Team Explorer does not detect all adds to the local workspace

Question

I'm using Visual Studio Professional 2015 Version 14.0.24720.00 Update 1 with TFS 2013 (30723.00).

Let's say my local TFS workspace is d:\workspace Some of my existing projects which are not in source control are lying under d:\projects and I want to add them to TFS.

When I copy Solution_A from d:\projects to d:\workspace\solution_a_team\Main, where solution_a_team is the team project folder with a branch named Main, Team Explorer says Detected: x add(s) - where I'm assuming x is the number of files transferred.

What's confusing is that the number x is not consistent. Sometimes all files are detected sometimes only small percentage of files. What am I doing wrong, or what's the best way to check these folders into TFS?

Answer 1

First, please check whether there are some files adding in the excluded changes. There are included changes and excluded changes in the pending changes page.

Also, it's not recommend to just copy files or projects to the workspace folder. It's not the right way to add files in source control.

If you want to add a solution in source control, just open the solution in solution explorer and right click the solution ,in the explorer select "Add solution to source control" and choose the location you want add to. If the solution have added in the source control, there will be a lock icon in front of it.

If you want to manually add files in version control, the simplest way you can Drag the folders or files from Windows Explorer into the folder in Source Control Explorer . More details please refer the link from MSDN: Add files to the server

Moreover, you can also achieve this through TF command, or check in files through windows file explorer directly by TFS Power Tools.