Troubleshooting Version Control Issues

This topic presents answers to questions that you might have as you start working with version control, establish configuration parameters, and perform various operations.

Getting Started and Setup

Question

Solution

How do I start working with Team Foundation version control?

Review the topics listed in Working with Team Foundation Version Control.

How can I migrate my Visual SourceSafe databases to Team Foundation version control?

Use the VSS Converter Tool. For more information, see VSSConverter Command-Line Utility for Source Control Migration. Also see Walkthrough: Migrating from Visual SourceSafe to Team Foundation.

How do I make sure Team Foundation version control is selected as the source control plug-in?

On the Visual Studio Tools menu, click Options, expand Source Control and then click Visual Studio Team Foundation Server from the Current source control plug-in list.

How do I open Source Control Explorer?

On the View menu, point to Other Windows, and then click Source Control Explorer.

If I am a project administrator of a team project, am I automatically also a version control administrator for that project?

Yes.

Can I create a top node Source Control folder without creating a team project?

No. Any item in version control must be mapped under a team project.

Can I rename a team project?

No. After a team project is named, it cannot be renamed.

Do I need additional permissions to run the version control command-line utility tf, on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista?

To follow a command-line procedure, you might have to open an elevated Command Prompt by clicking Start, right-clicking Command Prompt, and clicking Run as Administrator.

Configuration

Question

Solution

How can I configure Team Foundation version control to prevent binary files from being checked in?

Establish a check-in policy that determines whether a user is trying to check in a binary file from a particular folder structure. For more information, see Code Analysis Check-in Policies.

How can I configure Team Foundation version control not to automatically check out a file that I want to modify?

On the Tools menu, click Options, expand Source Control, click Environment, and then click an appropriate option in the Editing list.

How can I remap the root directory or workspace?

On the File menu, point to Source Control, click Workspaces, click the workspace that you want to remap, and then click Edit.

Can I disable or customize the Override policy failure and continue checkin check box?

No. Team Foundation version control considers that the developer is in the best position to determine whether to override check-in policy.

Note that Team Foundation version control includes policy compliance data in the changeset details and in the check-in e-mail, and is therefore fully auditable.

How do I bind or unbind a solution?

Use the Change Source Control dialog box. For more information, see How to: Bind and Unbind Projects and Solutions.

Miscellaneous Operations

Question

Solution

How can I add non-solution items to version control?

Use the Add to Source Control dialog box. For more information, see How to: Add Non-Project or Non-Solution Files and Folders to Version Control.

How can I use version control to recover a file that I have deleted outside version control?

In the Folders pane of Source Control Explorer, right-click the file, click Get Specific Version, and then select Overwrite all files even if the local version matches the specified version.

Can I use sharing and pinning as a promotion model?

You can implement this functionality in Team Foundation version control by using branching and merging. For more information, see Branching and Merging Team Foundation Version Control.

Is pinning supported?

No. You can implement this functionality in Team Foundation version control by using either labels or branches. For more information, see How to: Apply Labels and Branching and Merging Team Foundation Version Control

Can I query a changeset?

You cannot query changesets in this release of Team Foundation version control.

Can I roll back a changeset?

See How to: Roll Back a Changeset.

Can I compare directory structures?

Comparing directory structures is not supported in this release of Team Foundation version control.

Can I merge shelved changes into a workspace?

No. Unshelving automatically checks out the files included in the shelveset and puts a copy of them into your workspace. This action overrides the version when appropriate. If any one of the files are currently checked out in the workspace, the unshelve operation fails, effectively preventing a merge between the two versions.

How can I view deleted items?

On the Visual Studio Tools menu, click Options, expand Source Control, click Visual Studio Team Foundation Server, and then select the Show deleted items in the Source Control Explorer check box.

Can I work offline?

You can work offline by switching the file properties to Write, or by checking out the file structure before changing its status to Offline.

See Also

Other Resources

Working with Team Foundation Version Control