Also, does it work to invoke "makeinfo --force emacs.texi" from the command line in the C:/trunk/doc/emacs directory, or does it crash in the same way?
Nope. Hangs and then delivers an IE prompt about sending Microsoft a report. Yeah, I had tried that before mailing h-e-w; and barring the error, would that have probably gone alright anyway---one doesn't necessarily have to do the `/nt make info' thing, it's a convenience?