# Filebeat Error: "Writing of registry returned error"

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-error-writing-of-registry-returned-error/45458>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Tags:** filebeat\
**Created:** [March 25, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-error-writing-of-registry-returned-error/45458 "2016-03-25T15:45:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![matt.koivisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@matt.koivisto](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/matt.koivisto)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-error-writing-of-registry-returned-error/45458/1 "2016-03-25T15:45:01Z")

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Hi,

I noticed these errors coming out of filebeat:

2016/03/25 15:34:30.198179 file\_other.go:39: ERR Rotate error: rename /root/.filebeat.new /root/.filebeat: no such file or directory  
2016/03/25 15:34:30.198234 registrar.go:105: ERR Writing of registry returned error: rename /root/.filebeat.new /root/.filebeat: no such file or directory. Continuing..

Googling, I found this issue against the obsolete logstash-forwarder (but which filebeat is based on): [https://github.com/elastic/logstash-forwarder/issues/466](https://github.com/elastic/logstash-forwarder/issues/466)

In my setup, I am running two instances of filebeat (both consuming from stdin for two different applications). From the above link, I am inferring that my errors are occurring because I am running both instances of filebeat in the same working directory, and the filename "filebeat.new" is not unique to each instance. I will confirm by running them in separate working directories.

I wanted to offer this up for discussion before submitting it as a defect/enhancement to be able to run multiple instances of filebeat from the same working directory.

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**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-error-writing-of-registry-returned-error/45458/2 "2016-03-26T19:15:36Z")

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Just set the [`registry_file` option](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/current/configuration-filebeat-options.html#_registry_file) to a unique value for each instance.

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**Author:** ![matt.koivisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@matt.koivisto](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/matt.koivisto)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-error-writing-of-registry-returned-error/45458/3 "2016-04-01T15:40:25Z")

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Thanks, that worked as well.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-error-writing-of-registry-returned-error/45458/4 "2017-07-05T21:53:56Z")

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