On Win11 cloning repository fails.

[Zsike123]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

Body

After many hours using Copilot chat, I am still unable to clone the repository on a windows 11 pc. Here is the status given by the agent, indicating that this merits a bug report.

ssh -T git@github.com authenticates as Zsike123.
The SSH key is accepted by GitHub.
git ls-remote git@github.com:Zsike123/Amdaderosz.git is denied.
The repository is visible in the browser as Zsike123/Amdaderosz.

Attaching the conversation with agent.
github-clone-troubleshooting.md

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[nirav-gajera]

Hi @Zsike123 ,
The key insight from your debugging: ssh -T works but git ls-remote is denied. That's not an authentication issue — you're authenticated fine. It's an authorization issue — your key is recognized but doesn't have permission to access that specific repo.

A few common causes on Windows 11:

Wrong SSH key being loaded. SSH tries multiple keys in order, and the first one that authenticates wins — even if it's not the right one for this repo. Check which key is actually being used:

ssh -vvv git@github.com

Look for "offering public key" lines — that shows which key SSH is trying. If it's offering the wrong one before the right one, you can explicitly specify the right key in ~/.ssh/config:

Host github.com
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_correct_key
  IdentitiesOnly yes

The IdentitiesOnly yes part forces SSH to use only that key, not try others first.

Repository access. If the repo is private and your SSH key doesn't have access, or if it's your own repo and you haven't granted your SSH key permission, ls-remote will be denied. Check:

• Is the repo actually private, or public? (visible in browser doesn't always mean public)
• Did you add this SSH key to your GitHub account under Settings → SSH and GPG keys?
• Does the key have repo access in Settings → SSH and GPG keys → [click the key] → Authorized to section?

Windows-specific: line endings in the URL. Less common, but if your shell is mangling the Git URL (Windows sometimes does weird things with quotes/colons), try:

git clone "git@github.com:Zsike123/Amdaderosz.git"

With explicit quotes.

If those don't work, post the full output of ssh -vvv git@github.com and the exact error from git ls-remote — that'll show exactly where the denial is happening.