TortoiseGitNotify toast alerts fire for ignored file changes despite filter settings

Answer

The short answer is: the 'Notify on untracked files' checkbox does not suppress toasts when the status cache mode is set to 'none' because no polling occurs; include/exclude patterns only apply to paths relative to the repository root and do not see inside submodule working trees unless the submodule path itself is matched; and Windows Focus Assist can hide the toast without changing TortoiseGitNotify’s reported state.

Confirmed facts

• When TortoiseGitNotify’s status cache mode is 'none', the plugin does not perform real‑time status polling, so no toast is generated regardless of the 'Notify on untracked files' setting.
• Include/exclude wildcard patterns are evaluated against file paths relative to the repo root; a change inside a submodule appears as a modification of the submodule’s gitlink entry, so internal submodule files are not matched unless the pattern explicitly targets the submodule path.
• Windows Focus Assist (especially 'Alarms only' or 'Priority only') can suppress the display of toast notifications while still logging them in the Action Center, leaving TortoiseGitNotify’s internal notification flag unchanged.

Likely explanation

If you are seeing toasts for ignored files, the most common cause is that the cache mode is not 'none' (e.g., it is set to 'default' or 'auto'), allowing TortoiseGitNotify to poll the filesystem. During that polling, changes to ignored files are detected, and because the 'Notify on untracked files' option only affects untracked files—not ignored ones—the toast fires. Additionally, a pattern that unintentionally matches the ignored file’s path (or a parent directory) can cause the alert, and Focus Assist may be hiding the toast, making it seem like the alert is missing when it is actually being delivered.

Steps to verify and resolve

1. Check TortoiseGitNotify’s status cache mode: right‑click the tray icon → Settings → Cache mode. Note whether it is 'none', 'default', or another value.
2. If the mode is not 'none', toggle the 'Notify on untracked files' checkbox and create a test ignored file (e.g., add a line to .gitignore and touch a matching file). Observe whether a toast appears.
3. Review your include/exclude patterns: ensure they do not inadvertently match the ignored file’s path. Patterns are applied relative to the repo root; a pattern like */temp/* will match any file named temp anywhere in the tree.
4. Test Focus Assist: open Windows Settings → System → Focus assist, set it to 'Off', then repeat the test. If the toast now appears, Focus Assist was suppressing it.
5. If the cache mode is 'none', no toast will appear until you manually refresh (right‑click the repo → TortoiseGitNotify → Refresh). In that case, the setting has no effect because polling is disabled.

Missing diagnostic detail

To give a definitive recommendation, please confirm your current TortoiseGitNotify status cache mode (is it set to 'none' or to an active polling mode?).