title: Conda env create from .yml gives "unexpected error"
body: <p>I've freshly reinstalled anaconda (python 3.7), and am trying to load an environment from a .yml I made previously. However, every .yml I try gives an unknown error...</p>
  
  <pre><code>conda env create -f environment.yml
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>produces:</p>
  
  <pre><code># &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; ERROR REPORT &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;
  
      Traceback (most recent call last):
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda\exceptions.py", line 1079, in __call__
          return func(*args, **kwargs)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda_env\cli\main.py", line 80, in do_call
          exit_code = getattr(module, func_name)(args, parser)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda_env\cli\main_create.py", line 80, in execute
          directory=os.getcwd())
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda_env\specs\__init__.py", line 40, in detect
          if spec.can_handle():
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda_env\specs\yaml_file.py", line 18, in can_handle
          self._environment = env.from_file(self.filename)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda_env\env.py", line 151, in from_file
          return from_yaml(yamlstr, filename=filename)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda_env\env.py", line 136, in from_yaml
          data = yaml_load_standard(yamlstr)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda\common\serialize.py", line 76, in yaml_load_standard
          return yaml.load(string, Loader=yaml.Loader, version="1.2")
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\ruamel_yaml\main.py", line 638, in load
          loader = Loader(stream, version, preserve_quotes=preserve_quotes)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\ruamel_yaml\loader.py", line 46, in __init__
          Reader.__init__(self, stream, loader=self)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\ruamel_yaml\reader.py", line 80, in __init__
          self.stream = stream  # type: Any  # as .read is called
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\ruamel_yaml\reader.py", line 112, in stream
          self.check_printable(val)
        File "C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\ruamel_yaml\reader.py", line 233, in check_printable
          'unicode', "special characters are not allowed")
      ruamel_yaml.reader.ReaderError: unacceptable character #x0000: special characters are not allowed
        in "&lt;unicode string&gt;", position 3
  
  `$ C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda-env-script.py create -f environment.yml`
  
    environment variables:
                   CIO_TEST=&lt;not set&gt;
    CONDA_AUTO_UPDATE_CONDA=false
          CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV=base
                  CONDA_EXE=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\condabin\..\Scripts\conda.exe
                 CONDA_EXES="C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\condabin\..\Scripts\conda.exe"
               CONDA_PREFIX=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3
             CONDA_PREFIX_1=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3
             CONDA_PREFIX_2=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\envs\impala
             CONDA_PREFIX_3=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\envs\fast
      CONDA_PROMPT_MODIFIER=(base)
           CONDA_PYTHON_EXE=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\python.exe
                 CONDA_ROOT=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3
                CONDA_SHLVL=4
                   HOMEPATH=\Users\Myname
                       PATH=C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda
                            3\Library\mingw-w64\bin;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\Library\us
                            r\bin;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\Library\bin;C:\Users\Sebasti
                            an.Fuller\Anaconda3\Scripts;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\bin;C:
                            \Users\Myname\Anaconda3;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\
                            Library\mingw-w64\bin;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\Library\usr\
                            bin;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\Library\bin;C:\Users\Sebastian
                            .Fuller\Anaconda3\Scripts;C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\bin;C:\U
                            sers\Myname\Anaconda3\condabin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common
                            Files\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R)
                            Management Engine Components\iCLS;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R)
                            Management Engine Components\iCLS;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WI
                            NDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0;C:\WIND
                            OWS\System32\OpenSSH;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management
                            Engine Components\DAL;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Management
                            Engine Components\DAL;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management
                            Engine Components\IPT;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Management
                            Engine Components\IPT;C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google Apps
                            Sync;C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google Apps Migration;C:\Program
                            Files\Git\cmd;C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\bin;C:\ProgramD
                            ata\DockerDesktop\version-bin;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Local\
                            Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Local\Programs
                            \Microsoft VS Code\bin;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Local\GitHubD
                            esktop\bin;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Local\Box\Box
                            Edit;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python37\site-pa
                            ckages\pywin32_system32;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Roaming\Pyth
                            on\Python37\site-packages\pywin32_system32;C:\Users\Myname\A
                            ppData\Roaming\Python\Python37\site-packages\pywin32_system32;C:\Users
                            \Myname\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python37\site-packages\pywin3
                            2_system32;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python37\s
                            ite-packages\pywin32_system32;C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Roamin
                            g\Python\Python37\site-packages\pywin32_system32;C:\Users\Sebastian.Fu
                            ller\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python37\site-packages\pywin32_system32
               PSMODULEPATH=C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules;C:\WINDOWS\system32\Windows
                            PowerShell\v1.0\Modules
         REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE=&lt;not set&gt;
              SSL_CERT_FILE=&lt;not set&gt;
  
       active environment : base
      active env location : C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3
              shell level : 4
         user config file : C:\Users\Myname\.condarc
   populated config files : C:\Users\Myname\.condarc
            conda version : 4.8.2
      conda-build version : 3.18.9
           python version : 3.7.4.final.0
         virtual packages :
         base environment : C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3  (writable)
             channel URLs : https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/win-64
                            https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main/noarch
                            https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r/win-64
                            https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r/noarch
                            https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2/win-64
                            https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/msys2/noarch
            package cache : C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\pkgs
                            C:\Users\Myname\.conda\pkgs
                            C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Local\conda\conda\pkgs
         envs directories : C:\Users\Myname\Anaconda3\envs
                            C:\Users\Myname\.conda\envs
                            C:\Users\Myname\AppData\Local\conda\conda\envs
                 platform : win-64
               user-agent : conda/4.8.2 requests/2.21.0 CPython/3.7.4 Windows/10 Windows/10.0.18362
            administrator : False
               netrc file : None
             offline mode : False
  
  
  An unexpected error has occurred. Conda has prepared the above report.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I know the environment is functional as it was working before I uninstalled conda! Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated! </p>