Git warning: unable to access 'P:\/.gitconfig': Invalid argument

Question 1

I just encountered this error.
Executing set HOMEPATH in the command line gave this output:

HOMEPATH=\

Simply deleting this environment variable via set HOMEPATH= fixed the problem.

Question 2

I experienced a similar issue when not connected to my work network via VPN. Deleting the all the HOME% variables did not work. Deleting the network drive it was trying to access did work. Running the following from a command window worked for me:

net use H: /delete

As a note, I did delete the HOME% variables, but it did work until the command above was run.

Question 3

If you are using "Git Bash" (MINGW64) on Windows:

Enter:

export HOME=/c

To verify:

echo $HOME

Question 4

I hit on this and had to set HOMEDRIVE to something sane.

e.g.

set HOMEDRIVE=D:

Question 5

I was facing this issue when loading a solution in Visual Studio 2017 (v15.1) running as an Administrator. And my local git repo was located in C:\Code\

To work around the problem,

I added an Environment Variable (under User variable) HOME with value C:\
Restarted Visual Studio (again as an admin) - this time Git was able to load successfully loading my branch & source control association correctly.

Question 6

Try running as Administrator. For whatever reason it defaults to a mapped drive.

Question 7

It works for me to clear the HOME Variable "nearly" to Daniels solution:

set HOME=

To recheck you have to echo it like this:

echo %HOME%

Question 8

For me, I have seen this error in sourcetree, it was just a matter of disconnecting the drive P in my computer as it was a net drive.

Question 9

I experienced this error message intermittently.

The cause was a VPN connection that I used occasionally. It was blocking access to my networked HOMEDRIVE every time I used it; and git could no longer access the config file.

Clearly not the cause here because you found your solution, but I thought I'd add it here for anyone else searching.

Question 10

For the PowerShell users out there:

Remove-Item Env:\HOMEPATH

Thank you @Daniel Hilgarth for the answer

Question 11

I was getting the same error for sourceTree. Setting the HOME environment variable with value C:\ fixed the issue.

Question 12

This worked for me on windows 10.

My source code is in C:\workspace and I added an environment variable **HOME to C:**

Question 13

Thanks @daniel-hilgrath, your answer helped me till an extent, it did solve for that particular session.

But in my case I was using SourceTree and on Windows 7. I had to wipe out the Environment variables completely, not only for particular session. I did following.

SETX HOMEPATH ""
SETX HOMEDRIVE ""

may be this could be useful for someone who is using this on SourceTree.

Question 14

Issue On Windows 10, I had similar issue with H:\.gitconfig file. Trying to access the file was failing. Trying to delete the file was giving Error 0x800710FE.

Searching Error 0x800710FE found this explanation.

Windows 10 sometimes shows weird errors and 0x800710FE is one that appears when you delete a file or folder. Basically, it is a native Office File Synchronization issue that occurs in Win 10, though not enabled by default.

Solution Disconnecting network drive (H:) and trying to connect to git worked.

Question 15

Just a note that, before trying all the abovementioned methods such as delete H drive, remove home path etc. Since I found someone was mentioning about VPN and I realized that I was working on my company's laptop and it did have a VPN.

So I fixed my problem by simply disconnected and re-connected the VPN and everything started working.

It makes sense because that I know I did not change anything and it was working yesterday, but stopped working today, so it might be related to the VPN was not successfully launched today, so this led to the thought that I probably should re-start the VPN connection. Which is way much easier and safer and should be tried first.