# Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/module-result-deserialization-failed-no-start-of-json-char/44991>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Tags:** windows, ansible, ubuntu, aws\
**Created:** [December 12, 2025, 6:03am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/module-result-deserialization-failed-no-start-of-json-char/44991 "2025-12-12T06:03:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![palani\_b](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/palani_b/32/5531_2.png) [@palani\_b](https://forum.ansible.com/u/palani_b)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 6:03am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/module-result-deserialization-failed-no-start-of-json-char/44991/1 "2025-12-12T06:03:31Z")

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Team, am getting the below error for windows vm only This playbook is invoked by terraform from gitlab runner - Ubuntu. Linux VM provision works absolutely fine from gitlab runner.

However, Linux and Windows provisions both are working absolutely fine from my laptop - Ubuntu. Not sure whats missing.

Ansible playbook connection plugin is aws\_ssm.

# ansible --version

ansible [core 2.20.1]  
config file = /builds/gitlab/it-operation/continuity-disaster/commvault\_automations/user-infra-backup-commvault-access-node/.terraform/modules/access\_node\_windows1/ansible/ansible.cfg  
configured module search path = [‘/root/.ansible/plugins/modules’, ‘/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules’]  
ansible python module location = /opt/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible  
ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections  
executable location = /opt/venv/bin/ansible  
python version = 3.12.3 (main, Jun 18 2025, 17:59:45) [GCC 13.3.0] (/opt/venv/bin/python3)  
jinja version = 3.1.6  
pyyaml version = 6.0.3 (with libyaml v0.2.5)

=================

[ERROR]: Task failed: Action failed: Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found

Task failed: Action failed.  
Origin: /builds/gitlab/automations/user-infra-backup-node/.terraform/modules/access\_node\_windows1/ansible/windows\_main.yml:11:7

9  
10 tasks:  
11 - name: Install commvault access node software.  
^ column 7

\<\<\< caused by \>\>\>

Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found See stdout/stderr for the returned output.

fatal: [windows\_vm]: FAILED! =\> {  
“changed”: false,  
“module\_stderr”: “”,  
“module\_stdout”: “ConvertFrom-Json : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘InputObject’ because it is null.\nAt line:14 char:39\n+ $code = ConvertFrom-Json -InputObject $codeJson\n+ ~~~~~~~~~ \n + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (🙂 [ConvertFrom-Json], ParameterBindingValidationException\n + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ConvertFromJsonCommand\n \n”,  
“msg”: “Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found”,  
“rc”: 0  
}

PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
windows\_vm : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lyle\_McKarns](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/lyle_mckarns/32/8142_2.png) [@Lyle\_McKarns](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Lyle_McKarns)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 12:58pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/module-result-deserialization-failed-no-start-of-json-char/44991/2 "2025-12-12T12:58:20Z")

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Hi @palani_b, can you please share the playbook that’s throwing this error?