[Windows 10] Source tree won't update or install (the older version of SourceTree cannot be removed)

BenJBailey January 15, 2016

A few months ago I upgraded my Windows 7 machine to Windows 10 (on a vm running vmWare fusion on Mac OSX). I had the current version of Source tree at the time (which I believe is 1.6.22). 

Every time an update became available, the installer would start then give me the message "The older version of SourceTree cannot be removed. Contact your technical support group."

I just ignore updates for a time till I finally needed the newer updates and wasn't able to install one. So far I've tried:

All those steps to no avail. It still won't install SourceTree. What else should I do? Anyone else having this problem?

 

 

12 answers

1 accepted

0 votes
Answer accepted
BenJBailey March 12, 2016

Turns out that there was something wrong with the install (I did have it installed on Windows 7 previously before I upgraded). After running CCleaner, the new version installed no problem.

Brian November 1, 2017

Is there another solution that doesn't involve installing another 3rd party app?

TimH October 9, 2018

I had to delete the folders SourceTree and Atlassian from c:\users\[username]\AppData\Local before I could install successfully.

Januar Simarmata April 29, 2020

I have deleted both directory from but didn't work.

It turns out that the application was installed on c:\users\[username]\AppData\Local\SourceTree directory, so I just continue from there, i.e. create shortcut from Desktop.

14 votes
mredman September 25, 2017

To get the latest version working: 2.3.1.0 on Windows 10, I did the following.

I uninstalled SourceTree

Deleted everything in AppData\Atlassian

(running 2.3.1.0 just opened and closed)

Ran the installer 2.0.20.1

This came up with something about dictionaries, which I clicked delete
(I assumed I would have deleted these, but I didn't stop to look at the paths)

Then the installer wizard came up (for 2.0.20.1)

I closed the installer and opened the 2.3.1.0 installer and that continued.

 

Hope this helps..


Feedback, please test installers on non-clean machines that have had previous installs.

Ryne Rayburn September 25, 2017

Thank you!  This was my solution too!

Monique Heinz September 28, 2017

This was my solution too!

mredman September 28, 2017

After posting the solution, SourceTree now doesn't open after a couple of days, very annoying... do I really need to do this every time?

mredman September 28, 2017

This is the second solution to keep it running:
https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Sourcetree-questions/SourceTree-2-3-1-Windows-will-not-launch/qaq-p/643914

Come on Atlassian, sort it out please....

Derek Hibdon October 2, 2017

Worked for me as well!

Michael LaValley October 27, 2017

You are a godsend, this worked perfectly.

CHEN YUZONG October 29, 2017

Thank you very very much. Perfect solution !

Mihael November 5, 2017

worked as well for me!  thank you!

jturi November 5, 2017

Deleting everything from AppData\Local\Atlassian\ worked for me as well. Thank you!

Jirapat Jantsakool November 13, 2017

it's worked

dave dien August 10, 2018

deleting C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Atlassian worked for me.

Thank you!

nguyenhiep2906 February 5, 2020

Worked for me,

Thanks

4 votes
jovaniogaya April 18, 2017

I'm using windows 10 and here's what I did:

Go to 

C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Atlassian

Delete or rename all existing folders in it.

Then run the installer

 

 

 

sreejithk2000 May 10, 2017

This worked for me. Thank you.

jovaniogaya May 10, 2017

nice to hear :)

thiagopxp July 9, 2017

It worked for me as well.

plutarco July 18, 2017

Worked perfectly!

2 votes
Dany Ellement April 1, 2016

So if you are like me, and tried to uninstall sourcetree manually without any success and failed at installing the latest version here is the solution:

  1. Download the lastest sourcetreesetup eg. SourceTreeSetup_1.8.3.exe
  2. Then, using command line, run [PATH TO SETUP]\SourceTreeSetup_1.8.3.exe /L*v log.txt
  3. open the log file, locate your previous version # ... tips: search for SourceTreeSetup_ and once your found the version # that is lower than the current one, copy it.
  4. In the browser download the previous using the following url: https://downloads.atlassian.com/software/sourcetree/windows/SourceTreeSetup_x.x.xx.exe (where offcourse x.x.xx = your previously installed version #)
  5. Install the previous version
  6. Then finally install the latest version

Thanks Robert!

 

naneutral May 23, 2016

Best answer. Works 100%.

Adrian Cigher October 1, 2017

Sorry. The installer doesn't run at all. I looked for the log file assuming it's in the same folder as the setup file and I didn't find it.
But then again... I tried SourceTree 2.

minnsey
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
October 4, 2017

Hi Adrian,

Do you see a splash screen when the 2.x installer runs?
Are there any files in %localappdata%\Sourcetree\app-{version} ?

1 vote
Ryne Rayburn September 19, 2017

Has anyone experienced issues with v2.3.1 on Windows 10?  I can install v2.1.11 fine but when I move to v2.3.1 it will never load.  A peer of mine has it working fine on Windows 7.  Previously I have had older versions of 1.x.y, v2 betas, and v2.1.10 & older.

I have tried the above solutions in this article with nothing working.  I've ran CCleaner, both disk & regedit cleanup.  I've went to C:\Users\user\local... to remove the SourceTree & Atlassian folders.  Nothing seems to allow me to run v2.3.1.  I'm look for any advice here.

mustnecessity September 24, 2017

Hi, I just ran into the same prolem with you, when I execute SourceTree Setup Exe, the exe run about 10 second and auto close.

Later I try other version installer here:

https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/download-archives

I dwonload 2.1.10.0  and install successfully.

mustnecessity September 24, 2017

Hi, I just ran into the same prolem with you, when I execute SourceTree Setup Exe, the exe run about 10 second and auto close.

Later I try other version installer here:

https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/download-archives

I dwonload 2.1.10.0  and install successfully.

mredman September 25, 2017

I cannot run this either, I am forced to try a previous version as productivity is getting lost.

Ryne Rayburn September 25, 2017

My solution ended up matching Mark Redman's below.  I deleted the custom dictionary file SourceTree v2.1.11 was complaining about and now v2.3.1 will load.  I find it strange that the latest just closed instead of asking about the file.

I also learned the custom dictionary file didn't even exist on my PC.  Some feedback would be to have SourceTree actually check if the file exists rather than setting a flag for the file and leaving it set.

minnsey
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
October 4, 2017

Hi Sourcetree checks that the files does NOT exist as it is the presence of a reference to a non-existent files that causes performance issues.

Francis Lui October 26, 2017
1 vote
agilerank March 12, 2016

It look me a long time to figure out on Windows 10 especially after trying to mess with the registry values and deleting anything Atlassian related, but looking at the logs generated by Michael's suggestion above, I thought to find the exact same version that was previously installed (indicated by the logs, luckily). By using the matching installation package and repairing, I was able to accomplish both uninstalling the old corrupted version and installing the latest.

Dany Ellement April 1, 2016

Thanks! Your solution worked perfectly, i posted the exact step , with link to installation package.

0 votes
David Storfer June 15, 2020

My solution was related to WMI. If you go into Manage Computer under Services & Applications and right-click WMI Control -> Properties. If you see a failed message or other errors, this may be the issue.  If you can't fix WMI the traditional ways described on the web, try this.

Go into dcomcnfg and try to look at the

Component services > computers > My computer > Dcom config

It may prompt you for classes not registered - Say Yes. Once I did that, my WMI properties were working again and SourceTree reinstalled perfectly.

0 votes
Sudheer Nair October 9, 2018

I was getting installation error on my new Window 10 laptop. Tried few things mentioned above but couldn't resolve the issue. Then ran one utility from Microsoft to cleanup the registry as suggested in Atlassian site: https://confluence.atlassian.com/sourcetreekb/the-installation-update-or-removal-of-sourcetree-is-not-successul-on-windows-735642921.html.

It worked!

0 votes
Hadrien September 28, 2017

Could not start SourceTree 2.3.1 on Windows10. After trying uninstalling/reinstalling with no improvement, editing the user.config file as described here fixed it for me: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Sourcetree-questions/SourceTree-2-3-1-Windows-will-not-launch/qaq-p/643914

hollasch October 20, 2017

This fixed it for me as well. Before this I tried cleaning the registry, uninstalling and reinstalling, and wiping the AppData/Local directories. Editing the config file as this post mentions finally did the trick.

0 votes
IgorYastrebov March 24, 2016

CCleaner cannot fix reg corruption.

In many cases, the problem is with MSI registry - corrupted reg.

Here is the only tool can fix corrupted MSI registry: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/mats/program_install_and_uninstall/en

0 votes
BenJBailey January 22, 2016

Well, turns out that running CCLeaner was all I needed to do to get this working :/ 

0 votes
minnsey
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
January 20, 2016

Hi,

Its probably worth you creating a support ticket at https://support.atlassian.com. 

It seems the installer is failing before SourceTree itself every runs. To provide some additional information Could you try running the installer with logging turned on? e.g.
{code}
.\SourceTreeSetup_1.6.23.exe /L*v log.txt
{code}
And then upload the log.txt tot he support ticket?
It might also be useful to record the process using Windows' Problem Steps Recorder http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/How-do-I-use-Problem-Steps-Recorder and attaching the generated screenshots.

Thanks

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