Git Failed to start configured compare tool

Question

Git Failed to start configured compare tool

noah h 11

When I try to use the "Compare with unmodified" button inside the "Git Changes" window I get a "Source Control - Git Failed to start configured compare tool." error popup

The comparing within the "View Commit Details" window and compare commit window works just fine.

This only happens on the 2022 edition (I want to say this only happens on the newest version that was released here recently, but I can't verify that - unless someone know how to download old visual studio version officially (without the payed versions of VS) - This also happens in the 2022 edition preview) if I load the solution within VS 2019 it works without issues.

This ALSO only happens within 1 specific project within my solution, other solutions and other projects within that solution also works without issues.

Logic would dictate there is something wrong with that specific project (which again apparently only happens in 2022 edition) the question is why?
I first noticed this happening the first time some time yesterday in EU timezone, which I believe is more or less right after I updated to the newest version. So personally I'm going to assume that is my issue.

Another solution that I'm sure people is gonna bring up is "Just use VS 2019 then?". Yes I could do that but it's not like I'm gonna use the 2019 edition forever right?

As I have alluded to earlier, if anyone knows of an official way to downgrade my VS 2022 community version via the official installation methods so that I can I test if that helps would be helpful.

Non of my projects have a .gitconfig file. And as far as I can see my git options is the same for all of the projects.

This is my first time posting anything on here. Any help is appreciated. If I'm posting this the wrong place, then let me know.

(Edit: I'm using the build in difference comparer, just incase that wasn't clear)

Anonymous

2023-03-09T21:01:12.9233333+00:00

i'm on 17.4.4 and am seeing the same errors. was there a resolution?
Sanjeev Singh 0 Reputation points

2023-10-11T16:38:26.27+00:00

I am on VS 2022 latest build 17.7.5 and I still see this same issue if I go to git-> history and try 'compare with previous' , the same pop-up comes :

Any resoltion for this ? It works fine for me in VS 2019.

Thanks.

9 answers

Your answer

Anonymous

2023-03-09T21:01:12.9233333+00:00

i'm on 17.4.4 and am seeing the same errors. was there a resolution?
Sanjeev Singh 0 Reputation points

2023-10-11T16:38:26.27+00:00

I am on VS 2022 latest build 17.7.5 and I still see this same issue if I go to git-> history and try 'compare with previous' , the same pop-up comes :

Any resoltion for this ? It works fine for me in VS 2019.

Thanks.

Answer 1

noah h 11

Hey I tested it.
It is indeed a problem with the special character "â" and presumably other non English characters as well.

I made 2 new projects and solutions.
1 with the name testa and one with the name testâ
and initialized git on both
the one with the â character does **NOT** work. While the one with the normal a character works.

This is only the case with the newest official release of VS 2022 community.
VS community 2019 (16.10.3) does not have this issue.

Am I suppose to report this as a bug somewhere else now?

Michael Taylor 60,161 Reputation points

2022-08-12T21:44:48.24+00:00

Use the Report a Problem tool in VS to report the issue. Link to the other issues to help clarify the problem and help them get a better feel for what might have changed.
noah h 11 Reputation points

2022-08-12T21:51:11.373+00:00

Yeah I see other people have posted this issue recently.
eg: https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/GIT--unable-to-compare-files/10085012
I assume all we can do is wait. That free users can't download old versions is pretty ridiculous

Answer 2

Keenan Stewart 5

TLDR, close all windows in Visual Studio and try your compare again.

Context:
This is also my first time posting on here. Your post was exactly the same issue I am encountering, but if I continually right click and choose "Compare with Unmodified...", it worked. Many times, like 10 times. Annoying.

I again closed the GIT windows in Visual Studio, this time I am closing all code windows in Visual Studio, right clicking on the .CS file in Git Changes, choosing the "Compare with Unmodified..." again, it WORKED.

Hope this helps someone.

talbot 0 Reputation points

2024-05-16T08:57:32.0033333+00:00

Select "Compare with Unmodified" from Solution Explorer worked for me too.
Mariano Diaz 0 Reputation points

2024-09-06T10:14:48.7566667+00:00

I'm having this issue, but only with some .xaml files.

After Closing Solution was how I was able to compare versions.

Answer 3

Tom Laird-McConnell 5

A workaround that seems to work consistently for me is to open the file first.

When I get the error message, I open the file first, then try again and the comparison tool loads correctly.

It's super annoying, but at least I can compare my deltas.

Answer 4

Michael Taylor 60,161

Interesting that you asked for rollback. If you just updated to VS 2022 Preview then they added the rollback feature. Run the VS 2022 Preview installer and you should see an option to rollback to the previous version you had installed. Then try your test again. If it worked then but doesn't now then it sounds like something got broke. You should use the Report a Problem tool in VS to replicate the issue and let them know. However this seems like an ongoing issue from at least VS 2019 already - https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/search?space=8&q=git+failed+to+start+configured

As for 1 project in 1 solution I wonder if you have a Git configuration setting for that project that is overriding the normally global option. Honestly I don't know how to track that down but maybe go to the project that is having the issue and run a git config command and see if it is somehow different than your other projects.

noah h 11 Reputation points

2022-08-12T20:29:22.017+00:00

Just to be clear this happens in the newest (NON-preview) 2022 edition AND the newest 2022 edition PREVIEW
As far as I'm concerned any issue regarding the 2019 edition is irrelevant because that is SPESFICLY the version that is working for me.

I'm sure I can revert the preview that is fine, but I can't revert to any earlier offical release without buying a subscription when I tried to research it (Which is what I would need to do to test it), unless I'm blind.

How do I use Git commands? I assume "git config" refers to a windows CMD command, but last time I tried to use git commands windows said it doesn't recognize "git" as a valid command. Am I suppose to install a dedicated git client to do that? (Since it seems it is not included with visual studio)
Michael Taylor 60,161 Reputation points

2022-08-12T20:48:29.393+00:00

The reported issues indicate it is happening in both VS 2019 and VS 2022. So this is an ongoing issue I believe.

Unfortunately MS does not provide links for the previous versions of Community edition. I would recommend you just rollback the preview version (using the feature I mentioned) and use it when you need comparison for now until the problem is resolved. So your non-preview version can be up to date and your preview version is on the previous version which you said was working correctly.

To use command line git you need to install the tools from here. It is generally best practice for most devs anyway because there are just some things you can do quicker from the command line than in VS (like change branches). VS does ship with Git for Windows toolset but everybody installs the dedicated command line anyway in my experience.
noah h 11 Reputation points

2022-08-12T21:02:38.71+00:00

I'm saying VS community 2019 is working.
As I said in my original post 2022 is NOT working, 2019 IS working.

During my research of the error I am getting I stumbled into forums posts from years back that mentioned it may have to do with "special" characters in paths but that it was fixed years ago.
The project in question does have a "â" character unlike the other projects in the solution. But changing the paths and project name in my entire solution is pretty unacceptable, since that would break the version history, and over all it seems pretty unacceptable for MS to bring back such a bug in an official release that was fixed years ago
noah h 11 Reputation points

2022-08-12T21:36:24.747+00:00

As mentioned in a previous comment there seems to be a misunderstanding regarding the official 2022 release.
As I mentioned the official 2022 release has the same issue. I'm assuming there is no way for me to revert the official 2022 release branch?

Answer 5

Janus HH 0

We have recently had the same issue in our team in a vs project containing 'æ'.

If we staged our changes then we could diff them. :)

And if we launched Visual Studio Installer and updated to 17.4.4 the issue disappears.

Share via

Git Failed to start configured compare tool

9 answers

Your answer