[Tex/LaTex] Error after TeX Live 2012 update: “I can’t write on file ‘texsys.aux'”

errorsinstallingtexlive

I was previously able to run LaTeX with TeX Live 2011, but since installing TeX Live 2012, I get the error message ! I can't write on file 'texsys.aux'.

This is a Windows 7 operating system. I have tried processing a minimal working example from the command line using:

latex test.tex

The MWE 

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
This is some text.
\end{document}

The log file shows the following:

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-2.4-1.40.13 (TeX Live 2012/W32TeX) (INITEX)  4 JUN 2013 17:34
entering extended mode
restricted \write18 enabled.
%&-line parsing enabled.
(c:/texlive/2012/texmf/web2c/cp227.tcx)
***latex.ini
(c:/texlive/2012/texmf-dist/tex/latex/latexconfig/latex.ini
(c:/texlive/2012/texmf-config/tex/generic/config/pdftexconfig.tex)
(c:/texlive/2012/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/latex.ltx
(c:/texlive/2012/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/texsys.cfg)
! I can't write on file `texsys.aux'.
l.140 \immediate\openout15=texsys.aux

(Press Enter to retry, or Control-Z to exit; default file extension is `.tex')
Please type another output file name: 
! Emergency stop.
l.140 \immediate\openout15=texsys.aux

Best Answer

Ensure that you have full administrative privileges. In this case, my user ID belonged to the administrator group, but since the installation was taking place while the computer was not connected to the network (i.e., out of the office), administrator status could not be verified and privileges were restricted. IT staff was able to remotely login and run the installation successfully.

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