### Author:  [@heeln](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/heeln)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 9:29am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/es-2-2-0-customizing-the-plugin-location-path-plugins-on-windows-server-2012-r2/44821/1 "2016-03-18T09:29:13Z")
I've struggled with trying to configure a customized path for the plugins in Elasticsearch 2.2.0, on a fresh Windows Server 2012 R2 host.
## Summary
Although I specify `path.plugins`, and Elasticsearch confirms this configuration, the `plugin` installer still tries to install the plugins in the default location. My conclusion is that the `plugin` installer ignores the `path.plugins` setting.
To work around this I had to specify the `-Des.path.plugins=""` to all `plugin` commands.
When testing, I executed the commands from a non-Administrator command window, as a Windows user without permission to write into the default plugin location. This to ensure nothing was installed in another location than the one I wanted.
If I granted the `plugin` installer access to the default plugins location, the installation worked. However, Elasticsearch could not access the plugin, as it was looking in the location specified by `path.plugins`.
## Configuring a custom path for plugins
In `elasticsearch.yml`, I've configured `path.plugins: c:\ES_1\plugins` and restarted my Elasticsearch instance. When querying with `/_nodes/?pretty` I get:
> "settings" : {
> "path" : {
> "plugins" : "c:\ES\_1\plugins",
> "home" : "C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0"
> },
> }
So, Elasticsearch confirms the new location for the plugins. And the folder exists (created by Elasticsearch). So far, so good.
## Example 1: Trying to install a plugin (without specifying the path)
> C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\bin\> **plugin install mobz/elasticsearch-head**
> -\> Installing mobz/elasticsearch-head...
> Plugins directory [C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\plugins] does not exist. Creating...
> **ERROR: C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\plugins**
Obviously, it tries to install in the default location.
## Example 2: Installing head by specifying the path
> C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\bin\> **plugin -Des.path.plugins="C:\ES\_1\plugins" install mobz/elasticsearch-head**
> -\> Installing mobz/elasticsearch-head...
> Trying [https://github.com/mobz/elasticsearch-head/archive/master.zip](https://github.com/mobz/elasticsearch-head/archive/master.zip) ...
> Downloading ............................................................................................................
> .........................................................................DONE
> Verifying [https://github.com/mobz/elasticsearch-head/archive/master.zip](https://github.com/mobz/elasticsearch-head/archive/master.zip) checksums if available ...
> NOTE: Unable to verify checksum for downloaded plugin (unable to find .sha1 or .md5 file to verify)
> **Installed head into C:\ES\_1\plugins\head**
So, if I specify the path, the installation works fine. I also confirmed that Elasticsearch could access it by launching "head" in a browser.
## Example 3: List installed plugins, without specifying the path
An execution without specifying the path returns no plugins, although head is installed:
> C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\bin\> **plugin list**
> Installed plugins in C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\plugins:
> **No plugin detected**
## Example 4: List all installed plugins, by specifying the path
But when I provide the path to where I installed the head plugin, it is listed:
> C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\bin\> **plugin -Des.path.plugins="C:\ES\_1\plugins" list**
> Installed plugins in C:\ES\_1\plugins:
> **- head**
## Example 5: Remove the head plugin
To uninstall the head plugin, I must also provide the path:
> C:\Program Files\Elastic\elasticsearch-2.2.0\bin\> **plugin -Des.path.plugins="C:\ES\_1\plugins" remove head**
> -\> Removing head...
> **Removed head**
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 11:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/es-2-2-0-customizing-the-plugin-location-path-plugins-on-windows-server-2012-r2/44821/2 "2016-03-18T11:24:28Z")
I read some of the issues we fixed in the past regarding this and it might be a bug. Do you mind opening an issue with all the great details you provided here?
And link to this discussion?
^^^ Really appreciated
Some related issues:
- [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/12438#issuecomment-125527621](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/12438#issuecomment-125527621)
- [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/10673](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/10673)
- [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/7946](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/7946)
It might be a problem on windows only?
@tanguy Any idea?
---
### Author:  [@heeln](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/heeln)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/es-2-2-0-customizing-the-plugin-location-path-plugins-on-windows-server-2012-r2/44821/3 "2016-03-18T16:28:07Z")
Thanks for the confirmation! When reading up on this I also concluded that this had been an issue before, and that it had been corrected. However without Windows being explicitly listed.
I'm quite new at this, and I do not know how to "open an issue". Sorry for that. I just wanted to share my experiences, as I had a hard time finding the solution/work around, and it seemed like others had faced similar problems.
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/es-2-2-0-customizing-the-plugin-location-path-plugins-on-windows-server-2012-r2/44821/4 "2016-03-18T16:46:25Z")
Just click on [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/new](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/new) and it will open an issue. You have then to copy and paste details in it.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/es-2-2-0-customizing-the-plugin-location-path-plugins-on-windows-server-2012-r2/44821/5 "2017-07-05T23:07:05Z")