Fixed: Github – Unable to Checkout Working Tree on Windows after Mac Edits

BySteve Young Updated on


I grabbed my coffee and headed to my Windows laptop. I first did a Github checkout of a project I had worked on the evening before on my Mac. The last thing I wanted to face was the following message; Error: invalid Path ‘BP07:AI Writer Research /Data Story Telling.md’ and Fatal: unable to check out working tree. Wild error but an easy solution; let me explain.

My Scenario – MacOS and VSCode

This was a bit of a head-scratcher, but I was working on a project and did a checkout in VSCode on a Mac. After checking back in, I tried to check out but could not on a Windows 10 machine. That was when the error showed up. Frustrated, I went back to my Mac and was able to check out, make changes and check back in. I tried on the Windows machine, and the same error happened.

The Problem & Solution – Watch Out for Added Spaces

The problem, which I missed when looking at the error message, is that there is a space at the end of the directory I created while on my Mac. Microsoft Windows does not allow spaces at the end of a directory name. The path in the repository could not be created in the environment I was cloning or checking out. This can be caused by working on multiple platforms where rules are different.



I tried to create a directory on Windows with a trailing space and looked to accept it, but the space was removed automatically. DOH… So, when creating directories on a Mac, ensure you don’t accidentally create a directory with a training space.

I hope this helps!!!!!!

Problem and solution workflow
Steve Young

With over 34 years of experience in the data and technology industry, the last 16 with Microsoft, I have had the opportunity to work in various capacities, contributing to my knowledge and expertise in Data Engineering, Power BI, and Data Visualization.