pdflatex: \includegraphics{} -> file not found - latex

Question

first of all: I know this question is out there hundreds and thousands of times. But none of the given answers I found during the last four hours solved my specific problem and I am getting crazy here. I would be extremely grateful for any help and advice!
Trying to compile a very simple .tex file including an \includegraphics command, I end up getting a "file not found" error. Take the following as a very minimalistic example:
\documentclass{report}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\begin{document}
\includegraphics{b}
\end{document}
The image file is actually just called "b.jpg" (meanwhile), and it's definitely sitting in the same path as the tex-file. Adding ".jpg" to the command does not change a thing. Neither does calling graphics instead of graphicx.
The output file created contains the following:
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.20 (MiKTeX 2.9.7200 64-bit) (preloaded format=pdflatex 2019.10.6) 6 OCT 2019 17:25 entering extended mode
**"C:/Neuer Ordner/test.tex" ("C:/Neuer Ordner/test.tex" LaTeX2e <2018-12-01> ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/latex/base\article.cls" Document Class: article 2019/08/27 v1.4j Standard LaTeX document class ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/latex/base\size10.clo" File: size10.clo 2019/08/27 v1.4j Standard LaTeX file (size option) ) \c#part=\count80 \c#section=\count81 \c#subsection=\count82 \c#subsubsection=\count83 \c#paragraph=\count84 \c#subparagraph=\count85 \c#figure=\count86 \c#table=\count87 \abovecaptionskip=\skip41 \belowcaptionskip=\skip42 \bibindent=\dimen102 ) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX
2.9\tex/latex/graphics\graphics.sty" Package: graphics 2019/07/20 v1.3b Standard LaTeX Graphics (DPC,SPQR)
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/latex/graphics\trig.sty" Package: trig 2016/01/03 v1.10 sin cos tan (DPC) ) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX
2.9\tex/latex/graphics-cfg\graphics.cfg" File: graphics.cfg 2016/06/04 v1.11 sample graphics configuration ) Package graphics Info: Driver file: pdftex.def on input line 105.
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/latex/graphics-def\pdftex.def" File: pdftex.def 2018/01/08 v1.0l Graphics/color driver for pdftex )) (test.aux) \openout1 = `test.aux'.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OML/cmm/m/it on input line
4. LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for T1/cmr/m/n on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OT1/cmr/m/n on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OMS/cmsy/m/n on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OMX/cmex/m/n on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for U/cmr/m/n on input line 4. LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
(C:\Users\rB\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9\tex/context/base/mkii\supp-pdf.mkii [Loading MPS to PDF converter (version 2006.09.02).] \scratchcounter=\count88 \scratchdimen=\dimen103 \scratchbox=\box27 \nofMPsegments=\count89 \nofMParguments=\count90 \everyMPshowfont=\toks14 \MPscratchCnt=\count91 \MPscratchDim=\dimen104 \MPnumerator=\count92 \makeMPintoPDFobject=\count93 \everyMPtoPDFconversion=\toks15 ) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/latex/oberdiek\epstopdf-base.sty" Package: epstopdf-base 2016/05/15 v2.6 Base part for package epstopdf
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\infwarerr.sty" Package: infwarerr 2016/05/16 v1.4 Providing info/warning/error messages (HO) ) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX
2.9\tex/latex/oberdiek\grfext.sty" Package: grfext 2016/05/16 v1.2 Manage graphics extensions (HO)
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\kvdefinekeys.sty" Package: kvdefinekeys 2016/05/16 v1.4 Define keys (HO)
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\ltxcmds.sty" Package: ltxcmds 2016/05/16 v1.23 LaTeX kernel commands for general use (HO) ))) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX
2.9\tex/latex/oberdiek\kvoptions.sty" Package: kvoptions 2016/05/16 v3.12 Key value format for package options (HO)
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/latex/graphics\keyval.sty" Package: keyval 2014/10/28 v1.15 key=value parser (DPC) \KV#toks#=\toks16 ) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\kvsetkeys.sty" Package: kvsetkeys 2016/05/16 v1.17 Key value parser (HO)
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\etexcmds.sty" Package: etexcmds 2016/05/16 v1.6 Avoid name clashes with e-TeX commands (HO)
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\ifluatex.sty" Package: ifluatex 2016/05/16 v1.4 Provides the ifluatex switch (HO) Package ifluatex Info: LuaTeX not detected. )))) ("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\pdftexcmds.sty" Package: pdftexcmds 2019/07/25 v0.30 Utility functions of pdfTeX for LuaTeX (HO )
("C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\tex/generic/oberdiek\ifpdf.sty" Package: ifpdf 2018/09/07 v3.3 Provides the ifpdf switch ) Package pdftexcmds Info: LuaTeX not detected. Package pdftexcmds Info: \pdf#primitive is available. Package pdftexcmds Info: \pdf#ifprimitive is available. Package pdftexcmds Info: \pdfdraftmode found. ) Package epstopdf-base Info: Redefining graphics rule for `.eps' on input line 4
38. Package grfext Info: Graphics extension search list: (grfext) [.pdf,.png,.jpg,.mps,.jpeg,.jbig2,.jb2,.PDF,.PNG,.JPG,.JPE G,.JBIG2,.JB2,.eps] (grfext) \AppendGraphicsExtensions on input line 456. ) ! Undefined control sequence. \Ginclude#graphics ...\Ginput#path \set#curr#file
{#1}\edef \uq#curr#file {\... l.5 \includegraphics{b}
The control sequence at the end of the top line of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue, and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.
! Undefined control sequence. \Ginclude#graphics ...e \expandafter {\#curr#file
}}\expandafter \filename#p... l.5 \includegraphics{b}
The control sequence at the end of the top line of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue, and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.
! Undefined control sequence. <recently read> \unquote#name
l.5 \includegraphics{b}
The control sequence at the end of the top line of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue, and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.
! Undefined control sequence. <recently read> \quote#name
l.5 \includegraphics{b}
The control sequence at the end of the top line of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue, and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.
! Undefined control sequence. <recently read> \quote#name
l.5 \includegraphics{b}
The control sequence at the end of the top line of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue, and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.
! LaTeX Error: File `b' not found.
See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation. Type H <return> for immediate help. ...
l.5 \includegraphics{b}
I could not locate the file with any of these extensions: .pdf,.png,.jpg,.mps,.jpeg,.jbig2,.jb2,.PDF,.PNG,.JPG,.JPEG,.JBIG2,.JB2,.eps Try typing <return> to proceed. If that doesn't work, type X <return> to quit.
[1
{C:/Users/rB/AppData/Local/MiKTeX/2.9/pdftex/config/pdftex.map}] (test.aux) ) Here is how much of TeX's memory you used: 1367 strings out of 492895 19199 string characters out of 3133488 80095 words of memory out of 3000000 5293 multiletter control sequences out of 15000+200000 3640 words of font info for 14 fonts, out of 3000000 for 9000 1141 hyphenation exceptions out of 8191 41i,4n,25p,289b,107s stack positions out of 5000i,500n,10000p,200000b,50000s <C :/Program Files/MiKTeX 2.9/fonts/type1/public/amsfonts/cm/cmr10.pfb> Output written on test.pdf (1 page, 10121 bytes). PDF statistics: 10 PDF objects out of 1000 (max. 8388607) 0 named destinations out of 1000 (max. 500000) 1 words of extra memory for PDF output out of 10000 (max. 10000000)
Why does it begin with "This is pdfTeX", even though I explicitly chose pdflatex? Might this be the key here?
I am using pdflatex in TeXnicCenter 2.02 with MikTex 2.9 in Win10 64bit. Already tried reinstalling MikTex.
Thanks in advance for any help, it's highly appreciated!

Answer 1

Have you tried adding \graphicspath{{./}} to your preamble after you import graphicx? What this does is it makes the images in the same directory of the .tex file to your document to use. Afterwards, you can call \includegraphics{b.jpg} where you want to add your image.
Code example:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx} % Used for adding images
\graphicspath{{./}} % Import images in the same folder as this .tex file
\begin{document} % Official beginning of the document.
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{b.jpg}
\end{document}