$ gitpushf.uk
Git Emergency

I ran git clean -fd by mistake

Severity Serious

What just happened

git clean deletes untracked files for real: no trash, no reflog. Git cannot bring them back, because it never knew them.

Potential risks

  • Recovery depends on tools outside Git: the sooner, the better.

Before you run anything

  • Always run git clean -n (dry run) first. Always.

Recovery steps

  1. 1

    Look in your editor's local history

    Safe

    VS Code (Timeline, or “Local History: Find Entry to Restore”) and JetBrains (Local History) keep copies of files you opened.

  2. 2

    Files staged at some point?

    If you had run git add on them, their content may survive as dangling blobs.

    Safe
    $ git fsck --lost-found
    $ ls .git/lost-found/other
  3. 3

    System backups

    Safe

    Time Machine, Windows File History, OneDrive / Dropbox versions, a recent build or zip of the project.

These procedures are provided for information only. Read each command and adapt it to your situation before running it. Disclaimer

Other disasters

🪓 I deleted my branch🚨 I pushed directly to main💥 I ran git reset --hard🧨 I overwrote a colleague's commits🔑 I pushed my .env file to GitHub🔀 I made a bad merge👻 I lost uncommitted changes🎯 I committed on the wrong branch🎈 I'm in “detached HEAD” state⚔️ I'm stuck in a merge conflict🚫 My push is rejected (non-fast-forward)🌀 My rebase went wrong🐘 GitHub rejects a file over 100 MB🥸 I committed with the wrong name or email🗑️ I deleted a file and committed it⏪ I want to undo my last commit✏️ I amended a commit that was already pushed🧹 Too many messy commits to clean up📮 I pushed to the wrong branch🧭 I rebased onto the wrong branch🔁 I need back the changes I reverted📦 git stash pop gave me a conflict🙈 I committed a file that should be ignored🔠 Git doesn't see my file rename (upper/lower case)🩻 My repository is corrupted🙃 I forgot to pull before pushing👯 Duplicated lines of code after a merge➖ I added a file I didn't want to (git add)✏️ I made a typo in a commit message✂️ My commit does too many things🧺 I lost a stash (drop, clear or pop gone wrong)🫥 I pulled and my code disappeared🍒 I cherry-picked the wrong commit☁️ I deleted a branch on GitHub / GitLab👥 I pushed with the wrong GitHub account🚚 The repository was renamed or moved🏷️ I tagged the wrong commit🌊 Git says every file is modified, but I changed nothing📦 I committed node_modules (or a build folder)📂 I ran git init in the wrong folder🧨 My pull request has conflicts⏳ My pull request is behind main📝 I have to apply review changes to my PR🧳 My PR shows commits that aren't mine🎯 I opened my PR against the wrong branch🚨 A merged PR broke main🚪 I closed my PR (or deleted its branch) by mistake🔴 The checks of my PR are failing🐘 My PR is too big to review🍴 My fork is behind the original repository