You’re trying to run a basic Git command—like git status, git add, or git commit—but Git suddenly throws this:
fatal: unknown index entry format 0x16700000This cryptic hexadecimal error usually means your Git index (staging area) has become corrupted. Luckily, the fix is quick and safe if you follow the right steps.
📌 When Does This Error Happen?
This error may appear when:
- You interrupt Git operations like merges or rebases
- You copy
.git/between systems with different Git versions - Your
.git/indexfile gets corrupted due to disk or system crash - Your working directory has unclean or partial Git metadata
🛠️ Step-by-Step Fix: How to Solve It
✅ Step 1: Backup Your Work (Optional but Recommended)
Before making any changes to the Git index, back up your work and .git folder:
cp -r .git .git_backup
✅ Step 2: Remove the Corrupted Index File
This is the file causing the issue:
rm .git/index
Don’t worry—this does not delete your source files, just the index Git uses to track staged changes.
✅ Step 3: Rebuild the Git Index
Now, re-add everything in your working directory to rebuild the index:
git reset
This command recreates .git/index and restores Git’s normal behavior without altering your files or commits.
✅ Step 4: Verify Git Works Again
Try:
git status
✅ You should now see your file changes and a healthy Git status output.
🔄 Optional: Re-add Changes If Needed
If git reset unstaged changes or you want to be cautious:
git add .
git commit -m "Recovered from index corruption"
This ensures your work is safely committed after resolving the error.
While this Git error is rare, it’s disruptive. Here’s how to avoid it:
- Avoid forcibly interrupting Git commands (like
kill -9) - Don’t manually copy or edit files inside
.git/ - Always use compatible Git versions across machines
- Keep backups of important repositories
Have you encountered this Git error in a different context?
Drop your experience or solution in the comments below—it might help someone else! 💬👇