Just opened Emacs 24.4 for a test:

Warning (initialization): An error occurred while loading `c:/Users/swah/.emacs':

Wrong type argument: listp, 769

To ensure normal operation, you should investigate and remove the
cause of the error in your initialization file. Start Emacs with
the `--debug-init' option to view a complete error backtrace.

That .emacs file contains only has two lines:

(defvar emacs-root (expand-file-name "~/Dropbox/dotfiles/emacs/"))
(load-file "~/Dropbox/dotfiles/emacs/init.el")

So I did M-x toggle-debug-on-error and reloaded init.el manually.. Then I took a look at the Messages buffer:

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (wrong-type-argument listp 769)
memq(&rest 769)
(if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist)))
(let ((arglist (if (byte-code-function-p function) (aref function 0) (second function)))) (if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist))))
(if (subrp function) (let ((max (cdr (subr-arity function)))) (if (eq (quote many) max) most-positive-fixnum max)) (if (eq (quote macro) (car-safe function)) (setq function (cdr function))) (let ((arglist (if (byte-code-function-p function) (aref function 0) (second function)))) (if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist)))))
magit-max-args-internal(delete-directory)
(>= (magit-max-args-internal (quote delete-directory)) 2)
(if (>= (magit-max-args-internal (quote delete-directory)) 2) (defalias (quote magit-delete-directory) (quote delete-directory)) (defun magit-delete-directory (directory &optional recursive) "Deletes a directory named DIRECTORY. If RECURSIVE is non-nil,\nrecursively delete all of DIRECTORY's contents as well.\n\nDoes not follow symlinks." (if (or (file-symlink-p directory) (not (file-directory-p directory))) (delete-file directory) (if recursive (dolist (file (directory-files directory (quote full) "\\([^.]\\|\\.\\([^.]\\|\\..\\)\\).*")) (magit-delete-directory file recursive))) (delete-directory directory))))
(progn (defun magit-max-args-internal (function) "Returns the maximum number of arguments accepted by FUNCTION." (if (symbolp function) (setq function (symbol-function function))) (if (subrp function) (let ((max (cdr (subr-arity function)))) (if (eq (quote many) max) most-positive-fixnum max)) (if (eq (quote macro) (car-safe function)) (setq function (cdr function))) (let ((arglist (if (byte-code-function-p function) (aref function 0) (second function)))) (if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist)))))) (if (functionp (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-process))) (unless (fboundp (quote string-match-p)) (defun string-match-p (regexp string &optional start) "Same as `string-match' except this function does not\nchange the match data." (let ((inhibit-changing-match-data t)) (string-match regexp string start)))) (if (fboundp (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defalias (quote magit-with-silent-modifications) (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defmacro magit-with-silent-modifications (&rest body) "Execute body without changing `buffer-modified-p'. Also, do not\nrecord undo information." (\` (set-buffer-modified-p (prog1 (buffer-modified-p) (let (... before-change-functions after-change-functions) (\,@ body))))))) (if (>= (magit-max-args-internal (quote delete-directory)) 2) (defalias (quote magit-delete-directory) (quote delete-directory)) (defun magit-delete-directory (directory &optional recursive) "Deletes a directory named DIRECTORY. If RECURSIVE is non-nil,\nrecursively delete all of DIRECTORY's contents as well.\n\nDoes not follow symlinks." (if (or (file-symlink-p directory) (not (file-directory-p directory))) (delete-file directory) (if recursive (dolist (file (directory-files directory ... "\\([^.]\\|\\.\\([^.]\\|\\..\\)\\).*")) (magit-delete-directory file recursive))) (delete-directory directory)))))
eval((progn (defun magit-max-args-internal (function) "Returns the maximum number of arguments accepted by FUNCTION." (if (symbolp function) (setq function (symbol-function function))) (if (subrp function) (let ((max (cdr (subr-arity function)))) (if (eq (quote many) max) most-positive-fixnum max)) (if (eq (quote macro) (car-safe function)) (setq function (cdr function))) (let ((arglist (if (byte-code-function-p function) (aref function 0) (second function)))) (if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist)))))) (if (functionp (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-process))) (unless (fboundp (quote string-match-p)) (defun string-match-p (regexp string &optional start) "Same as `string-match' except this function does not\nchange the match data." (let ((inhibit-changing-match-data t)) (string-match regexp string start)))) (if (fboundp (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defalias (quote magit-with-silent-modifications) (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defmacro magit-with-silent-modifications (&rest body) "Execute body without changing `buffer-modified-p'. Also, do not\nrecord undo information." (\` (set-buffer-modified-p (prog1 (buffer-modified-p) (let (... before-change-functions after-change-functions) (\,@ body))))))) (if (>= (magit-max-args-internal (quote delete-directory)) 2) (defalias (quote magit-delete-directory) (quote delete-directory)) (defun magit-delete-directory (directory &optional recursive) "Deletes a directory named DIRECTORY. If RECURSIVE is non-nil,\nrecursively delete all of DIRECTORY's contents as well.\n\nDoes not follow symlinks." (if (or (file-symlink-p directory) (not (file-directory-p directory))) (delete-file directory) (if recursive (dolist (file (directory-files directory ... "\\([^.]\\|\\.\\([^.]\\|\\..\\)\\).*")) (magit-delete-directory file recursive))) (delete-directory directory))))) nil)
#[128 "\301\302\303B\"D\207" [lexical-binding quote eval progn] 5 1631664]((defun magit-max-args-internal (function) "Returns the maximum number of arguments accepted by FUNCTION." (if (symbolp function) (setq function (symbol-function function))) (if (subrp function) (let ((max (cdr (subr-arity function)))) (if (eq (quote many) max) most-positive-fixnum max)) (if (eq (quote macro) (car-safe function)) (setq function (cdr function))) (let ((arglist (if (byte-code-function-p function) (aref function 0) (second function)))) (if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist)))))) (if (functionp (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-process))) (unless (fboundp (quote string-match-p)) (defun string-match-p (regexp string &optional start) "Same as `string-match' except this function does not\nchange the match data." (let ((inhibit-changing-match-data t)) (string-match regexp string start)))) (if (fboundp (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defalias (quote magit-with-silent-modifications) (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defmacro magit-with-silent-modifications (&rest body) "Execute body without changing `buffer-modified-p'. Also, do not\nrecord undo information." (\` (set-buffer-modified-p (prog1 (buffer-modified-p) (let ((buffer-undo-list t) before-change-functions after-change-functions) (\,@ body))))))) (if (>= (magit-max-args-internal (quote delete-directory)) 2) (defalias (quote magit-delete-directory) (quote delete-directory)) (defun magit-delete-directory (directory &optional recursive) "Deletes a directory named DIRECTORY. If RECURSIVE is non-nil,\nrecursively delete all of DIRECTORY's contents as well.\n\nDoes not follow symlinks." (if (or (file-symlink-p directory) (not (file-directory-p directory))) (delete-file directory) (if recursive (dolist (file (directory-files directory (quote full) "\\([^.]\\|\\.\\([^.]\\|\\..\\)\\).*")) (magit-delete-directory file recursive))) (delete-directory directory)))))
(eval-and-compile (defun magit-max-args-internal (function) "Returns the maximum number of arguments accepted by FUNCTION." (if (symbolp function) (setq function (symbol-function function))) (if (subrp function) (let ((max (cdr (subr-arity function)))) (if (eq (quote many) max) most-positive-fixnum max)) (if (eq (quote macro) (car-safe function)) (setq function (cdr function))) (let ((arglist (if (byte-code-function-p function) (aref function 0) (second function)))) (if (memq (quote &rest) arglist) most-positive-fixnum (length (remq (quote &optional) arglist)))))) (if (functionp (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-file-process)) (defalias (quote magit-start-process) (quote start-process))) (unless (fboundp (quote string-match-p)) (defun string-match-p (regexp string &optional start) "Same as `string-match' except this function does not\nchange the match data." (let ((inhibit-changing-match-data t)) (string-match regexp string start)))) (if (fboundp (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defalias (quote magit-with-silent-modifications) (quote with-silent-modifications)) (defmacro magit-with-silent-modifications (&rest body) "Execute body without changing `buffer-modified-p'. Also, do not\nrecord undo information." (\` (set-buffer-modified-p (prog1 (buffer-modified-p) (let (... before-change-functions after-change-functions) (\,@ body))))))) (if (>= (magit-max-args-internal (quote delete-directory)) 2) (defalias (quote magit-delete-directory) (quote delete-directory)) (defun magit-delete-directory (directory &optional recursive) "Deletes a directory named DIRECTORY. If RECURSIVE is non-nil,\nrecursively delete all of DIRECTORY's contents as well.\n\nDoes not follow symlinks." (if (or (file-symlink-p directory) (not (file-directory-p directory))) (delete-file directory) (if recursive (dolist (file (directory-files directory ... "\\([^.]\\|\\.\\([^.]\\|\\..\\)\\).*")) (magit-delete-directory file recursive))) (delete-directory directory)))))
eval-buffer(#<buffer *load*> nil "c:/Users/swah/Dropbox/dotfiles/emacs_new/packages/magit/magit.el" nil t) ; Reading at buffer position 28726
load-with-code-conversion("c:/Users/swah/Dropbox/dotfiles/emacs_new/packages/magit/magit.el" "c:/Users/swah/Dropbox/dotfiles/emacs_new/packages/magit/magit.el" nil t)
require(magit)
eval-buffer() ; Reading at buffer position 3564
#<subr call-interactively>(eval-buffer record nil)
funcall(#<subr call-interactively> eval-buffer record nil)
(with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys))
(setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys)))
(let ((ido-ubiquitous-next-override (ido-ubiquitous-get-command-override function))) (setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys))))
(ido-ubiquitous-with-override (ido-ubiquitous-get-command-override function) (setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys))))
(let (ad-return-value) (ido-ubiquitous-with-override (ido-ubiquitous-get-command-override function) (setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys)))) ad-return-value)
ad-Advice-call-interactively(#<subr call-interactively> eval-buffer record nil)
apply(ad-Advice-call-interactively #<subr call-interactively> (eval-buffer record nil))
call-interactively(eval-buffer record nil)
command-execute(eval-buffer record)
execute-extended-command(nil "eval-buffer")
#<subr call-interactively>(execute-extended-command nil nil)
funcall(#<subr call-interactively> execute-extended-command nil nil)
(with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys))
(setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys)))
(let ((ido-ubiquitous-next-override (ido-ubiquitous-get-command-override function))) (setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys))))
(ido-ubiquitous-with-override (ido-ubiquitous-get-command-override function) (setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys))))
(let (ad-return-value) (ido-ubiquitous-with-override (ido-ubiquitous-get-command-override function) (setq ad-return-value (with-no-warnings (funcall ad--addoit-function function record-flag keys)))) ad-return-value)
ad-Advice-call-interactively(#<subr call-interactively> execute-extended-command nil nil)
apply(ad-Advice-call-interactively #<subr call-interactively> (execute-extended-command nil nil))
call-interactively(execute-extended-command nil nil)
command-execute(execute-extended-command)

I decide to try updating magit. After a bit of googling, I find out how to update packages installed with package.el: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14836958/updating-package....

15 packages are updated. I close Emacs and open again, and it still seems to break on the same place - something related to Magit. Fault of my customizations? Maybe. I don't know. Consider going back to Sublime? Yep.

So... no, tracking the source of errors ain't that trivial. What options do I have now? Throw away my customizations and start over?