# Filebeat throws ERR failed to initialize console plugin as output error

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Tags:** filebeat\
**Created:** [September 14, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481 "2016-09-14T09:56:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sruthib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@sruthib](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sruthib)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481/1 "2016-09-14T09:56:33Z")

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## c:\Program Files\Filebeat\>filebeat -c filebeat\_user.yml -e -v -d "\*" 2016/09/14 09:13:53.783830 beat.go:156: DBG Initializing output plugins 2016/09/14 09:13:53.785331 geolite.go:24: INFO GeoIP disabled: No paths were set under output.geoip.paths 2016/09/14 09:13:53.786845 outputs.go:120: ERR failed to initialize console plugin as output: console output initialization failed with: GetFileInformationByHandle /dev/stdout: Incorrect function. Error Initialising publisher: console output initialization failed with: GetFileInformationByHandle /dev/stdout: Incorrect function. 2016/09/14 09:13:53.793105 beat.go:161: CRIT console output initialization failed with: GetFileInformationByHandle /dev/stdout: Incorrect function.

filebeat:  
prospectors:  
-  
paths:  
- valid path  
input\_type: log  
fields\_under\_root: true  
#ignore\_older: 1m  
#clear\_inactive: 1m  
#close\_older: 100h  
scan\_frequency: 10m  
idle\_timeout: 10m  
spool\_size: 10000  
harvester\_buffer\_size: 26384  
output:  
logstash:  
hosts: ["ip:port"]  
bulk\_max\_size: 3000

console:  
enabled: true  
pretty: true

I have given the path, IP and port properly

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 11:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481/2 "2016-09-14T11:18:31Z")

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console output will only work if you've got a console available (running filebeat in foreground). When starting as service, the OS normally will not provide a console.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sruthib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@sruthib](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sruthib)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 6:41am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481/3 "2016-09-15T06:41:31Z")

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The same filebeat.yml works fine in windows 7. Doesn't work on windows 10 machine. Any special settings to be performed??

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sruthib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@sruthib](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sruthib)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 10:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481/4 "2016-09-16T10:52:25Z")

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worked after I removed the console as the output option

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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:** [October 5, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-throws-err-failed-to-initialize-console-plugin-as-output-error/60481/5 "2016-10-05T09:56:35Z")

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