# Can't create Chef user
**URL:** https://discourse.chef.io/t/cant-create-chef-user/1868
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)
**Created:** [May 4, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/cant-create-chef-user/1868 "2011-05-04T19:10:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jasonjwwilliams](https://discourse.chef.io/u/jasonjwwilliams)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/cant-create-chef-user/1868/1 "2011-05-04T19:10:31Z")
Trying to create a chef user via the WebUI on a clean 0.9.16 install
from debs. Keep getting “Could not create user”. The server.log and
server-webui.log files aren’t very helpful. They show the request but
no error or traceback as to why it’s failing. Any pointers on
troubleshooting this are greatly appreciated.
-J
---
### Author:  [@jasonjwwilliams](https://discourse.chef.io/u/jasonjwwilliams)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/cant-create-chef-user/1868/2 "2011-05-04T19:24:01Z")
Figured it out. The password set during the deb install is put as the
default password in the config file, so even though it's not the
default chef password it was treating it as such...and requiring me to
change that on the admin account.
On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 1:10 PM, Jason J. W. Williams
[jasonjwwilliams@gmail.com](mailto:jasonjwwilliams@gmail.com) wrote:
> Trying to create a chef user via the WebUI on a clean 0.9.16 install
> from debs. Keep getting "Could not create user". The server.log and
> server-webui.log files aren't very helpful. They show the request but
> no error or traceback as to why it's failing. Any pointers on
> troubleshooting this are greatly appreciated.
>
> -J