GitHub Copilot Agent Mode Removed My Code: What to Restore First
TL;DR:
If GitHub Copilot Agent Mode deletes or overwrites your source code, immediately use its built-in Restore action in Visual Studio to revert to a checkpoint created before the unwanted prompt.
● If the Copilot checkpoint fails, use version history to recover the overwritten lines by running git restore --source=HEAD -- path/to/file for the latest commit, reviewing the diff afterward to avoid losing newer valid work.
● Only use file recovery software like Recoverit File Recovery if an entire local project file was deleted and no Git backup exists, stopping all disk writes immediately since SSD TRIM or overwrites can prevent successful restoration.
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A commenter in this Visual Studio Copilot thread described asking Agent Mode to move many events from one code file to another. Copilot created stubs in the new file and then removed the original events and their code. In that state, start with Copilot and Git history, not a disk scan, because the problem may be an unwanted edit inside an existing file rather than a deleted file on storage.
Undo or Restore the Copilot Edit First
Microsoft's Visual Studio Agent Mode documentation says Copilot lists edited files so you can keep or undo changes, and it also provides a Restore action for checkpoints before an unwanted prompt. If that checkpoint still contains the original code, restore it and verify the source file before asking the agent to continue.
Key Point:
If the file still exists but Copilot replaced or removed code inside it, version history is the correct recovery path. Deleted-file software cannot reliably recreate overwritten source lines when no earlier copy exists.
Restore a Tracked Version From Git
If Copilot's restore does not bring the code back, check Git. Git's official restore documentation shows that a tracked working-tree file can be restored from the index or a selected commit. For code that exists in the latest commit, for example, git restore --source=HEAD -- path/to/file restores that committed version. Review the diff afterward so you do not overwrite newer valid work.
Use File Recovery Only If an Entire Local File Is Truly Gone
If Agent Mode deleted a whole local project file, Copilot restore and Git contain no usable copy, and the drive is still readable, stop builds, package installs, downloads, and other writes to that storage. Recoverit File Recovery can scan readable local storage for deleted files, but recovery is not guaranteed. Save anything recovered to a different healthy drive. SSD TRIM, overwrite, lost metadata, or an uncommon project-file format can prevent a complete result.