hashicorp/vagrant · error · Vagrant::Errors::PowerShellError

An error occurred while executing a PowerShell script. This

Error message

An error occurred while executing a PowerShell script. This error
is shown below. Please read the error message and see if this is
a configuration error with your system. If it is not, then please
report a bug.

Script: %{script}
Error:

%{stderr}

What it means

Vagrant::Errors::PowerShellError raised at plugins/hosts/windows/cap/ssh.rb:20 in set_ssh_key_permissions. After Vagrant writes a machine's private key on Windows, it tightens the ACL by running scripts/set_ssh_key_permissions.ps1 with `-KeyPath <path>` (spaces backtick-escaped) and the host's modules_path; a non-zero exit raises with the script path and stderr.

Source

Thrown at plugins/hosts/windows/cap/ssh.rb:20

# SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1

module VagrantPlugins
  module HostWindows
    module Cap
      class SSH
        # Set the ownership and permissions for SSH
        # private key
        #
        # @param [Vagrant::Environment] env
        # @param [Pathname] key_path
        def self.set_ssh_key_permissions(env, key_path)
          script_path = Host.scripts_path.join("set_ssh_key_permissions.ps1")
          result = Vagrant::Util::PowerShell.execute(
            script_path.to_s, "-KeyPath", key_path.to_s.gsub(' ', '` '),
            module_path: Host.modules_path.to_s
          )
          if result.exit_code != 0
            raise Vagrant::Errors::PowerShellError,
              script: script_path,
              stderr: result.stderr
          end
          result
        end
      end
    end
  end
end

View on GitHub (pinned to 35f3160f4a)

Solutions

1. Run the printed Script in PowerShell to see the underlying error
2. Set `Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned`
3. Exclude the project's .vagrant directory (and key files) from real-time AV scanning
4. Reinstall/repair Vagrant so scripts and modules are present and consistent

# Windows pre-flight: scripts can execute under the modules path
raise "PowerShell unavailable" unless Vagrant::Util::PowerShell.available?
ok = system("powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command \"exit 0\"")
abort "Set ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned (CurrentUser) before using Vagrant keys" unless ok

begin
  HostWindows::Cap::SSH.set_ssh_key_permissions(env, key_path)
rescue Vagrant::Errors::PowerShellError => e
  puts "#{e.data[:script]} failed:\n#{e.data[:stderr]}"
  # fix execution policy / AV lock, then retry once
  retry if fixed_and_retryable?
end

When it happens

Trigger: `vagrant up` on a Windows host reaches key-permission setup and the PS script fails: execution policy blocks the unsigned script, antivirus locks the freshly written key, the path contains characters that break the backtick-space escaping, or the Vagrant install's modules are missing.

Common situations: ExecutionPolicy Restricted; AV scanning/quarantining private keys; project paths with spaces or unicode; a half-updated Vagrant install whose scripts/modules are out of sync.

Related errors

• An error occurred while executing a PowerShell script. This
• Vagrant failed to copy the default insecure private key into
• Failed to locate the powershell executable on the available
• The version of powershell currently installed on this host i
• A command must be provided when the --elevated flag is provi

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/vagrant@35f3160f4a (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/268a12d4d5d05b05. Report an issue: GitHub.