TortoiseGit

ApplicationTortoiseGit

Also called tortoise git, tgit

TortoiseGitProductivity

A Git client that lives in File Explorer overlays and context menus. The helper is TortoiseGitProc.exe. It is not TortoiseSVN.

What you need to know

TortoiseGit is for Git. TortoiseSVN is for Subversion.

TortoiseGitProc.exe is the Git Explorer client. TortoiseProc.exe is TortoiseSVN. Both draw overlays. Installing the SVN client will not commit to GitHub.

What is it?: Git icons and menus in Explorer
Same as TortoiseSVN?: No. SVN is a different VCS
Need Git too?: Yes. It calls git.exe

Feex says

If Git icons are missing, I would check TortoiseGit overlay handlers, not TortoiseSVN. Two Tortoise products can fight over icon slots. The repo type is the first question.

What is TortoiseGit?

TortoiseGit adds Git status icons and right-click commands to Explorer. It is not TortoiseSVN and not GitHub Desktop.

If you have never used it

If you want Git icons on folders in Explorer, that is TortoiseGit. Download it from tortoisegit.org. You still need Git for Windows. TortoiseSVN is the Subversion sibling with TortoiseProc.exe. Do not install SVN thinking it will version a Git repo.

What is it used for?

Commit from Explorer

Right-click > Git Commit. GitHub Desktop is a separate window. git.exe is still the engine.

Overlay icons

TGitCache.exe walks folders. TortoiseSVN overlays are a different cache.

Diff and log dialogs

TortoiseGitProc.exe opens those windows. WinMerge or Beyond Compare can be the external diff.

Who is it for?

People who live in Explorer, not in an IDE
Users coming from TortoiseSVN who now have a Git repo
Anyone whose overlay icons look like SVN on a Git folder

Current status

TortoiseGit (2008) is a current git explorer integration from TortoiseGit. The vendor still points Windows users at https://tortoisegit.org/.

How old is it?

TortoiseGit appeared in 2008 after TortoiseSVN made Explorer overlays famous. Current Windows builds still update. A TortoiseCVS memory is an even older sibling.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

TortoiseGit

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per TortoiseGit
RAM	Overlays are light. Huge working copies raise cache cost

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
TortoiseGitProc.exe	TortoiseGit dialogs and operations
TGitCache.exe	Overlay cache on many installs

Startup components

TGitCache.exe can start with Explorer. That is overlay status, not a GitHub service.

File locations

Common TortoiseGit locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\TortoiseGit\

File formats

GIT

Common problems

Overlay icons missing

Windows limits overlay slots. TortoiseSVN, OneDrive, and Dropbox can steal them. That is not a git.exe bug.

Installed TortoiseSVN on a Git working copy

SVN menus will not see .git. Install TortoiseGit and Git for Windows.

Getting unstuck

Confirm Git for Windows is installed

TortoiseGit settings point at git.exe. Sourcetree's embedded Git is a different path.

Install from tortoisegit.org

The project hosts the MSI. A Tortoise pack on a freeware site is junk.

TortoiseGit > Settings > Icon Overlays if icons vanish

That dialog is this product. TortoiseSVN has a separate overlay page.

Alternatives

GitHub Desktop or Fork if you want a window instead of Explorer. TortoiseSVN if the repo is Subversion.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	tortoisegit.org/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	tortoisegit.org/support/ Vendor support
Official site	tortoisegit.org/ Start here, not a random exe host
Manual	tortoisegit.org/docs/ Context menu and overlay docs

Related hardware

Overlay caches can touch many folders. An SSD helps. The Git repo size still matters.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

TortoiseGit official site · Vendor product page
TortoiseGit help · Vendor support
TortoiseGit documentation · Official manual
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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