How to fix the incompatility between BiBer and BiBLaTeX versions in TeXmaker?

Question

I can't get citations to work with 32-bit MikTeX and TexMaker. It seems like my Biber and biblatex versions are out of sync but I don't know how to sync them, other than by using the "synchronize" command in the MikTeX Package Manager.

Input

\documentclass{turabian-thesis}

% PDFLaTeX
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{csquotes}


\usepackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents}{\jobname.bib}
    @book{turabian_manual_2013,
        author = {Turabian, Kate L.},
        edition = {8th edition},
        title = {A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers},
        shorttitle = {A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations},
        publisher = {University of Chicago Press},
        year = {2013}}
\end{filecontents}

\usepackage{biblatex-chicago}
\addbibresource{\jobname.bib}

\begin{document}
\end{document}

Log

Process started

Use of uninitialized value $bltxversion in concatenation (.) or string at C:\Users\benna\AppData\Local\Temp\par-62656e6e61\cache-564dd4103627c1c374effa6d52fc299ad25d4d4a\inc\lib/Biber.pm line 415.

INFO - This is Biber 2.5
INFO - Logfile is 'Citation_sample.blg'
INFO - Reading 'Citation_sample.bcf'
ERROR - Error: Found biblatex control file version 3.0, expected version 3.1.
        This means that your biber (2.5) and biblatex () versions are incompatible.
        See compat matrix in biblatex or biber PDF documentation.
INFO - ERRORS: 1

Process exited with error(s)

Answer 1

Depending on how you installed MiKTeX (admin or user installation) start the Windows application MiKTeX Package Manager (admin) and/or MiKTeX Package Manager.

Then you can filter the currently installed packages on your computer with the following inputs (see red markings in image: type biberto name and press filter) to first show only biber:

Then you can see if biberis installed (red arrow) and the installation date. If the plus sign under menu point file is blue, you can install a new version (not needed on my system ...).

Now the same with biblatex: Please see that you have to choose which parts you need to install or to make it easy: just install all of them ...

I underlined the important part for you red, see the inputs in red circles and the plus sign marked with a blue circle.

At last a tip: Just update all updateable package for your system, but please check that biber and biblatex are choosen. To see all installable package click on menu point edit, then Select Installable Packages.

Please report, if that helped you ...

Answer 2

I have MikTeX 2.9 installed on Windows 10. All packages are updated (in Admin as well as in User mode). When I tried to used Biber I got an error message:

INFO - This is Biber 2.7
INFO - Logfile is 'main.blg'
INFO - Reading 'main.bcf'
ERROR - Error: Found biblatex control file version 2.9, expected version 3.3.
        This means that your biber (2.7) and biblatex () versions are incompatible.
        See compat matrix in biblatex or biber PDF documentation.
INFO - ERRORS: 1

In package manager the following versions were shown:

• 2.7 for miktex-biber-bin-x64
• 3.7 for biblatex

Reinstallation of these packages did not solve the problem.

I checked which biblatex file is used in the system with the following command (open cmd window and simply type this)

kpsewhich biblatex.sty

The output was:

C:/Users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/MiKTeX/2.9/tex/latex/biblatex/biblatex.sty

Folder C:/Users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/MiKTeX/2.9/ is basically used to install packages installed "on the fly".

I searched if there are other files biblatex.sty in the system and it turned out that the second copy was stored in the MikTeX installation folder:

c:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex\latex\biblatex\

I am not sure what it means. Is it that my MikTeX installation is corrupted or I have double installation of biblatex nor what is the reason for all this.

I made a simple test. I change the folder C:/Users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/MiKTeX/2.9/tex/latex/biblatex/ name to C:/Users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/MiKTeX/2.9/tex/latex/biblatex_old/

and copy the whole folder from c:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex\latex\biblatex\ to C:/Users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/MiKTeX/2.9/tex/latex/biblatex/

Next I cleared all generated files in my tex project folder (it is important) i.e. delete *.aux, delete *.bcf, ... etc. and recompiled the project again with pdflatex, next biber, next pdflatex

It works!

Answer 3

Edit:

On prompting from @moewe I agree that the most likely reason for the error messages you are receiving is that your biblatex package is not up to date. So as @moewe has suggested you should:

Update:

1. Run the MikTeX Update tool first.

2. Verify that you have the latest biblatex package version.

   MiKTex Package Manager > Name: Biblatex > biblatex [entry] right click > Properties. Note Version number (I'm getting version 3.4, for biblatex ).

3. Verify your biber backend version. Open up a command console (I use powershell).

   ps> biber -v
   

   (I'm getting version 2.5, for biber)

See @moewe post for further details on updating.

Then rerun your minimal working example, with the additions I originally exemplified.

Note also sometimes you have to compile several times before all the variables in the output are properly filled in. For example, in TexStudio I had to run the Bibliography (F8) command and Build & View (F5) a few times to ensure my turabin-thesis minimal working example was formatting correctly.

Original Post:

I was able to build and view your document (as a PDF) with a few changes. I added to your document like this ...

\begin{document}

Lorem \autocite{turabian_manual_2013}.

\printbibliography

\end{document}

I also am using TeXstudio, rather than TexMaker, and I recommend it. TeXstudio comes with MiKTeX (at least my installation did).

However, I seem to recall having to ensure it was configured properly:

• TexStudio Menu > Options > Configure TexStudio > Commands [Tab] > Biber:
• Change blank value for "Biber:" field to "biber.exe %".

You might also have to hit the bibliography command (Tools > Bibliography [f8]) before Build & View (Tools > Build & View [F5]). Sometimes you'll need to hit Build & View twice (or more).

I relatively new to Latex/Biblatex too.

Edit:

The following might also help \UsePackage[backend=biber]{biblatex-chicago} to force the correct backend selection.

Once you get things working you might like to play with various options. For my own purposes I've found useful ...

\UsePackage[authordate,
                backend=biber,
                sorting=nyt,
                backref=true,
                alldates=iso8601,
                cmsdate=on,
                annotation=true]{biblatex-chicago}

[cmsdate specifies how entries with a origdate and date should be handled].