Error "Generating the default reference options failed..." Opening Configure Tableau Server

Issue

When opening Tableau Server Configuration utility, the following error message might occur:

Generating the default reference options failed. Configuration cannot continue: exiting now.

Additionally, when using the command tabadmin config, one of the following error messages might occur:

syntax error, unexpected tINTEGER
Unable to upgrade C:/Tableau/TableauServer/config/tabsvc.yml to latest version
No such file or directory - C:/Tableau/TableauServer/<filepath>
Errno::ENOENT: No such file or directory - C:/Tableau/TableauServer/<filepath>

Environment

Tableau Server

Resolution

Option 1

Ensure that you are signed into the computer running Tableau Server as a local or domain administrator, and then open the Tableau Server Configuration utility.
Ensure the application server has enough disk space. For more information, see Troubleshoot Disk Space Usage on Tableau Server Nodes.

Option 2: syntax error, unexpected tINTEGER

Locate the line in tabsvc.yml which begins with an integer, and either use tabadmin set with the -d flag to restore the default settings for that line or manually remove the line using a text editor.
Open a command prompt as an administrator and navigate to the Tableau Server bin directory. The default path is C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Server\<version>\bin.
Run the following commands in order, waiting for each command to complete successfully before running the next.
```
tabadmin stop
tabadmin config
tabadmin start
```

Option 3: No such file or directory

Locate the missing file and return it to the listed folder.
Open a command prompt as an administrator and navigate to the Tableau Server bin directory. The default path is C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Server\<version>\bin.
Run the following commands in order, waiting for each command to complete successfully before running the next.
```
tabadmin stop
tabadmin config
tabadmin start
```

Cause

Tableau Server Configuration Utility was launched using an account without administrative privileges, or a line starting with an integer was incorrectly added to tbsvc.yml, or a file referenced by tabadmin config was removed from its proper location.