Miktex Update removes essential packages

[bilal-saleem]

I have a fairly fresh install of Miktex (last two weeks or so). I tried to update Miktex today, and it failed with error:

2019-09-26 10:51:02,624-0400 ERROR mainwindow - Libraries\MiKTeX\Core\Process\win\winProcess.cpp:292: Windows API error 2: The system cannot find the file specified.
(commandLine="mpm --register-components --verbose", fileName="C:\Users\my_username\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex/bin/x64\mpm.exe")

After the failed update, xelatex no longer works. If i run "xelatex somedoc.tex", there will be no output, it will do nothing and no error message. I have attached some of the logs.
miktex-report.log
miktex-console.log

[edocevoli]

The update wizard has removed 9852 files in 202 packages. That's a disaster. Can you explain what you did? To investigate this issue, I need all/complete log files.

[bilal-saleem]

All I did was "Check for Updates" and then "Update Now" in the Miktex console. Here are the rest of the logs.

miktex_logs.zip

[edocevoli]

Thank you. When you "Check for Updates", you will be presented with a list of update-able packages. Do you remember whether this list was short/long?

[bilal-saleem]

It was long, it was a couple of scrolls worth of updates. When I do "Check for Updates" at this time, no updates are found. Actually, I just closed the console, and tried to open it again - Windows says that it cannot be found.

[edocevoli]

Thank you. This long list was actually a list removals. Only one package (namely l3build) was updated.

[edocevoli]

Please check if these files exist and attach them (if they exist):

• C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\config\packages.ini
• %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\packages.ini

[bilal-saleem]

C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\config\packages.ini exists, the other one does not.

I put it in a zip, as github doesn't like the .ini extension.

packages.zip

[edocevoli]

C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\config\packages.ini should not exist because you have installed MiKTeX for your private use. Is this an leftover from an old MiKTeX installation?

[bilal-saleem]

I uninstalled Miktex prior to my fresh install a couple of weeks ago, although it is possible that the uninstaller did not delete everything.

[edocevoli]

Thank you. This has been fixed with the latest update: MiKTeX now ignores C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\config\packages.ini if this is a single-user installation.

[bilal-saleem]

Thanks, Christian! When should we expect to see the changes reflected in the windows installer on miktex.org? (I can't build it on my system unfortunately).

[edocevoli]

Thanks, the installer will be available soon.

[edocevoli]

The installer is now available.