# \[WARNING\]: Error in vault password file loading (default)

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/warning-error-in-vault-password-file-loading-default/27030>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [March 18, 2018, 10:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/warning-error-in-vault-password-file-loading-default/27030 "2018-03-18T10:30:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Vino\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@Vino\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Vino_B)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 10:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/warning-error-in-vault-password-file-loading-default/27030/1 "2018-03-18T10:30:46Z")

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Hi All,

Request you help, after upgrade ansible to 2.6 the password vault is not working as expected, and getting the below error, before the upgrade it was working fine without any issues.

**ansible-playbook /home/ansible/playbooks/oscheck.yml --syntax-check**

[WARNING]: Error in vault password file loading (default): A vault password must be specified to decrypt data

ERROR! A vault password must be specified to decrypt data

**ansible --version**  
ansible 2.6.0  
config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg  
configured module search path = [u’/home/ansible/.ansible/plugins/modules’, u’/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules’]  
ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible  
executable location = /usr/bin/ansible  
python version = 2.7.13 (default, Jan 11 2017, 10:56:06) [GCC]

oscheck.yml

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vino\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@Vino\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Vino_B)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/warning-error-in-vault-password-file-loading-default/27030/2 "2018-03-18T11:08:49Z")

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Hi All,

Tried to re-create the Vault password, even then no luck, below are the step performed

vi target.yml  
ansible\_user: ansible  
ansible\_ssh\_pass:   
ansible\_become\_pass:   
touch target.pass  
ansible-vault encrypt target.pass  
Enter the Vault password :   
Confirm New Vault password :   
ansible-vault encrypt target.yml --vault-password-file=target.pass

At this point : Error :

[WARNING]: Error in vault password file loading (default): A vault password must be specified to decrypt data

ERROR! A vault password must be specified to decrypt data

Even tried the below command, but still no luck.

ansible-vault encrypt /home/ansible/playbooks/target.yml --vault-password-file=/home/ansible/playbooks/target.pass

From,  
Vino.B

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vino\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@Vino\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Vino_B)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 5:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/warning-error-in-vault-password-file-loading-default/27030/3 "2018-03-19T05:30:42Z")

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Hi All, Any help on this is much appriciated

From,  
Vino.B