TortoiseSVN

ApplicationTortoiseSVN

Also called tortoise svn, tsvn

TortoiseSVNProductivity

A Subversion client that lives in File Explorer overlays and context menus. The helper is TortoiseProc.exe. It is not TortoiseGit.

What you need to know

TortoiseSVN is for Subversion. TortoiseGit is for Git.

TortoiseProc.exe is the SVN Explorer client. TortoiseGitProc.exe is TortoiseGit. Both draw overlays. Installing Git will not make an SVN working copy a Git repo.

What is it?: SVN icons and menus in Explorer
Same as TortoiseGit?: No. Git is a different VCS
Process name?: TortoiseProc.exe

Feex says

If overlay icons look wrong, I would ask whether the folder is .svn or .git. I would not repair TortoiseGit to commit Subversion. Wrong Tortoise, wrong VCS.

What is TortoiseSVN?

TortoiseSVN adds Subversion status icons and right-click commands to Explorer. It is not TortoiseGit and not a Git client.

If you have never used it

If the repo is Subversion, TortoiseSVN is the usual Explorer client. Download it from tortoisesvn.net. TortoiseProc.exe is this product. TortoiseGit is for Git and uses TortoiseGitProc.exe. A .git folder will not commit through SVN menus.

What is it used for?

Checkout and commit SVN

Right-click menus against a working copy. git commit is a different VCS.

Overlay icons

TSVNCache.exe walks folders. TortoiseGit overlays are a different cache.

Merge and blame dialogs

TortoiseProc.exe. Beyond Compare can be the external diff. That is not WinMerge by force.

Who is it for?

Shops that still have an SVN server
People maintaining an old working copy
Anyone who installed TortoiseGit on an SVN checkout

Current status

TortoiseSVN (2002) is a current subversion explorer integration from TortoiseSVN. The vendor still points Windows users at https://tortoisesvn.net/.

How old is it?

TortoiseSVN shipped in 2002 when Subversion was the default shop VCS. It is older than TortoiseGit (2008) and older than GitHub Desktop. Current Windows builds still update. Many teams have moved to Git. SVN is still this tool's job.

Versions

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

TortoiseSVN

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 TortoiseSVN
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
TortoiseProc.exe	TortoiseSVN dialogs and operations
TSVNCache.exe	Overlay cache on many installs

Startup components

TSVNCache.exe can start with Explorer. That is overlay status, not a Windows service you should disable at random.

File locations

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

File formats

SVN working copy

Common problems

Overlay icons missing

Windows limits overlay slots. TortoiseGit, OneDrive, and Dropbox can steal them.

Installed TortoiseGit on an SVN working copy

Git menus will not see .svn. Install TortoiseSVN from tortoisesvn.net.

Getting unstuck

Install from tortoisesvn.net

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

TortoiseSVN > Settings > Icon Overlays if icons vanish

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

Confirm the folder has .svn, not only .git

Wrong metadata means the other Tortoise.

Alternatives

Command-line svn if you do not want overlays. TortoiseGit if the repo is Git. Git itself is a different VCS.

Official help and downloads

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

Official contacts
Download	tortoisesvn.net/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	tortoisesvn.net/support.html Vendor support
Official site	tortoisesvn.net/ Start here, not a random exe host
Manual	tortoisesvn.net/docs/release/TortoiseSVN_en/index.html Checkout, commit, and overlay docs

Related hardware

Overlay caches can touch many folders. An SSD helps. The working copy 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.

TortoiseSVN official site · Vendor product page
TortoiseSVN help · Vendor support
TortoiseSVN support · Official docs and FAQ
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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