How do I disable Git Credential Manager for Windows?

Question

OK, I discovered that you need to either avoid checking the "Git Credential Manager" checkbox during the Git for Windows installer, or (after installation) run the Bash shell as Administrator and use git config --edit --system to remove the helper = manager line so that it is no longer registered as a credential helper.

For bonus points, use git config --edit --global and insert:

[core]
    askpass =

To disable the OpenSSH credentials popup too.

I was able to uninstall the Git Credential Manager for Windows using the uninstall option:

git-credential-manager.exe uninstall

Run this command in C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\libexec\git-core

Another option I had to use with VSTS:

git config --global credential.modalprompt false

It didn't work for me:

C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\libexec\git-core
git-credential-manager.exe uninstall

Looking for Git installation(s)...
  C:\Program Files\Git

Updated your /etc/gitconfig [git config --system]
Updated your ~/.gitconfig [git config --global]

Removing from 'C:\Program Files\Git'.
  removal failed. U_U

Press any key to continue...

But with the --force flag it worked:

C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\libexec\git-core
git credential-manager uninstall --force
08:21:42.537616 exec_cmd.c:236          trace: resolved executable dir: C:/Program Files/Git/mingw64/libexec/git-core
e
08:21:42.538616 git.c:576               trace: exec: git-credential-manager uninstall --force
08:21:42.538616 run-command.c:640       trace: run_command: git-credential-manager uninstall --force

Looking for Git installation(s)...
  C:\Program Files\Git

Updated your /etc/gitconfig [git config --system]
Updated your ~/.gitconfig [git config --global]


Success! Git Credential Manager for Windows was removed! ^_^

Press any key to continue...

I could see that trace after I run:

set git_trace=1

Also I added the Git username:

git config --global credential.username myGitUsername

Then:

C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\libexec\git-core
git config --global credential.helper manager

In the end I put in this command:

git config --global credential.modalPrompt false

I check if the SSH agent is running

• open a Bash window to run this command

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Then in the computer users/yourName folder where .ssh is, add a connection (still in Bash):

ssh-add .ssh/id_rsa

or

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa (if you are not in that folder)

I checked all the settings that I add above:

C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\libexec\git-core
git config --list
09:41:28.915183 exec_cmd.c:236          trace: resolved executable dir: C:/Program Files/Git/mingw64/libexec/git-cor
e
09:41:28.917182 git.c:344               trace: built-in: git config --list
09:41:28.918181 run-command.c:640       trace: run_command: unset GIT_PAGER_IN_USE; LESS=FRX LV=-c less
core.symlinks=false
core.autocrlf=true
core.fscache=true
color.diff=auto
color.status=auto
color.branch=auto
color.interactive=true
help.format=html
rebase.autosquash=true
http.sslcainfo=C:/Program Files/Git/mingw64/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt
http.sslbackend=openssl
diff.astextplain.textconv=astextplain
filter.lfs.clean=git-lfs clean -- %f
filter.lfs.smudge=git-lfs smudge -- %f
filter.lfs.process=git-lfs filter-process
filter.lfs.required=true
credential.helper=manager
credential.modalprompt=false
credential.username=myGitUsername

And when I did git push again I had to add username and password only for the first time.

git push
Please enter your GitHub credentials for https://[email protected]/
username: myGithubUsername
password: *************
Counting objects: 3, done.
Delta compression using up to 4 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 316 bytes | 316.00 KiB/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 2), reused 0 (delta 0)
remote: Resolving deltas: 100% (2/2), completed with 2 local objects.

Since then using git push, I don't have the message to enter my Git credentials any more.

D:\projects\react-redux\myProject (master -> origin) ([email protected])
λ git push
Counting objects: 3, done.
Delta compression using up to 4 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 314 bytes | 314.00 KiB/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 2), reused 0 (delta 0)
remote: Resolving deltas: 100% (2/2), completed with 2 local objects.
To https://github.com/myGitUsername/myProject.git
   8d38b18..f442d74  master -> master

After these settings I received an email too with the message:

A personal access token (git: https://[email protected]/
on LAP0110 at 25-Jun-2018 09:22) with gist and repo scopes was recently added
to your account. Visit https://github.com/settings/tokens for more information.

I wanted to use the credential manager for normal use, but I have scripts where I obviously do not want any prompts whatsoever from git.exe. This is how I invoke Git from my scripts:

set GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0
git -c core.askpass= -c credential.helper= <command> ...

This way, the script always sees the "correct" no-prompt setting without having to adapt any configuration.

(Git for Windows 2.13.3)

---

A variation I found that might also come in handy is to set:

set GCM_INTERACTIVE=never
# Or: git config --global credential.interactive never

set GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0
git.exe -c core.askpass= -c credential.helper=manager <command> ...

But note that git.exe -c credential.interactive=never <command> ... does not work (it seems that the -c thing isn't routed through to Git Credential Manager for Windows or whatever).

That way, you can use the GCMfW, but it will never prompt you; it will just lookup the credentials, which can be very helpful in non-interactive environs.

I had had that problem, and I've only removed the git-credential-manager.exe file from:

C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\libexec\git-core