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6 August 2026  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
Last update by Emma Johnson at 6 August 2026

Summary
This resource outlines technical methods to recover files after git clean by leveraging dangling objects, IDE local history, and system backups. It also details disk-level scanning procedures for restoring untracked data that lacks version control history.



Table of contents

table iconFirst check: which recovery path applies to your case
table iconRecovery options before using file recovery software
table iconRecover files deleted by git clean with Renee Undeleter
table iconStep-by-step: use Renee Undeleter safely after git clean
table iconFAQ
The moment you realize you ran the wrong command, panic sets in. Your .js, .py, .html, or config files vanish, and Git reports a clean working tree—no unstaged changes, no apparent way to undo.
recover files deleted by git checkout or clean
The bottom line: git clean deletes files from disk with no safety net. Unlike committed files, purely untracked files have no history in Git. The operating system marks their space as available, but the raw data often lingers until something else overwrites it. That short window is what all recovery methods try to exploit.
Here’s what the main commands actually remove:
- git clean -f: deletes untracked files (not directories).
- git clean -fd: deletes untracked files and directories.
- git clean -xdf: deletes all untracked and ignored files, including build outputs and IDE configs.
- git checkout. (or git restore.): discards local changes to tracked files.
- git switch -f: force-switches branches and also erases uncommitted tracked changes.
From Git’s perspective, only previously staged files (git add) might be recoverable from dangling objects. Everything else depends on your IDE, operating system backups, or a file recovery tool.

First check: which recovery path applies to your case

Urgent: Stop using the affected drive right away—any new save or file could overwrite the data you’re hoping to recover.

Use the table below to quickly match your situation with the best next step to recover files after git clean. This can save you time and increase your chances of success.
💻 Your situation🧭 Best first action🌟 Likely success

🧩 You ran git add before git clean

🔍 Use git fsck --lost-found to locate dangling objects

✅ High – data usually survives

🗃️ Purely untracked files (never staged or committed)

🛑 Stop writes immediately → try 3rd‑party recovery software (e.g. Renee Undeleter) for disk‑level scan

⚠️ Moderate–High if you act quickly

🚫 Ignored files deleted by git clean -x or git clean -xdf

🧠 Same as untracked; check IDE local history first

🔄 Varies – IDE history may help

🧠 IDE local history active (VS Code, JetBrains)

⏳ Restore from local history right away

✅ High, especially for recent edits

☁️ System or cloud backup covers the folder

♻️ Restore from backup

✅✅ Very High if backup ran recently

If you staged the files before deletion, start with the git fsck method. If you use an IDE with local history, that’s your fastest recovery route. For all other cases, head straight to the Renee Undeleter section after checking the lighter recovery options below.
Recover Lost Code & Project Files InstantlyRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 11,10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8+.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Recovery options before using file recovery software

Before running a full disk scan, try these three lighter methods. The less you use the disk, the better your chances.

Method 1 : Restore previously staged files with git fsck --lost-found

If you used git add on a file, Git stored its contents as a blob object. Even after git clean, that blob may still exist as a dangling object—at least until Git’s garbage collection runs. To look for these:

git fsck –lost-found

Git will scan its object database and write any dangling commits and blobs to .git/lost-found/other/. You won’t get the original filenames—just content hashes—but for source code, the file content is what matters.
Advantages:
  • No extra software needed
  • Works for any repo where git add was used
  • Fast scan of local .git folder

Disadvantages:

  • Filenames are lost – you must inspect each blob
  • Only works for files you staged before the loss
  • Useless for purely untracked files never added

How to do it

1. Open a terminal in your project folder.
2. Run git fsck --lost-found and wait for it to finish.
git fsck lost found command
3. Open .git/lost-found/other/ (you may need to show hidden files).
4. Rename likely blobs with the right extension (e.g., .js, .py) and open them in your editor to check the contents.
5. Copy any recovered files out to a safe location.
If you never staged the files, this method won’t work—move on to the next option.

Method 2 : Retrieve files from IDE local history

Modern editors often keep their own backup history as you work. Even after git clean, these snapshots can survive. VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, and other JetBrains IDEs all feature local history that can save your work for days.
Advantages:
  • Original file names and folder structure are preserved
  • Restoration is a simple click inside the editor
  • No command-line knowledge needed

Disadvantages:

  • Only works if the file was opened inside the IDE recently
  • History retention depends on IDE settings
  • Does not cover files never opened in the editor

VS Code

1. Right-click a folder in the Explorer sidebar and choose Local History: Find … (install the “Local History” extension if needed).
2. Browse the timeline entries, select the lost file, and click Restore.

JetBrains (IntelliJ/WebStorm/PyCharm)

1. Right-click the folder in the Project tool window → Local History → Show History.
2. Locate the deleted file, select it, and click the revert icon.
If neither your IDE nor its local history has your file, check for a system or cloud backup next.

Method 3 : Pull files back from a system or cloud backup

If you use Time Machine (macOS), File History (Windows), or cloud sync (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox), your deleted files may still be available. Many people forget these run automatically—now’s the time to check.
Windows File History window showing file versions for restoration
Advantages:
  • Restores exact file names, paths, and timestamps
  • No extra scanning or hashing needed
  • Built into the operating system or already installed

Disadvantages:

  • Requires the backup to have occurred before the loss
  • Cloud sync may have already propagated the deletion
  • Backup drives may also be affected if they sync instantly

Time Machine (macOS)

1. Connect your backup disk and open Time Machine.
mac enter time machine
2. Navigate to your project folder, scroll back in time, and click Restore on the missing files.

File History (Windows)

1. Go to Control Panel → File History → Restore personal files.
select file history
2. Browse to your folder, select the previous version, and click the green restore button.
Windows File History

Cloud storage

Log in to the web interface (e.g., onedrive.live.com), browse to the folder, and use Version history or Recycle bin to restore a previous version.
If these methods don’t recover your files, you still have one strong option left: a disk-level scan.

Recover files deleted by git clean with Renee Undeleter

If your files were never committed, never backed up, and left no trace in your IDE, recovery comes down to what’s left on the disk itself. That’s where a dedicated recovery tool like Renee Undeleter is essential. Designed for accidental deletions, formatted partitions, and unreadable file systems, it scans the raw drive sectors and reconstructs files by their unique signatures—including over 400 formats like source code (.js, .py, .java, .json, .xml, .yaml, .html, .css, .md, and many more).
Recover Git-Cleaned Code with Renee UndeleterRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 11,10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8+.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Here’s why Renee Undeleter is ideal for recovering after git clean:
- Signature scanning: Finds files even when the file table is gone.
- Whole Partition Scan and Whole Disk Scan: Dig deeper when a quick scan doesn’t find your files.
- Preview-before-recovery: Lets you check code files before restoring, so you only keep what’s still valid.
- Save recovered files to a separate drive, avoiding accidental overwrites.

Step-by-step: use Renee Undeleter safely after git clean

Follow these steps carefully. Installing or saving anything to the affected drive could overwrite the files you’re trying to recover.

1. Stop writes and prepare the environment

✅ Close all programs that might write to the disk (browsers, compilers, IDEs, sync tools).
🚫 Do not save any new files or restart your system unless absolutely necessary.
✅ Download Renee Undeleter to a different physical drive or partition—ideally a USB stick or another internal disk.
Never install Renee Undeleter on the drive where your lost files were stored—doing so could overwrite recoverable data.

2. Select the appropriate scan mode

Launch Renee Undeleter. The main window offers four modules. For files deleted by git clean, start with Fast Partition Scan—it’s optimized for recent deletions and completes quickly.
Renee Undeleter, select Fast Partition Scan
If Fast Scan doesn’t show your missing files, go back and try Whole Partition Scan (for formatted or heavily altered folders) or Whole Disk Scan (if the partition itself is inaccessible).

3. Choose the partition and start scanning

Select the drive letter where your project was stored and click Next. On the next screen, pick Fast Scan to search the first 30 GB—most git clean casualties are found here. Use Deep Scan only if Fast Scan finds nothing; it’s more thorough but takes longer.
select partition to scan for fast partition scan
Select Fast scan in Fast Partition Scan
Let the scan finish. You can pause or stop it early once you see the files you need.

4. Preview and recover files

Double-click any file to preview its contents. This is crucial for code—make sure a .js file still has your latest logic before restoring. Select the files you want and click Recover.
undeleter preview docx
Always save recovered files to a different disk. Writing them back to the original drive can overwrite other recoverable data.

If you haven’t downloaded Renee Undeleter yet, use the links below to install it safely on a separate drive.
Recover Lost Code & Project Files InstantlyRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 11,10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8+.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

FAQ

Can I undo git clean -fdx directly?

No. Git doesn’t track files removed by git clean, so there’s no git undo-clean command. Use git clean -n to preview deletions before running the real command. After the fact, you must rely on the recovery methods described above.

What is the difference between staged and untracked files for recovery?

Staged files have their content stored as Git blobs. Even if the working copy is deleted, those blobs may survive as dangling objects in .git. Untracked files were never added to Git’s database, so no internal copy exists; recovery must happen at the file-system level.

Does git checkout . delete files permanently?

It discards changes to tracked files, restoring them to the last committed state. Your uncommitted changes are lost from the working tree, but the committed version remains in history. If you had uncommitted work, it’s gone unless you have IDE local history or a backup.

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