# Struggling to get ES 8.6.2 to work (on W10)

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/struggling-to-get-es-8-6-2-to-work-on-w10/326998>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** docker\
**Created:** [March 5, 2023, 10:01am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/struggling-to-get-es-8-6-2-to-work-on-w10/326998 "2023-03-05T10:01:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mrodent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@mrodent](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mrodent)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 10:01am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/struggling-to-get-es-8-6-2-to-work-on-w10/326998/1 "2023-03-05T10:01:20Z")

</div>

This follows on from [this question](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/run-two-versions-of-es-on-machine/326985). I deliberately configured 8.6.2 to use **port 9500**.

I appear to have got 8.6.2 running on this W10 OS.

When I enter "[https://localhost:9500](https://localhost:9500)" in my browser I am asked for a username and password.

Following [the docs](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/built-in-users.html) I tried this in a separate console (i.e. with the port 9500 ready and waiting):

```auto
D:\apps\ElasticSearch\elasticsearch-8.6.2\bin>elasticsearch-setup-passwords interactive

Unexpected response code [500] from calling GET http://127.0.0.1:9200/_security/_authenticate?pretty
It doesn't look like the X-Pack security feature is enabled on this Elasticsearch node.
Please check if you have enabled X-Pack security in your elasticsearch.yml configuration file.

ERROR: X-Pack Security is disabled by configuration.

D:\apps\ElasticSearch\elasticsearch-8.6.2\bin>

```

Then I looked at the elasticsearch.yml file: I found these lines:

```auto
# Enable security features
xpack.security.enabled: true

xpack.security.enrollment.enabled: true

# Enable encryption for HTTP API client connections, such as Kibana, Logstash, and Agents
xpack.security.http.ssl:
  enabled: true
  keystore.path: certs/http.p12

# Enable encryption and mutual authentication between cluster nodes
xpack.security.transport.ssl:
  enabled: true
  verification_mode: certificate
  keystore.path: certs/transport.p12
  truststore.path: certs/transport.p12
# Create a new cluster with the current node only
# Additional nodes can still join the cluster later
cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["node862-1"]

# Allow HTTP API connections from anywhere
# Connections are encrypted and require user authentication
http.host: 0.0.0.0

```

... looks like "xpack" should be good to go. If not, what do I have to do?

I found [this previous question](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/i-cant-access-to-laoclhost-9200-it-ask-me-username-and-password/309024).

I tried this in a separate console (i.e. with the port 9500 ready and waiting):

```auto
D:\apps\ElasticSearch\elasticsearch-8.6.2\bin>elasticsearch-reset-password -u elastic
This tool will reset the password of the [elastic] user to an autogenerated value.
The password will be printed in the console.
Please confirm that you would like to continue [y/N]y [<--- y, Return pressed]

ERROR: Failed to reset password for the [elastic] user

D:\apps\ElasticSearch\elasticsearch-8.6.2\bin>

```

I have found others struggling with this strong security thing on ES 8. Maybe it should be more clearly documented?

What should I do? Please bear in mind that I don't have Kibana or Docker installed, and don't in fact know anything about these apps. Also that this is a WINDOWS box.

FWIW. Having got the impression that Kibana appears to be important for managing ES 8, I downloaded, unzipped and tried to run it. Didn't work, probably because looking at port 9200. To my astonishment the commented-out line in kibana.yml for Kibana 8.6.2, for "elasticsearch.hosts", uses "http", not "https". Surely this must be a mistake.

I tried this uncommented line:  
`elasticsearch.hosts: ["http://localhost:9500"]`  
... rubbish.

I then tried this uncommented line:  
`elasticsearch.hosts: ["https://localhost:9500"]`  
... made slightly more sense. Ended with this error:  
`[2023-03-05T10:50:52.244+00:00][ERROR][elasticsearch-service] Unable to retrieve version information from Elasticsearch nodes. self signed certificate in certificate chain`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mrodent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@mrodent](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mrodent)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 11:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/struggling-to-get-es-8-6-2-to-work-on-w10/326998/2 "2023-03-05T11:16:17Z")

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Hah. Got it.

I'll put this here in case it's useful for a future user.

Once again (as in [the referenced question](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/run-two-versions-of-es-on-machine/326985/4)) I had to set a session-based environment variable:  
`>set ES_PATH_CONF=D:/apps/ElasticSearch/elasticsearch-8.6.2/config`

Then:

```auto
D:\apps\ElasticSearch\elasticsearch-8.6.2\bin>elasticsearch-reset-password -u elastic interactive
This tool will reset the password of the [elastic] user to an autogenerated value.
The password will be printed in the console.
Please confirm that you would like to continue [y/N]y

Password for the [elastic] user successfully reset.
New value: YwP0X1n0Ym5KwOpXfojG

D:\apps\ElasticSearch\elasticsearch-8.6.2\bin>

```

... then got to the "you know, for search" at [https://localhost:9500](https://localhost:9500). Hurrah.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 11:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/struggling-to-get-es-8-6-2-to-work-on-w10/326998/3 "2023-04-02T11:16:48Z")

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