title: Failed to start rabbitmq-management plugin on Windows
body: <p>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:</p>
  
  <pre><code>C:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server\rabbitmq_server-3.1.5\sbin&gt;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,&lt;0.19.0&gt;},{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,&lt;0.10.0&gt;]},{messages,[]},{links,[&lt;0.17.0&gt;]},{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,&lt;0.
  9.0&gt;},{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,[&lt;0.8.0&gt;]},{messages,[{'EXIT',&lt;0.10.0&gt;,normal}]
  },{links,[&lt;0.8.0&gt;,&lt;0.7.0&gt;]},{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:/.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I get the same error when try to list plugins with rabbitmq-plugins.bat list.</p>
  
  <p>It's happening in three machines completely differents running Windows 7 (two) and Windows Servver 2008 R2 (one).</p>
  
  <p>Also, i'm using rabbitmq-server-3.1.5 and Erlang R16B01.</p>