Failed to start rabbitmq-management plugin on Windows

Question

I'm a beginner on RabbitMQ and i'm having some problems to enable management plugin. The rabbitmq server is up and running, but when i try to enable the plugin, i get this in the windows command prompt:

C:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server\rabbitmq_server-3.1.5\sbin>rabbitmq-plugi
ns.bat enable rabbitmq_management
{error_logger,{{2013,9,6},{12,46,51}},"Failed to create cookie file 'u:/.erlang.
cookie': enoent",[]}
{error_logger,{{2013,9,6},{12,46,51}},crash_report,[[{initial_call,{auth,init,['
Argument__1']}},{pid,<0.19.0>},{registered_name,[]},{error_info,{exit,{"Failed t
o create cookie file 'u:/.erlang.cookie': enoent",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"a
uth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,
init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{fi
le,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]},[{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"
},{line,328}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}
},{ancestors,[net_sup,kernel_sup,<0.10.0>]},{messages,[]},{links,[<0.17.0>]},{di
ctionary,[]},{trap_exit,true},{status,running},{heap_size,610},{stack_size,27},{
reductions,964}],[]]}
{error_logger,{{2013,9,6},{12,46,51}},supervisor_report,[{supervisor,{local,net_
sup}},{errorContext,start_error},{reason,{"Failed to create cookie file 'u:/.erl
ang.cookie': enoent",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,
init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.
erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}
]}]}},{offender,[{pid,undefined},{name,auth},{mfargs,{auth,start_link,[]}},{rest
art_type,permanent},{shutdown,2000},{child_type,worker}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,9,6},{12,46,51}},supervisor_report,[{supervisor,{local,kern
el_sup}},{errorContext,start_error},{reason,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,aut
h,{"Failed to create cookie file 'u:/.erlang.cookie': enoent",[{auth,init_cookie
,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},
{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_
apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}}}},{offender,[{pid,undefined},{nam
e,net_sup},{mfargs,{erl_distribution,start_link,[]}},{restart_type,permanent},{s
hutdown,infinity},{child_type,supervisor}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,9,6},{12,46,51}},crash_report,[[{initial_call,{application_
master,init,['Argument__1','Argument__2','Argument__3','Argument__4']}},{pid,<0.
9.0>},{registered_name,[]},{error_info,{exit,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,n
et_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{"Failed to create cookie file 'u:/
.erlang.cookie': enoent",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{a
uth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_ser
ver.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,
239}]}]}}}}},{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}},[{application_master,init,4,[{file,"app
lication_master.erl"},{line,133}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.
erl"},{line,239}]}]}},{ancestors,[<0.8.0>]},{messages,[{'EXIT',<0.10.0>,normal}]
},{links,[<0.8.0>,<0.7.0>]},{dictionary,[]},{trap_exit,true},{status,running},{h
eap_size,610},{stack_size,27},{reductions,150}],[]]}
{error_logger,{{2013,9,6},{12,46,51}},std_info,[{application,kernel},{exited,{{s
hutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{"F
ailed to create cookie file 'u:/.erlang.cookie': enoent",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{
file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_
server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply
,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}}}}},{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}}},{type,
permanent}]}
{"Kernel pid terminated",application_controller,"{application_start_failure,kern
el,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,au
th,{\"Failed to create cookie file 'u:/.erlang.cookie': enoent\",[{auth,init_coo
kie,0,[{file,\"auth.erl\"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,\"auth.erl\"},{line,
139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,\"gen_server.erl\"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,i
nit_p_do_apply,3,[{file,\"proc_lib.erl\"},{line,239}]}]}}}}},{kernel,start,[norm
al,[]]}}}"}

Crash dump was written to: erl_crash.dump
Kernel pid terminated (application_controller) ({application_start_failure,kerne
l,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,aut
h,{"Failed to create cookie file 'u:/.

I get the same error when try to list plugins with rabbitmq-plugins.bat list.

It's happening in three machines completely differents running Windows 7 (two) and Windows Servver 2008 R2 (one).

Also, i'm using rabbitmq-server-3.1.5 and Erlang R16B01.

Solution 1

Just so it shows up as an answer: From this link in OP's comment.

The problem was that %HOMEDRIVE% was pointing to U: instead of C:

To resolve and install the management plugin, just repoint HOMEDRIVE.

SET HOMEDRIVE=C:
rabbitmq-plugins.bat enable rabbitmq_management
rabbitmq-service.bat stop
rabbitmq-service.bat install
rabbitmq-service.bat start

Solution 2

I had the same problem and I solved it by using NET USE in command line.

If U: is a network drive, try first to connect to the network drive by using NET USE:

NET USE U: \\server\folder

Then try to re-install RabbitMQ.