Git Untrack File Explained | git rm --cached & Restore from Repository (HEAD)
Learn how to untrack a committed file in Git and restore it from the repository using --source=HEAD! 🚀
In this hands-on tutorial, you’ll understand what happens when you use git rm --cached, why git restore fails for untracked files, and how to correctly restore files back into the staging area.
This is a must-know concept for mastering Git file states and avoiding common mistakes.
🎯 What You’ll Learn
👉 How to untrack a file using git rm --cached
👉 Difference between tracked and untracked files
👉 Why git restore fails for untracked files
👉 How to restore files from repository using source HEAD
👉 Understanding git status -s output (D and ?? states)
👉 How staging, working directory, and repository interact
🧪 Hands-On Lab Covered
Creating a file in working directory
Staging and committing a file
Validating repository using:
git show --name-only
git log --name-only
git show HEAD:file1.txt
Removing file from staging using git rm --cached
Understanding D and ?? states
Verifying staging using git ls-files
Restoring file into staging from repository
Validating working directory and staging
💡 Critical Concept (Very Important)
👉 After git rm --cached:
File is removed from staging
File becomes untracked
File still exists in working directory
Repository still has the file
👉 That’s why normal restore fails:
git restore file1.txt ❌ (fails)
👉 Because Git cannot find the file in staging
🔥 Correct Way to Restore
Use:
git restore --source=HEAD --staged file1.txt
👉 source HEAD → fetch from repository
👉 staged → restore into staging area
🔑 Key Insight
👉 Untracking does NOT delete the file from disk
👉 git rm --cached removes file from index (staging)
👉 Repository still keeps the file safe
👉 You can always restore from HEAD
⚡ Key Takeaway
👉 If a file is untracked, Git restore will fail by default
👉 You must explicitly specify the source (HEAD) to restore it
🔑 Commands Used
git status -s
git ls-files
git add file1.txt
git commit -m "Adding file1"
git rm --cached file1.txt
git restore --source=HEAD --staged file1.txt
git show --name-only
git log --name-only
🎯 Who This Video Is For
Beginners learning Git
Students preparing for interviews
Developers confused about untracking vs unstaging
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