All, I still need a copy of runperl.exe if anyone has one. Meanwhile, I've got a repeatable weirdness I hope someone can explain. If I set these lines in my texexec.ini: % set TeXFormatPath to f:/localtexmf/miktex/fmt % ConTeXtPath texmf/tex/context/base sources % SetupPath texmf/tex/base/user cont-sys/usr file % TeXScriptsPath texmf/context/perltk scripts % TeXFontsPath texmf font files % % set MpFormatPath to f:/localtexmf/miktex/mem % % == the main shell setting == % % As shown below, one can define his/her own sections. We default to % the teTeX/fpTeX web2c based settings. %set TeXShell to tetex %set TeXShell to fptex set TeXShell to miktex %set TeXShell to private Then: f: cd \miktex\scripts\context\perl perl texexec.pl --make en nl The formats get created and can be found on f:\. If I cut them and paste them into f:\localtexmf\miktex\fmt, then the test file junk.tex will compile. %testfile: junk.tex \starttext \framed {Let�s see if it works.} \stoptext Now, if I make these changes to texexec.ini: set TeXFormatPath to f:/localtexmf/miktex/fmt % ConTeXtPath texmf/tex/context/base sources % SetupPath texmf/tex/base/user cont-sys/usr file % TeXScriptsPath texmf/context/perltk scripts % TeXFontsPath texmf font files % set MpFormatPath to f:/localtexmf/miktex/mem % % == the main shell setting == % % As shown below, one can define his/her own sections. We default to % the teTeX/fpTeX web2c based settings. %set TeXShell to tetex %set TeXShell to fptex set TeXShell to miktex %set TeXShell to private Then: f: cd \miktex\scripts\context\perl perl texexec.pl --make en nl In this case, the format files get deposited where they should go, namely in f:\localtexmf\miktex\fmt. However, when I now compile my test file junk.tex: F:\miktex\scripts\context\perl>perl texexec.pl junk TeXExec 5.0 - ConTeXt / PRAGMA ADE 1997-2004 executable : pdfetex format : f:/localtexmf/miktex/fmt/cont-en inputfile : junk output : standard interface : en current mode : none TeX run : 1 This is pdfeTeX, Version 3.141592-1.10b-2.1 (MiKTeX 2.3) initexmf: don't know how to dump miktex cannot make f:/localtexmf/miktex.efmt I can't find the default format file! return code : 256 run time : 1 seconds total run time : 1 seconds How's that for weird? Can anyone tell me what's going on?