# Contribute on Windows **URL:** \ **Category:** Beats\ **Created:** [October 28, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251 "2016-10-28T06:49:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maddin2016](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/maddin2016/32/16599_2.png) [@maddin2016](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maddin2016)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/1 "2016-10-28T06:49:53Z")
Hi there, i would like to contribute to beats, especially for winlogbeats on my windows machine (WIN 10). Is there something special i have to note. Steps i have yet created install golang -\> fork your repo -\> cloned it on my machine. Problem is that after i have cloned it, git will delete many \*.json fies. For example `packetbeats\etc\kibana\visualization\...\*.json`. If i reproduce the same steps on ubuntu, all is fine. Is there something special to build sources on windows? Thanks, Martin ---
**Author:** ![ruflin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ruflin/32/3116_2.png) [@ruflin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ruflin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/2 "2016-10-31T14:23:10Z")
I assume you are referring to the `make update` command which does not directly exist on Windows? What are the commands you are running? Which python version do you have installed? ---
**Author:** ![maddin2016](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/maddin2016/32/16599_2.png) [@maddin2016](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maddin2016)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 10:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/3 "2016-11-04T10:24:47Z")
I have python 2.7.12 installed. I have run no command. I only clone the repo and `git status` ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/2X/9/98caf023b47a8f5bfef6da0400aad243b2e01195.png) I have no idea why it add's these files `Cassandra` `Metricbeat` and delete the `*.json` files. Very strange! ---
**Author:** ![maddin2016](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/maddin2016/32/16599_2.png) [@maddin2016](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maddin2016)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/4 "2016-11-04T13:10:55Z")
Ooh, i think i got the problem. `:` is a forbidden character on windows. Is there any chance to rename these files?? > Workaround for me is to do a `sparse-checkout` and exclude these folders. But i think this is an issue and have to discuss. ---
**Author:** ![andrewkroh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andrewkroh/32/3784_2.png) [@andrewkroh](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/andrewkroh)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/5 "2016-11-04T14:34:24Z")
I think the files should be renamed and the [script](https://github.com/elastic/beats/blob/master/dev-tools/export_dashboards.py#L83) that wrote those files should have a filter added that replaces the `:` if it exists in the filepath. I recall having a similar issue with '\*' in the filename many months ago. ---
**Author:** ![maddin2016](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/maddin2016/32/16599_2.png) [@maddin2016](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maddin2016)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/6 "2016-11-04T15:09:37Z")
Ok, should i open an issue or a pr? ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/monica/32/3696_2.png) [@monica](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/7 "2016-11-04T15:29:53Z")
@maddin2016 Thank you for reporting the issue. Please open a GitHub issue under [https://github.com/elastic/beats/issues](https://github.com/elastic/beats/issues), so we can fix other visualizations that have a similar problem. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/contribute-on-windows/64251/8 "2016-11-18T06:49:58Z")
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