# Elasticsearch-setup-passwords commands with ERROR: Failed to verify bootstrap password
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-setup-passwords-commands-with-error-failed-to-verify-bootstrap-password/267441
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [March 17, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-setup-passwords-commands-with-error-failed-to-verify-bootstrap-password/267441 "2021-03-17T04:49:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Willy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-setup-passwords-commands-with-error-failed-to-verify-bootstrap-password/267441/1 "2021-03-17T04:49:45Z")
I am new to ElasticSearch.
I followed the steps in this page: [Configuring SSL, TLS, and HTTPS to secure Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, and Logstash](https://www.elastic.co/blog/configuring-ssl-tls-and-https-to-secure-elasticsearch-kibana-beats-and-logstash)
I used
`bin/elasticsearch-setup-passwords interactive -u 'https://abc.mysite.com:9200'`
on step **[2-6-4] Set built-in user password**
Everything is fine to setup the service with SSL certificates. However, I want to change the password of 'elastic', and run
`bin/elasticsearch-setup-passwords interactive -u 'https://abc.mysite.com:9200'`
again.
I encounter the following error:
$ bin/elasticsearch-setup-passwords interactive -u '[https://abc.mysite.com:9200](https://abc.mysite.com:9200)'
```
Failed to authenticate user 'elastic' against
https://abc.mysite.com:9200/_security/_authenticate?pretty
Possible causes include:
* The password for the 'elastic' user has already been changed on this cluster
* Your elasticsearch node is running against a different keystore
This tool used the keystore at /etc/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.keystore
ERROR: Failed to verify bootstrap password
$
```
I also visit this post [After X-pack Installation : Failed to authenticate user [elastic]](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/after-x-pack-installation-failed-to-authenticate-user-elastic/224416), understand that [Change Password API](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/security-api-change-password.html) can change the password of 'elastic' account:
` curl -u elastic -XPUT 'https://abc.mysite.com:9200/_xpack/security/user/elastic/_password?pretty' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'{"password":"12345678"}' -k`
1. May I know whether the error above must happen in the second time or later after the first run of 'elasticsearch-setup-passwords'?
2. I do not know about what "bootstrap password" is. I do not change it. Is there a possible way I changed it in this page: [Configuring SSL, TLS, and HTTPS to secure Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, and Logstash](https://www.elastic.co/blog/configuring-ssl-tls-and-https-to-secure-elasticsearch-kibana-beats-and-logstash) but I did not know?
3. Can I have a way to use 'elasticsearch-setup-passwords' again? if not, does it mean 'elasticsearch-setup-passwords' is a once-time-command?
I am using a Cluster with 3 nodes. 2 nodes have these roles: dilmrt, and 1 node has these roles: dmv
---
### Author:  [@TimV](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/TimV)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-setup-passwords-commands-with-error-failed-to-verify-bootstrap-password/267441/2 "2021-03-18T02:42:24Z")
> [@Willy](#):
>
> Can I have a way to use 'elasticsearch-setup-passwords' again? if not, does it mean 'elasticsearch-setup-passwords' is a once-time-command?
You cannot run that command twice, it is quite explicitly a _setup process_ that is run once.
See: [elasticsearch-setup-passwords | Elasticsearch Guide [8.11] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/setup-passwords.html)
> This command is intended for use only during the initial configuration of the Elasticsearch security features. It uses the [`elastic` bootstrap password](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/built-in-users.html#bootstrap-elastic-passwords) to run user management API requests. If your Elasticsearch keystore is password protected, before you can set the passwords for the built-in users, you must enter the keystore password. After you set a password for the `elastic` user, the bootstrap password is no longer active and you cannot use this command.
---
### Author:  [@Willy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2021, 4:51am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-setup-passwords-commands-with-error-failed-to-verify-bootstrap-password/267441/3 "2021-03-18T04:51:51Z")
Thank you so much. You saved my time.
It is better not to use "ERROR:".
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2021, 4:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-setup-passwords-commands-with-error-failed-to-verify-bootstrap-password/267441/4 "2021-04-15T04:52:31Z")
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