Ok I know bottom post, but think I need to inline comment on this
> OK. Here is the thing: > > I had similar experiences on my students PCs. The problem maybe related to > Windows+Miktex as follows: > > In the past year Microsoft did some changes to the administrative and > security bits of Windows. I do not exactly what it is, but we are > observing it. > > Parallel to these changes in the OS, we also observe how programs such as > MikTex, SourceTree, VS Code and etc. change their way of installing on the > PC. > Yes this has been my thought as well as possibly install of LyX in C:\Programs ... and MikTeX in C:\Programs ... where LyX cannot see into MikTeX possibly with windows updates rolling in. > My understanding is that programs are installed either for all users or > for the current user only. If the program is installed for all users, it is > located under the Program Files folder or a folder you select. If it is > installed only for one user, it is installed to somewhere under > C:\Users\*username*\AppData\. > I installed both LyX and MikTeX for All Users. > Depending on where it is installed LyX may have difficulty to access > properly to MikTeX, even if you may have your files installed properly. > Yes!!! This seems like the issue where LyX says it cannot see article.cls as "Unavailable" can now generate it when it sends command to MikTeX to generate after my scorched earth reinstall on Win 10 Pro box. This is also related to the Windows version you have. I observed these > problems a lot on Windows 10 home-type, single language kind-of version. My > students have laptops that come with a preinstalled Windows 10, and this > version of Windows 10 is not generally a professional version. > Personal laptop is Windows 10 Professional now with latest 1903 and updates. I upgraded win 10 pro box hoping it would help, it did not. School laptop is Windows 10 Enterprise image from the school. Advisor computer is ??, but if managed by school likely Win 10 Enterprise as well. > I did not have these issues on my PC, which I have a Windows 10 comes from > the university and it is professional/enterprise type version. > This has been my experience too with Win 10 Enterprise machines working *mostly* minus the withesis on Advisors laptop and now on my School laptop. However I am going to commit my thesis into git roll back and see if it works with prior version as it could be the convergence of two problems. 1) Issue described above regarding various flavors of win 10 (Professional versions having issues) and 2) could be something in LyX / LaTeX stuff being sent to MikTeX causing it to spin to infinity (on Win 10 Enterprise). I have had this problem on Windows 10 Professional so I can attest that is likely Win 10 Enterprise that is partially immune.... for now! > So the problem may be related to this. This sort of problem is generally > fixable. Even it the problem is due to some other issue, It is worth to try > it some fixes. Here is my suggestion: > > *On one of the PCs that you are flexible to try, uninstall all MikTex and > LyX. Remove all files under the user folders as well. MikTeX put some files > under C:\Users\*username*\AppData\Local\. LyX puts some files under > C:\Users\*username*\AppData\Roaming\ > Ok I did something similar in my Scorched Earth post where I checked the box to have LyX remove the files in AppData removing my user settings and custom layout files. > *Create a new user from Windows. Give full admin privileges to that user. > Make sure the user name is a single word without spaces. The folder under > the C:\User for this new account should be single word. > Yes my current user is 1 word and and has admin. > *Login to the new account. > > *Start MikTeX setup with right-click "Run as Administrator" > Installs always switch to Administrator mode, but I can try the uber paranoid approach ;-) > * Install MikTeX to a folder under C:\ or to the root of another drive, > but not to C:\program files. > Ok will try this. > * Install MikTeX **for all users** --not for a single user-- (very > important) > I always do this. > * Select the option of install packages on the fly. > Yep check. I always do this as the alternative is not really an option. > * Highly recommended: install all packages right after the first setup. > This may take couple of hours. > My connection is better than carrier pigeons, but not by much. More like a carrier fleet of carrier pigeons all working in unison. > * Refresh file name database, refresh font maps and update package list. > Yes I have done this before > * If you have a custom class file (e.g. your thesis class file), create a > localtexmf folder under C:\ and place the custom class files to > C:\localtexmf\tex\latex\ folder > I have not been doing this with my thesis as yet, but have in past as I have been trying to figure out the article.cls problem, but if it is a Windows access problem then I can try to continue on. * Refresh file name database, refresh font maps and update package list > again. > Yep always have to do this after above step of adding my own files same with LyX when adding my .layout files in my roaming profile. > * Test your MikTeX setup with plain LaTex. using for example TeXMaker or > TeXStudio or even using Command line. LaTeX should be on the path of > Windows so, command line should work as well. > I have been doing this with LyX and a simple text.lyx based on article.cls. >>>> LYX ON ONE MACHINE REPORTS ARTICLE.CLS AS "UNAVAILABLE'" !!! BUT !!! IT GENERATES JUST FINE!!!! <<<< Indicating some sort of Windows file system access problem if LyX is searching for .cls files in MikTeX install to see what good bits it has. > * If you can verify that your MikTeX install is working with plain LaTeX, > you can go to the next step of installing LyX. > Yes I have done this with LyX and the text.lyx based on article.cls above. > * Install LyX with right-click "Run as Administrator" > Ok I can go perform paranoid install on LyX as well. I will give that a go. > * Install it to C:\ or to the root of another drive, but not to C:\program > files. > Ok will try install to C:\ > * Watch the setup of LyX and see if any error is reported. > It's hard to keep my eyes open for that... eye lids... so heavy .... the eye lids, but ok I'll go find some toothpicks. > * Without testing your MS thesis, just try the default file with some tex > and see it is working. > I will move on and install my thesis stuff on my Win 10 Pro box and see if it actually generates even though stating "Unavailable", but before doing that I will roll back the thesis doc to prior known working version and try it on Win10 enterprise box to see if it is a syntax problem. > *Check if article class is recognized by LyX. > It is currently... sort of. States that it is not there (Unavailable), but generates pdf just fine. > This is the method that I am proposing to avoid possible Win+MikTeX > administrative issues. I have installed MikTex+LyX+Git+SourceTree and so to > about 10 of my students' computers, and we had some issues for almost all > of them. I have overcame those issues roughly following the above procedure. > > If you would like to get a more step-by-step help, please send me personal > e-mail, as we do not want to bother the list too much. > I am replying here so others can see this. I am basically confirming what you are seeing with the exception that I am seeing it on Win 10 Pro machines (No experience with Win 10 Home thank god) and have yet to narrow down just exactly what is and is not happening on the Win 10 Enterprise machine. Why MS thinks Windows needs to be the Baskin-Robiins of Operating systems with all it's flavors I will never know. No really I don't want to know. Don't tell me. > I really hope this helps. > Yes it does. It helps confirm some suspicions I have from what I have been seeing. I will even try the paranoid Admin Mode installs and installs to c:\ see if it does indeed help. When people are out to get you paranoia is only good thinking right? ;-) In this case Win 10 Home/Pro. Thx B
