Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ LaTeX with pgf and xcolor

[Rarehunter]

Hi folks,

I really need your help. I am using MikTex 2.8 and TexMaker on a Windows 7 machine. I have simply been working with text-formatting and making equations look pretty and all that.

Now, I need to include some diagrams and graphs (i.e. Free Body Diagrams) in my document and I have searched all over google for some help on how to do so.

From what I deduced, I need pgf 2.00 and xcolor. Okay so... how do I actually go about doing that? I have seen people say: "Run the MikTex update wizard." That's good. How do I do that? What do I update?

Please, please. Can somebody walk me through how to find/install these packages?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[localghost]

[…] From what I deduced, I need pgf 2.00 and xcolor. Okay so... how do I actually go about doing that? I have seen people say: "Run the MikTex update wizard." That's good. How do I do that? What do I update? […]

Install the concerned packages with the MiKTeX Package Manager (MPM). You can find more details about maintenance of the MiKTeX system on its documentation page [1]. Make sure that you start the version for administrators which you can find in the »Start« menu under »Maintenance (Admin)«.

[1] MiKTeX 2.8 Manual


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten

[Rarehunter]

Sorry, I don't quite follow. Where do I get to the MikTex Package Manager?

Under my Program Files and MikTex 2.8 directory on the C: drive, I see a bunch of folders and I found a .exe called miktex-update-admin.exe. I ran it and tried to update packages from the nearest local repository but it responded by giving me an error box saying that the connection failed because the target machine refused it.

What do I do?

Thanks.

[localghost]

Sorry, I don't quite follow. Where do I get to the MikTex Package Manager? […]

Oh, actually I assumed that you know how to handle your operating system. But it seems I've been off the track.

[…]Under my Program Files and MikTex 2.8 directory on the C: drive, I see a bunch of folders and I found a .exe called miktex-update-admin.exe. I ran it and tried to update packages from the nearest local repository but it responded by giving me an error box saying that the connection failed because the target machine refused it. […]

I don't remember that I advised you to look into the program folder by means of the file manager.

Windows XP was last the operating system of this kind on my machine(s). So the following suggestions are based on this fact. There should be a »Start« menu in the left area of your task bar. Therein you can find a »Programs« sub-menu with an entry for »MiKTeX 2.8« and therein the sub-menu »Maintenance (Admin)«. From there you can start the MiKTeX Package Manager to install the required packages. But these descriptions surely can be found also in the MiKTeX manual I linked in my last reply.