Sourcetree keeps asking for Visual Studio Online credentials

Question

Like the title says, every time I fetch/pull/push/whatever I get a window from Git Credentials Manager for Windows asking me to log in on Visual Studio Online (where the repository is hosted). When I close the window, the operation I started works perfectly fine, so I really don't need to enter my credentials. The credential manager window also pops up when I'm not doing anything (probably when Sourcetree is refreshing automatically or something like that). This is driving me insane. I tried uninstalling the credential manager both through system git and through Sourcetree's embedded git (I'm using embedded), but I still get the popups.

How can I stop this?

Jack Smith_b63m1p · Answer

Hey, thanks for the reply. The problem seems to be fixed now. I added a manual access token to VSO, logged in with that AND logged in using my MS account in the credential manager window and it hasn't asked for my password since. Really weird behavior, but I'll take it. If I run into problems again, I'll try your suggestions.

minnsey · Answer

Hi

Can I ask if you try and fetch etc from the command line using Git for the VSTS repository do you get prompted?

Without trying to shift the blame, it sounds like it might be a Git Credential Manager, GCM, issue. The GCM ships with Git for Windows and manages the authentication, prompting for and storing credentials.

All (?) VSTS repositories are effectively private as far as I know so the GCM must be finding usable credentials from somewhere.

Is it possible that you have more than one credential.helper configured for Git?
If so Git will cycle through them trying to find credentials and then prompting if necessary. It sounds like Git might be triggering one credential.helper which can't find credentials so prompts you, when you cancel that out it then tries the next credential.helper which finds good credentials and they get used.

running git config -l will list the config including and credential.helper references