MiKTeX and proTeXt ⇒ Why do you have to be a computer genius to install a package

[florizz84]

I thought I had a simple request: when using the Bibtex, I would like quotes to be in the form "name (year)". I found the bst-file te.bst which is used in theoretical economics and I thought this would be perfect, since I am a student economics. For this file to work, I needed to have installed the package natbib. Unfortenatly my Miktex Package Manager finds natbib, but it cannot install it because of the error: " Error: Cannot read package database file 'mpm.ini'.." So I thought I could install the package manually. I went to CTAN and downloaded the package. However it is zipped in lzma. The program 7zip should be able to unzip this file, but it does not work on my computer and I am not the only one complaining about it. There is a lzma website which should contain a program, however I could not find any .exe in the downloaded file from that website. As such, there was no program for me to open.
Concluding: I have a MikTex package manager which does not work and a zipped file which I cannot unzip. Can anybody please help me out. BTW I am using Windows XP SP2, MikteX (the package manager claims that it is 2.2 beta 2, but I cannot find any other reference as to the version) and TexnicCenter. Thank you very much in advance.

Floris

[localghost]

[...] Concluding: I have a MikTex package manager which does not work and a zipped file which I cannot unzip. Can anybody please help me out. BTW I am using Windows XP SP2, MikteX (the package manager claims that it is 2.2 beta 2, but I cannot find any other reference as to the version) and TexnicCenter. Thank you very much in advance. [...]

It is strongly recommended that you upgrade to the current version 2.7 of the MiKTeX system. Your version belongs to the museum. Repositories are closed for older versions than 2.5 and version 2.6 is considered outdated. With the current version installing package will be a child's play.


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten¹

[florizz84]

Okay, I have installed the new version and again tried to install natbib. The first time it took forever and did not finish. I cancelled the installation and now it gives the error: " Invalid easy handle". Do you have any more hints?

Floris

[localghost]

Change the package repository to a server in your country and try again. A short description how to do that is given in another topic [1]. Install the package first with the package manager. And do not again interrupt the installation process. Then start a new run on your source.

[1] Help with subfigure

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Floris,

I would also recommend to change the repository server. Perhaps synchronize with the repository if not done yet. Check if natbib is marked as installed, in that case uninstall it before running the natbib package installation by the package manager again.

Stefan

[florizz84]

Now it even gives the same error when I change package repository. I have tried it on all the Dutch servers, a few German servers and an American server. I guess the problem is somewhere on my computer, although I cannot find out what it is. I am not behind a firewall and I don't run an anti-virus program. Do you have any more ideas?

[localghost]

Update your installed MiKTeX system (Start -> Programs -> MiKTeX -> Update). If there are binaries to be updated, do this first and start a second update to do the rest afterwards.