git clone: Authentication failed for <URL>

Question

Trying to access private corporate tfs. They gave me access by giving appropriate rights to windows user (domain\login).

I'm fine with accessing web interface of tfs, browse repository and stuff.

But when I try to run

 git clone https://tfs.somehostname.com/tfs/somefolder/_git/therepository

It fails with

Cloning into 'therepository'...

fatal: Authentication failed for 'https://tfs.somehostname.com/tfs/somefolder/_git/therepository/'

Tried with home pc without corporate network stuff - same error.

Tried in PowerShell, Git Bash, Clone via VisualStudio - same error.

SSH is closed (gave request timeout).

Web & Git both ask for credentials once (tried deleting in Credentials Manager - asks again, after submitting web is fine, git fails)

Corporate helper tried to help, but all he gave is tfs logs. He says, my username doesn't come with requests (tracked by syncing my attempts timestamps with logs).

2018-07-19 07:04:00 SOMEIP GET /tfs/SOMEFOLDER/_git/REPOSITORY/info/refs service=git-upload-pack 443 - ANOTHERIP git/2.12.2+(Microsoft+Windows+NT+6.3.9600.0;+Win32NT+x64)+CLR/4.0.30319+VS15/15.0.0 - 401 2 5 62
2018-07-19 07:23:00 SOMEIP GET /tfs/SOMEFOLDER/_git/REPOSITORY/info/refs service=git-upload-pack 443 - ANOTHERIP git/2.18.0.windows.1 - 401 2 5 62
2018-07-19 07:23:00 SOMEIP GET /tfs/SOMEFOLDER/_git/REPOSITORY/info/refs service=git-upload-pack 443 - ANOTHERIP git/2.18.0.windows.1 - 401 1 3221225581 187

while others include it

2018-07-19 05:44:27 SOMEIP GET /tfs/SOMEFOLDER/_git/REPOSITORY/info/refs service=git-upload-pack 443 DOMAIN\LOGIN ANOTHERIP git/2.12.2+(Microsoft+Windows+NT+6.1.7601+Service+Pack+1;+Win32NT+x64)+CLR/4.0.30319+VS15/15.0.0 - 200 0 0 265

Answer 1

I'm facing exactly same error when I'm trying to clone a repository on a brand new machine. I'm using Git bash as my Git client. When I ran Git's command to clone a repository it was not prompting me for user id and password which will be used for authentication. It was a fresh machine where not a single credential was cached by Windows credential manager.

As a last resort, I manually added my credentials in credentials manager.

Go to > Control Panel\User Accounts\Credential Manager > Windows Credentials

Click Add a Windows credential link and then Supply the details as shown in the form below and you're done:

I had put the details as below:

Internet or network address: <gitRepoServerNameOrIPAddress>
User Name: MyCompanysDomainName\MyUserName
Password: MyPassword

Next time you run any Git command targeting a repository set up on above address this manually created credential will be used.

Is also important if you have a git command line you close it and reopen it for changes to be applied.

Sharing my experience here in case it helps someone in future.