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Learn how to recover your lost files in Git after executing a git reset --hard command. Discover the steps to follow to regain access to your important commits.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/76433586/ asked by the user 'Curious Coder' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/3633142/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/76434137/ provided by the user 'Leonardo Dagnino' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12886326/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Recovering Lost Files After a Git Reset --hard

Losing commits in Git can feel like a nightmare, especially when you're trying to manage a collaborative project. If you've accidentally executed a git reset --hard, you may think your work is permanently gone. This guide will guide you through understanding what happened, and how you can recover those files using Git's powerful features.

Understanding the Problem

In a typical workflow, multiple contributors may make changes to a shared repository. This means that Git serves as both a library and a time machine, allowing you to keep track of your commits. However, mistakes happen.

A Quick Recap of Your Situation

Based on your detailed situation, here’s a brief recap:

You had a series of commits. Your last commit was referred to as Commit # 4.

A colleague added Commit # 5. Unbeknownst to you, this commit was crucial for the branch.

You made additional changes without pulling first. This created a new commit, leading to a merge commit (Commit # 7), which unfortunately reverted your colleague’s changes.

In an attempt to clean up the Git history, you executed git reset --hard to point to Commit # 5, expecting to start fresh.

Now, your commit history seems to have erased Commit # 5, making you fear it’s lost forever.

In situations like this, panic is natural. But there’s hope! Let’s break down the steps you can take to recover your lost files.

The Solution: Recovering Your Commits

Git does not permanently delete files unless commands like git gc are run. Because you haven’t executed this command, there are still ways to recover your lost commits.

Step 1: Checking the Reflog

Understand Git Reflog: The reflog records updates to the tips of branches and allows you to recover lost commits.

Do the following:

Run the command git reflog in your terminal.

This will list all of the references for various commits made in your local repository, including the hashes for each commit.

Look for Commit # 8: Ideally, you should see recent actions including commits that had not been removed.

Recover from Reflog:

If you find Commit # 8, you can return to it with:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

After checking out, you can create a new branch from this state if you want further safety.

Step 2: Using git fsck

If you're unable to recover the commits from the reflog, the next step is to check lost commits through the Git file system check command:

Run git fsck:

Execute the command: git fsck --lost-found.

This command finds objects that are not reachable from any branch or commit in the repository.

Check results: You may find stray commits that can lead you back to earlier changes or at least parts of what was in Commit # 5.

Step 3: Collaborate with Your Team

If still unsuccessful, reach out to your colleague who originally made Commit # 5. Keep in mind:

They may still possess the commit locally if they haven't pulled the latest changes.

Collaborating with your team can often yield fruitful results.

Important Notes

Stay Calm and Patient: Recovery processes may take time—don’t rush through the steps.

Always Back Up: As a best practice, make a habit of pushing your changes and maintaining backups of important commits before executing powerful commands like reset.

Conclusion

Accidentally losing commits in Git can be alarming, but leveraging built-in commands like reflog and git fsck can often lead to recovery. Remember that practice makes perfect—paying attention to your workflow and understanding Git's tools can help you avoid such situations in the future.

If you follow these steps and keep a cool head, you can navigate through the complexities of Git with confidence. Happy coding!