SVN error: "Can't write to connection: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host."

Question

When attempting to commit changes to SVN, I receive the following error:

Error: Commit failed (details follow):
Error: While preparing 'C:\Users\dan\Documents\Visual Studio
Error: 2008\Websites\admin\trunk\bin\SmtpDotNet.dll' for commit
Error: Can't write to connection: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the
Error: remote host.

I am running TortoiseSVN 1.6.9 and Subversion 1.6.12, the latest and greatest. Here are the facts uncovered so far:

• It makes no difference how many files I attempt to commit, or which files
• I can commit changes from other projects to the same server
• Other people can commit changes to this project from their working copies
• I tried checking out a new working copy, but I get the same error.

Answer 1

The message means the server really means to close the connection: it is intended. The most common issue are the access rights to the directory in the repository when this message appears.

I would urge to check the auth and svnserve.conf files on server side.

Alternative ideas:

1. Clear the tortoiseSVN cached data and try again: TortoiseSVN -> Settings -> Saved Data
2. Disable your firewall and try again. (should not be the issue as you mentionned it worked for other projects to the same server)
3. Try using the command line client to see if it is maybe some bug (special character in path, mismatching casing or some other silly situation that makes the client or server fail)

Answer 2

I'm a few years late to the party but in our company we had this problem last week.

The source of it was one user using TortoiseSVN 1.8 while another used 1.9. The user with TortoiseSVN 1.8 couldn't commit anymore. Upgrading to 1.9 fixed the problem.