Fix TFS "Cloaked Path" Problem

Here's the situation you're likely facing: you've been tasked to add a Visual Studio (VS) solution to an Team Foundation Server (TFS) as a Team Project (TP). You launched Visual Studio or the TFS Web interface, and then navigated to the TP in the Source Control Explorer. You dragged the solution folder from Windows Explorer into Source Control Explorer. The Add to Source Control dialog appeared, but you notice the following:

• The Items to add tab says "(0)", indicating no items will be added
• All files are listed in the Exlcuded items tab
• The status message below the item tabs reads, "This item cannot be added because its destination path is cloaked"
• You are asking yourself, "What the heck is a cloaked path?"

You probably tried simply clicking the Finish button instead of the Next > button, but receive a message stating, "No eligible items were found for addition."

Well, there is an easy solution for that!

About TFS Version Control Cloaked Path

A cloaked path means the path is not included in recursive mapping of its parent folder.  When your workstation has source code in the parent's mapped directory, and the source code has not been added to  source control, the local directory is considered to be cloaked.  Basically, TFS doesn't know anything about the existing code, and may be encountering naming conflicts.

How to Fix the Cloaked Path Problem

The first thing to check is that your mapped folder name and path do not exceed the operating system limit. Please search Google for the maximum path and name length for your OS and version; I will not attempt to list and maintain them here.

As I mentioned above, a cloaked path simply means the parent directory is not recursively mapping folders.  We want to add a child folder map.  These two conditions are mutually exclusive.  To resolve the issue, simply change the parent map to be recursive.

Please be sure to follow the steps for your version of Visual Studio. The process has changed, over time.

Visual Studio 2013

1. In the Source Control Explorer window, right click the parent node -- the context menu appears
2. In Visual Studio 2012 and 2013, click the Advanced sub-menu
3. Click the Remove Mapping... option in the context menu -- the Remove Mapping dialog appears
4. Check the box labeled, Recursive
5. Click the Change button -- the Consolidate Mappings window appears
6. Click the YES button -- a prompt appears, stating, "Newly mapped items will not be downloaded until you execute a get. Do you want to get $/[PARENT PATH] now?", where "[PARENT PATH]' is the path of the parent node
7. Click the No button -- the prompt and Consolidate Mappings windows disappear

Visual Studio 2012

1. In the Source Control Explorer window, right click the parent node -- the context menu appears
2. Click the Advanced sub-menu
3. Click the Remove Mapping... option in the context menu -- the Remove Mapping dialog appears
4. Check the box labeled, Recursive
5. Click the Change button -- a prompt appears, stating, "Newly mapped items will not be downloaded until you execute a get. Do you want to get $/[PARENT PATH] now?", where "[PARENT PATH]' is the path of the parent node
6. Click the No button -- the prompt and Remove Mapping windows disappear, and then the Get window appears
7. CAUTION: Use your best judgement here!  I decided to click the Cancel button in the Get progress window, to prevent mapping child objects

Visual Studio 2010

1. In the Source Control Explorer window, right click the parent node -- the context menu appears
2. Click the Remove Mapping... option in the context menu -- the Remove Mapping dialog appears
3. Check the box labeled, Recursive
4. Click the Change button -- a prompt appears, stating, "Newly mapped items will not be downloaded until you execute a get. Do you want to get $/[PARENT PATH] now?", where "[PARENT PATH]' is the path of the parent node
5. Click the No button -- the prompt and Remove Mapping windows disappear, and then the Get window appears
6. CAUTION: Use your best judgement here!  I decided to click the Cancel button in the Get progress window, to prevent mapping child objects

After following these steps, adding items should function normally. You are now the hero of the office! Bask in the glory. (Now is a good time to ask for a new software license or vacation time.)