Hey there! I get it—super frustrating when you’ve rearranged your project’s files, deleted old folders, and shifted things around, but GitHub Desktop won’t pick up those changes so you can sync them to your online repo. Let’s walk through some straightforward fixes before you resort to re-cloning (though we’ll cover that too as a last resort).

Step 1: Refresh or Restart GitHub Desktop #

Sometimes the app just needs a quick reset to catch up. Try these simple moves first:

• Click the refresh icon in the top-right corner of GitHub Desktop—it looks like a circular arrow.
• Close the app entirely and reopen it. Cached state can sometimes prevent it from detecting file system changes, so a restart often clears that up.

Step 2: Double-Check You’re in the Right Repository #

It’s easy to accidentally switch to a different repo without noticing, especially if you have multiple projects set up. Look at the repository name shown at the top of the GitHub Desktop window—make sure it matches the project you modified.

Step 3: Check Git’s Status Directly (Using Terminal) #

GitHub Desktop relies on Git under the hood, so let’s bypass the app for a second to see if Git itself recognizes your changes:

1. Open your terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on Mac/Linux).
2. Navigate to your local repo folder with this command (replace the path with your actual repo location):

   cd /path/to/your/local/repository
   

3. Run this to see Git’s current view of changes:

   git status
   

   • If git status lists the deleted folders and moved files, then the issue is with GitHub Desktop—going back to Step 1 (restarting) should fix it.
   • If Git doesn’t show any changes, move on to the next step.

Step 4: Check Your .gitignore File #

It’s possible the folders/files you modified are being excluded by a .gitignore rule.

• Open the .gitignore file in your repo’s root folder.
• Look for any lines that match the names of the folders you deleted or moved. If you find them, remove those lines (or adjust them if you only intended to ignore specific files inside those folders).
• Save the .gitignore file, then run git status again—Git should now pick up the changes.

Step 5: Manually Stage Changes with Git #

If you moved files (instead of just deleting), Git might need a nudge to recognize the move as a tracked change. Run this command in your repo’s terminal:

git add .

This tells Git to stage all new, modified, moved, or deleted files. Head back to GitHub Desktop, and you should now see all your changes listed and ready to commit.

Last Resort: Re-clone and Migrate Files #

If none of the above works, your original plan is totally valid—here’s how to do it smoothly:

1. Copy your modified local project folder to a safe location outside of your current Git repo (so you don’t lose any changes).
2. Delete the existing local repo folder from your machine.
3. Use GitHub Desktop to clone the online repo to your local machine again.
4. Copy your modified files from the backup into the new cloned repo, replacing any existing files as needed.
5. GitHub Desktop should now detect all your changes—commit them and push to sync with the online repo.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Piyush