong while installing package updates.

MiKTeX could not remove the file ‘C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\bin\x64\miktex-console.exe’.

Remedy: Close running MiKTeX programs and try again.

Error report:

Date: 2019-02-19 00:10:04
MiKTeX: 2.9.6930
OS: Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit, build 17134
SharedSetup: no
PathOkay: yes
LastUpdateCheck: 2019-02-19 00:00:53
LastUpdate: not yet
SystemAdmin: yes
RootPrivileges: no
AdminMode: no
Root0: C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
Root1: C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9
Root2: C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9
Root3: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX\2.9
Root4: C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9
UserInstall: C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9
UserConfig: C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
UserData: C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9 ` CommonInstall: C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9
CommonConfig: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX\2.9
CommonData: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX\2.9
Invokers: non-existing/explorer

Warning: the following problems were detected:
1: installation is not up-to-date

When trying to install MiKTeX: Windows API error 5: Access is denied

I tried to download the current version (2.9(.7086)) of MiKTeX for Windows (64 bit). When I try to install it (no matter if only for one user or all, I tried both) it shows me the following error message:

Windows API error 5: Access is denied. info: path=»Software\MiKTeX.org\MiKTeX\2.9\Core»

The last part of the log looks as follows:

I one had MiKTeX installed on my Laptop, unfortunately had to deinstall it after I stopped using it for a while. I did scan my Laptop for the word TeX aswell as MiK, as to delete all files from the previous installation.

I am the admin of this Laptop.

Does anyone know what the problem might be?

1 Answer 1

NOTE a number of users have reported problems installing when the file name is changed, as far as I know there is only ONE filename change recommended by MiKTeX (see end comment about portable), otherwise assume the filename must not be changed during or after download so the installer can compare its own functionality.

API error 5: can happen with a download that is a few bytes short of a full load I can get either of these messages from exactly the same bad file

First test the SHA256 value of the download. The code is alongside the location of the download. For windows users the built in powershell has a File-hash function but it may be simpler to get an offline app from a reputable site.

The result must be exactly the same as given on the MiKTeX website.

If the SHA256 checksum is correct (confirming a valid signed file) then the next likely issue is the rights of the person installing versus the rights of the location you are installing to. Many users elevate themselves or their rights over folders to get around such «Access is Denied», Please avoid doing that as it is likely to cause other issues later.

First consider why the download is inappropriate for your rights. I would always recommend a simple one user portable install without any issues about maintaining dual controls. NOTE top answers to similar questions always recommend install as «Only for me» see «I strongly recommend to choose the user mode installation.»
at Difference between administrative and user mode of MiKTeX

«single user installation is the best for a lot of people». «90% of problems with map-files e.g. are due to misunderstandings regarding user/admin settings. »
from What is the preferable setup for MiKTeX to keep all packages up-to-date easily?

For recent 2018 advice on maintenance see Edit 2018: Windows and Linux at
How should one maintain and update a MiKTeX installation?

There has been a minor 2019 change in installation files for standalone users.

Consider downloading 32bit basic version or if you are confident your OS will always be 64bit then download that version as you download it save as miktex-portable.exe and check sha256 again matches current value on MiKTeX site.

«This works fine even if the user account has only restricted rights. There is no need to give this user admin rights or something similar. I simply log-in in the user account and install MiKTeX. Naturally the main texmf tree must be installed in a folder where the user account has the right to write.».