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I am trying to install TeX Live on my Windows 8 machine, which already has MikTeX 2.9 installed on it. I downloaded the zipped file from CTAN, unzipped it to a new folder, and I have run install-tl.bat both by simply double-clicking on it as as an administrator.

I have also tried changing my environmental variables. I have changed PATHEXT from ".COM;.EXE;.BAT;..." to ".EXE;.BAT;.COM;..." as well. I've run all four combinations of the two PATHEXT versions and both running the batch file normally and as an administrator.

The output of the prompt is invariant over attempts and is as follows:

PATH=C:\Program Files (x86)\TexLive\install-tl-20131021\tlpkg\tlperl\bin;c:\Rtoo ls\bin;c:\Rtools\gcc-4.6.3\bin; "C:\Program Files (x86)\TexLive\install-tl-20131021\install-tl" Can't spawn "cmd.exe": No such file or directory at C:/Program Files (x86)/TexLi ve/install-tl-20131021/tlpkg/TeXLive/TLUtils.pm line 2375. TeXLive::TLUtils::setup_programs (w32) failed at C:/Program Files (x86)/TexLive/ install-tl-20131021/tlpkg/TeXLive/TLUtils.pm line 2377. "C:\Program Files (x86)\TexLive\install-tl-20131021\tlpkg\installer\xz\xzdec.exe " --help failed (status 65280): No such file or directory Output is: Usage: xzdec [OPTION]... [FILE]... Uncompress files in the .xz format to the standard output.

-c, --stdout (ignored) -d, --decompress (ignored) -k, --keep (ignored) -q, --quiet specify twice to suppress errors -Q, --no-warn (ignored) -h, --help display this help and exit -V, --version display the version number and exit

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Report bugs to (in English or Finnish). XZ Utils home page: http://tukaani.org/xz/

Can't spawn "cmd.exe": No such file or directory at C:/Program Files (x86)/TexLi ve/install-tl-20131021/tlpkg/TeXLive/TLUtils.pm line 2375. TeXLive::TLUtils::setup_programs (w32) failed at C:/Program Files (x86)/TexLive/ install-tl-20131021/tlpkg/TeXLive/TLUtils.pm line 2377. "C:\Program Files (x86)\TexLive\install-tl-20131021\tlpkg\installer\wget\wget.ex e" --version failed (status 65280): No such file or directory Output is: GNU Wget 1.11.4

Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Originally written by Hrvoje Niksic . Currently maintained by Micah Cowan .

C:\Program Files (x86)\TexLive\install-tl-20131021\install-tl: Goodbye. Press any key to continue . . .

As far as I know I've tried all the fixes that have worked for other users and I just don't know what to do. Thanks for your help.

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    You seem to have deleted the standard windows pathes (C:\windows\...) from the path variable and so cmd.exe is not found.
    – Ulrike Fischer
    Oct 21 '13 at 14:58
  • I had the same problem with Windows 8 a few days ago. You should try to run the other install-tl-advanced script. It worked for me with no problems... but the real problem seems to be what Ulrike just mentioned. TeXLive should be installed in C:\
    – Mario S. E.
    Oct 21 '13 at 15:44
  • Thank you, Ulrike. I did not consciously alter the path, so I do not know when it was changed/deleted. Do you happen to know a safe way to fix this if it is not clear from what date a system restore would have to be run? Thank you very much for your help.
    – Jean-David
    Oct 21 '13 at 15:46
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    Thanks for your help. I copied the PATH variable that I found here: answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-system/… and used that, and now TeX Live is installing. Thanks.
    – Jean-David
    Oct 21 '13 at 16:17
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the cause of problem was deleting PATH variables. This now is clearly a OS matter, nothing to do with TL.
    – Johannes_B
    Mar 13 '15 at 16:03