git-undo-wizard

Git Undo Wizard

Recover from any Git mistake safely.

When to Use

• Accidentally committed to wrong branch
• Need to undo a commit (before or after push)
• Accidentally deleted a branch or file
• Need to recover lost commits
• Want to undo a merge
• Committed sensitive data by mistake

Quick Reference

Situation	Command
Undo last commit, keep changes	git reset --soft HEAD~1
Undo last commit, discard changes	git reset --hard HEAD~1
Undo changes to a file	git checkout -- <file>
Undo staged changes	git reset HEAD <file>
Undo a pushed commit	git revert <commit>
Recover deleted branch	git reflog + git checkout -b <branch> <sha>

Scenarios & Solutions

1. Undo Last Commit (Not Pushed)

Keep the changes (just uncommit):

git reset --soft HEAD~1
# Changes are now staged, ready to recommit

Unstage the changes too:

git reset HEAD~1
# Changes are in working directory, not staged

Discard everything (dangerous):

git reset --hard HEAD~1
# Changes are gone forever

2. Undo Last Commit (Already Pushed)

Safe way (creates a new "undo" commit):

git revert HEAD
git push
# This creates a new commit that undoes the previous one

If you MUST rewrite history (only on your own branch):

git reset --hard HEAD~1
git push --force-with-lease
# Never do this on shared branches!

3. Committed to Wrong Branch

Move commit to correct branch:

# Note the commit hash
git log -1  # Copy the hash

# Go to correct branch
git checkout correct-branch

# Cherry-pick the commit
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

# Go back and remove from wrong branch
git checkout wrong-branch
git reset --hard HEAD~1

4. Undo Changes to a File

Discard unstaged changes:

git checkout -- <filename>
# Or in newer Git:
git restore <filename>

Unstage a file (keep changes):

git reset HEAD <filename>
# Or in newer Git:
git restore --staged <filename>