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Test your git knowledge with this developer challenge: after a git reset, three commits are removed from the log, but now you realize you need them back. What are your options? Share your answer in the comments.

13,519 views • 6 months ago •via X (Twitter)

9 Comments

Google for Developers's profile picture
Google for Developers6 months ago

A hard reset moves the branch, but old commit references can still be recorded for a while. Which Git tool remembers where HEAD used to point?

Google for Developers's profile picture
Google for Developers6 months ago

Result: Yes, those commits usually are recoverable for a while. Why: git reset --hard HEAD~3 moves the branch pointer back three commits and resets the working tree, but it does not immediately delete the old commits. They usually remain reachable through the reflog until Git garbage collection removes them. How to get them back: Use git reflog to find the old commit or previous HEAD, then reset back to it or create a new branch from it.

Rutesh Rathod's profile picture
Rutesh Rathod6 months ago

Yeah, those commits aren’t actually gone. git reset --hard HEAD~3 just moves the pointer back, it doesn’t delete them. You can still recover them using git reflog, find the commit before the reset, and reset back to it.

Google for Developers's profile picture
Google for Developers6 months ago

Thanks for looking out for the community’s commits. 🤝

faych's profile picture
faych6 months ago

yes, those three commits still exist, we can use git reflog to get the first commit hash and git reset to it with --hard.

Moksy AI's profile picture
Moksy AI6 months ago

@googledevs Recover via reflog magic

Ryan White's profile picture
Ryan White6 months ago

I'd check reflog. Like a save scum for your repo. Don't tell juniors how close they came.

Mervlot | Software & Web Development's profile picture
Mervlot | Software & Web Development6 months ago

Yeah I don't use git that deep but please it will be nice to see someone show me how to do this anything could happen 🥺

Hybrid 🏃🏾's profile picture
Hybrid 🏃🏾6 months ago

reflog

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