gistfile1.txt

{% set foo = "c:\salt\conf\foo.txt" %}
{{ foo }}:
  file.absent

gistfile2.txt

c:\salt>salt-call state.sls test
[INFO    ] Loading fresh modules for state activity
[INFO    ] Fetching file from saltenv 'base', ** done ** 'test.sls'
[CRITICAL] Rendering SLS "test" failed: Unknown yaml render
 error; line 3

---

c:\salt\conf
oo.txt:    <======================
  file.absent
---
local:
    Data failed to compile:
----------
    Rendering SLS "test" failed: Unknown yaml render error;
 line 3

---

c:\salt\conf
oo.txt:    <======================
  file.absent
---

gistfile3.txt

c:\salt>salt-call state.sls test
[INFO    ] Loading fresh modules for state activity
[INFO    ] Fetching file from saltenv 'base', ** done ** 'test.sls'
[CRITICAL] Rendering SLS settings.minion failed, render error: unacceptable char
acter #x0008: special characters are not allowed
  in "<unicode string>", position 55
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "salt/state.py", line 2095, in render_state
  File "salt/template.py", line 74, in compile_template
  File "salt/renderers/yaml.py", line 43, in render
  File "yaml/__init__.py", line 69, in load
  File "salt/renderers/yaml.py", line 28, in yaml_loader
  File "salt/utils/yamlloader.py", line 39, in __init__
  File "yaml/loader.py", line 24, in __init__
  File "yaml/reader.py", line 74, in __init__
  File "yaml/reader.py", line 144, in check_printable
ReaderError: unacceptable character #x0008: special characters are not allowed
  in "<unicode string>", position 55
local:
    Data failed to compile:
----------
    Rendering SLS settings.minion failed, render error: unacceptable character #
x0008: special characters are not allowed
  in "<unicode string>", position 55
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "salt/state.py", line 2095, in render_state
  File "salt/template.py", line 74, in compile_template
  File "salt/renderers/yaml.py", line 43, in render
  File "yaml/__init__.py", line 69, in load
  File "salt/renderers/yaml.py", line 28, in yaml_loader
  File "salt/utils/yamlloader.py", line 39, in __init__
  File "yaml/loader.py", line 24, in __init__
  File "yaml/reader.py", line 74, in __init__
  File "yaml/reader.py", line 144, in check_printable
ReaderError: unacceptable character #x0008: special characters are not allowed
  in "<unicode string>", position 55

gistfile4.txt

{% set foo = "/salt/conf/foo.txt" %}
{{ foo }}:
  file.absent

gistfile5.txt

[INFO    ] output:
local:
----------
          ID: /salt/conf/foo.txt
    Function: file.absent
      Result: True
     Comment: File /salt/conf/foo.txt is not present
     Changes:

Summary
------------
Succeeded: 1
Failed:    0
------------
Total:     1