# Ignition fails to start after reboot **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [February 2, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352 "2023-02-02T16:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ethomason](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ethomason/32/43338_2.png) [@ethomason](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ethomason)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/1 "2023-02-02T16:53:00Z")
I've searched the forums and was unable to find anything with the exact issue I'm having. I created a new EC2 Windows instance and installed Ignition 8.1.23. I did not install Java separately. The gateway runs fine until a reboot, then the Ignition service would not start. This was found in the log: ```auto WARN | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:28 | The 'JAVA_HOME' environment variable was referenced but has not been defined. STATUS | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:28 | --> Wrapper Started as Service STATUS | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Java Service Wrapper Standard Edition 64-bit 3.5.42 STATUS | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Copyright (C) 1999-2020 Tanuki Software, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. STATUS | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com STATUS | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Licensed to Inductive Automation for Inductive Automation STATUS | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | FATAL | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Unable to execute Java command. The system cannot find the file specified. (0x2) FATAL | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | "%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java" -version ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | -------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Advice: ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Usually when the Wrapper fails to start the JVM process, it is ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | because of a problem with the value of the configured Java command. ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Currently: ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | wrapper.java.command=%JAVA_HOME%/bin/java ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | Please make sure that the PATH or any other referenced environment ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | variables are correctly defined for the current environment. ADVICE | wrapper | 2023/02/01 19:37:29 | -------------------------------------------------------------------- ``` I opened ignition.conf and found that wrapper.java.command was referencing %JAVA\_HOME% which could not be found. I changed the path to the following and the gateway launched: ```auto wrapper.java.command=C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\lib\runtime\jre-win\bin\java.exe ``` I will probably set the environmental variables instead of hardcoding the path as a permanent solution but I wanted to check if anyone else has seen this issue before and hopefully if anyone encounters it in the future they will see the post and be able to resolve. ---
**Author:** ![avaughn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/avaughn/32/38972_2.png) [@avaughn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/avaughn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/2 "2023-02-02T17:07:21Z")
Did you use the standard windows installer? I checked my ignition.conf (8.1.24) and by default it has JAVA\_HOME set before it's referenced. ```auto # ******************************************************************** # Wrapper Java Properties # ******************************************************************** # Java Application # Locate the java binary on the system PATH: # Specify a specific java binary: set.JAVA_HOME=lib/runtime/jre-win wrapper.java.command=%JAVA_HOME%/bin/java ``` ---
**Author:** ![ethomason](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ethomason/32/43338_2.png) [@ethomason](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ethomason)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/3 "2023-02-02T20:13:18Z")
I used the standard Windows installer. I restored a gateway backup so maybe that's why I'm missing this line: ```auto set.JAVA_HOME=lib/runtime/jre-win ``` ---
**Author:** ![avaughn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/avaughn/32/38972_2.png) [@avaughn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/avaughn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/4 "2023-02-02T20:55:21Z")
> [@ethomason](#): > > I restored a gateway backup That was going to be my next question. Do you happen to know what version the backup was from? Regardless, adding `set.JAVA_HOME=lib/runtime/jre-win` should prevent it from happening again. Or setting it in the environment variables of the OS directly like you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![ethomason](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ethomason/32/43338_2.png) [@ethomason](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ethomason)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/5 "2023-02-02T21:05:30Z")
Backup was from 7.9.19. Glad to hear I'm on the right track, hopefully this post helps others. ---
**Author:** ![avaughn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/avaughn/32/38972_2.png) [@avaughn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/avaughn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/6 "2023-02-02T21:17:15Z")
> [@ethomason](#): > > Backup was from 7.9.19 That makes sense then. Since there was no embedded JRE in 7.9, it was expected Java would be installed separately and the JAVA\_HOME would already be set to point to your Java installation. In 8.0+ with an embedded JRE the ignition.conf can set the JAVA\_HOME path to point to the location in the install directory. ---
**Author:** ![ethomason](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ethomason/32/43338_2.png) [@ethomason](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ethomason)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/7 "2023-02-02T21:30:27Z")
It would super nifty if the gateway restore would detect that and prevent overwrites but I'm sure the to-do list is long enough already and this is entirely preventable. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/8 "2023-02-02T22:02:03Z")
The ignition.conf from a backup is supposed to overwrite the existing one. And even for that JAVA\_HOME setting, that's a valid thing to change from the default in 8.1 because you're allowed to specify your own JDK to use instead of the one we provide. ---
**Author:** ![ethomason](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ethomason/32/43338_2.png) [@ethomason](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ethomason)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/9 "2023-02-02T22:12:23Z")
Thanks for clarifying Kevin. Any idea why the gateway would work just fine after the restore until the reboot? ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-fails-to-start-after-reboot/69352/10 "2023-02-02T22:18:24Z")
I don't think a restore terminates the process, so you were probably just coasting along on the original JDK until you finally restarted it. If not that, then I'm not sure.