What is Git Recovery?
Git recovery means getting back lost commits, branches, or files.
Git keeps a record of recent changes so you can undo mistakes-even after a reset or delete.
When to Use Git Recovery
Use Git recovery when you
- Accidentally delete a branch or file
- Reset your branch to a previous commit and lose changes
- Need to recover lost commits or changes
Recover Lost Commits with git reflog
git reflog records changes to the tip of branches and lets you find lost commits.
Example: Show Reflog
git reflog
e56ba1f (HEAD -> master) HEAD@{0}: commit: Revert "Just a regular update, definitely no accidents here..."
52418f7 HEAD@{1}: commit: Just a regular update, definitely no accidents here...
9a9add8 (origin/master) HEAD@{2}: commit: Added .gitignore
81912ba HEAD@{3}: commit: Corrected spelling error
3fdaa5b HEAD@{4}: merge: Merge pull request #1 from ExampleSite-test/update-readme
836e5bf HEAD@{5}: commit: Updated readme for GitHub Branches
...Find the commit hash you want to recover from the list.
Restore a Deleted Branch
If you deleted a branch but the commits are still in reflog, you can recreate it:
Example: Restore a Branch
git checkout -b branch-name <commit-hash>
Switched to a new branch 'branch-name'This brings back the branch at the commit you specify.
Recover a Deleted or Changed File
If you deleted or changed a file and want to get it back, use git restore :
Example: Restore a File
git restore filename.txtThis brings back the file from the latest commit.
Recover from a Hard Reset
If you used git reset --hard and lost commits, you can use the reflog to find and restore them:
Example: Undo a Hard Reset
git reflog
e56ba1f (HEAD -> master) HEAD@{0}: commit: Revert "Just a regular update, definitely no accidents here..."
52418f7 HEAD@{1}: commit: Just a regular update, definitely no accidents here...
9a9add8 (origin/master) HEAD@{2}: commit: Added .gitignore
81912ba HEAD@{3}: commit: Corrected spelling error
3fdaa5b HEAD@{4}: merge: Merge pull request #1 from ExampleSite-test/update-readme
836e5bf HEAD@{5}: commit: Updated readme for GitHub Branches
...
git reset --hard HEAD@{2}
HEAD is now at 9a9add8 Added .gitignoreThis puts your branch back to the state it was in at that point.
Tips & Best Practices
- Regularly commit your changes to avoid losing work
- Use git reflog to find lost commits
- Use git restore to recover deleted or changed files