docs/content/desktop/installing-and-authenticating-to-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github-in-github-desktop.md

title, shortTitle, intro, redirect_from, versions

title	shortTitle	intro	redirect_from	versions
Authenticating to GitHub in GitHub Desktop	Authentication	You can securely access your account's resources on {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} by authenticating to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.	/desktop/getting-started-with-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github-using-the-browser /desktop/getting-started-with-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/installing-and-authenticating-to-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/installing-and-authenticating-to-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github-in-github-desktop	feature desktop

About authentication

To keep your account secure, you must authenticate before you can use {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to access resources on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.

Before you authenticate, {% data reusables.desktop.get-an-account %}

{% mac %}

Authenticating an account on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}

{% data reusables.desktop.mac-select-desktop-menu %}

1. In the "Preferences" window, on the Accounts pane, click the Sign In button next to "{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}".

   

{% data reusables.desktop.sign-in-browser %} {% data reusables.desktop.authenticate-in-browser %} {% data reusables.desktop.2fa-in-browser %}

1. After {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} authenticates your account, follow the prompts to return to {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}.

Authenticating an account on {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %}

{% data reusables.desktop.mac-select-desktop-menu %}

1. In the "Preferences" window, on the Accounts pane, click the Sign In button next to "{% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise %}".

   

2. To add an account on {% data variables.location.product_location_enterprise %}, in the "Sign in" modal window, type the URL for your instance under "Enterprise address," then click Continue. {% data reusables.desktop.sign-in-browser %}

3. To authenticate to {% data variables.location.product_location_enterprise %} account, type your account credentials and click Sign in.

   Alternatively, if you were already signed in to {% data variables.location.product_location_enterprise %} account, follow the prompts to return to {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to finish authenticating.

{% endmac %}

{% windows %}

Authenticating an account on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}

{% data reusables.desktop.windows-choose-options %}

1. In the "Options" window, on the Accounts pane, click the Sign In button next to "{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}".

   

{% data reusables.desktop.sign-in-browser %}

{% data reusables.user-settings.password-authentication-deprecation-desktop %}

{% data reusables.desktop.authenticate-in-browser %} {% data reusables.desktop.2fa-in-browser %}

1. After {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} authenticates your account, follow the prompts to return to {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}.

Authenticating an account on {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise %}

{% data reusables.desktop.windows-choose-options %}

1. In the "Options" window, on the Accounts pane, click the Sign In button next to "{% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise %}".

   

2. To add a {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise %} account, type your credentials under "Enterprise address," then click Continue. {% data reusables.desktop.retrieve-2fa %}

{% endwindows %}

Troubleshooting authentication issues

If {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} encounters an authentication error, you can use error messages to troubleshoot.

If you encounter an authentication error, first try signing out and signing back in to your account on {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}.

For some errors, {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} will prompt you with an error message. If you are not prompted, or to find more information about any error, view the {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} log files by using the following steps.

{% mac %}

1. In the menu bar, select Help, then click Show Logs in Finder.

   

2. Select the log file from the date when you encountered the authentication error.

{% endmac %}

{% windows %}

1. Use the Help drop-down menu and click Show Logs in Explorer.

   

2. Select the log file from the date when you encountered the authentication error.

{% endwindows %}

Review the troubleshooting information below for the error message that you encounter.

Bad credentials

Error: Bad credentials

This error means that there is an issue with your stored account credentials.

To troubleshoot, sign out of your account on {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} and then sign back in.

Empty token

info: [ui] [AppStore.withAuthenticatingUser] account found for repository: node - USERNAME (empty token)

This error means that {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} is unable to find the access token that it created in the system keychain.

To troubleshoot, sign out of your account on {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} and then sign back in.

Repository not found

fatal: repository 'https://github.com/<user>/<repo>.git' not found

(The error was parsed as 8: The repository does not seem to exist anymore. You may not have access, or it may have been deleted or renamed.)

This error means that you do not have permission to access the repository that you are trying to clone.

To troubleshoot, contact the person in your organization who administers permissions.

Could not read from remote repository

git@github.com: Permission denied (publickey).
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists.

This error means that you do not have a valid SSH key set up.

To troubleshoot, see "AUTOTITLE."

Failed to clone

fatal: clone of 'git@github.com:<user>/<repo>' into submodule path '<path>' failed
Failed to clone 'src/github.com/<user>/<repo>'. Retry scheduled
Cloning into '<path>'...
git@github.com: Permission denied (publickey).
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.
Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

This error means that either the repository that you are trying to clone has submodules that you do not have access to or you do not have a valid SSH key set up.

If you do not have access to the submodules, troubleshoot by contacting the person who administers permissions for the repository.

If you do not have a valid SSH key set up, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% windows %}

Unable to read AskPass response

error: unable to read askpass response from '/Users/<path>/GitHub Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/app/static/ask-pass-trampoline.sh'
fatal: could not read Username for 'https://github.com': terminal prompts disabled

This error can be caused by multiple events.

If the Command Processor registry entries are modified, {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} will respond with an Authentication failed error. To check if these registry entries have been modified, follow these steps.

1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to the following locations. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor\
2. Check to see if there is an Autorun value in either location.
3. If there is an Autorun value, delete it.

If your Windows username has extended Unicode characters, it may cause an AskPass response error. To troubleshoot, create a new Windows user account and migrate your files to that account. For more information, see "Create a user account in Windows" in the Microsoft documentation.

{% endwindows %}

Further reading

• "AUTOTITLE"