windows .gitignore is not ignoreing visual studio temporatry files

If your .gitignore file is not ignoring Visual Studio temporary files as expected, you might need to make sure your .gitignore file is correctly written and placed in the root directory of your Git repository. Here's what you can do to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1. Check .gitignore Location: Make sure that the .gitignore file is located in the root directory of your Git repository. If it's placed in a subdirectory, it won't have the desired effect.

2. Verify .gitignore Syntax: Double-check the syntax of your .gitignore file. Each entry should be on a new line, and you can use wildcards and patterns to match files and directories. For ignoring Visual Studio temporary files, you can use the following entries:

   gitignoreCopy code
   # Visual Studio temporary files
   
   *.obj
   
   *.pdb
   
   *.pch
   
   *.user
   
   *.aps
   
   *.vspscc
   
   *.vssscc
   
   *_i.c
   
   *_p.c
   
   *.ncb
   
   *.suo
   
   *.tlb
   
   *.tlh
   
   *.bak
   
   *.cache
   
   *.ilk
   
   *.log
   
   *.lib
   
   *.sbr
   
   *.sdf
   
   ipch/
   
   [Bb]in/
   
   [Dd]ebug/
   
   [Rr]elease/
   
   Ankh.NoLoad
   
   _ReSharper*/
   
   *.[Rr]e[Ss]harper
   
   [Tt]humbs.db
   
   [Vv][Ss]pscc.*
   
   [Vv][Ss]sscc.*
   
   

   You can adjust these patterns to your specific needs.

3. Check Repository Status: After updating the .gitignore file, make sure you check the status of your repository to ensure that the changes are recognized:

   bashCopy code
   git status
   
   

   The files you've ignored should appear under the "Changes not staged for commit" section and should be colored in red.

4. Clean Cache: If the files were previously committed, they might still be tracked by Git. You can clear the cache to untrack them:

   bashCopy code
   git rm -r --cached .
   
   git add .
   
   git commit -m "Remove ignored files"
   
   

   Be careful when using these commands, as they will untrack all files that match the patterns in your .gitignore.

5. Global Gitignore: If the issue persists, check if you have a global .gitignore file that might be overriding your repository-specific .gitignore. You can check your global Git configuration with:

   bashCopy code
   git config --global --get core.excludesfile
   
   

   If it returns a file path, make sure that file doesn't include conflicting patterns.

By following these steps, you should be able to ensure that your .gitignore file is correctly ignoring Visual Studio temporary files and other specified patterns.