Below is a clear, beginner-friendly, step-by-step guide to using Git on Windows. No prior Git knowledge assumed.

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Git on Windows – Step-by-Step Guide

Install Git on Windows

1. Go to https://git-scm.com
2. Click Download for Windows
3. Run the installer
4. During installation:
   • Keep default settings (recommended)
   • When asked for terminal, choose Git Bash
   • Choose “Use Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software”
5. Finish installation

Verify installation:

git --version

If you see a version number, Git is installed.

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Open Git Bash

• Right-click anywhere → Git Bash
• Or search Git Bash in Start Menu

Git Bash is the terminal where you’ll run Git commands.

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Configure Git (One-Time Setup)

Set your name and email (used for commits):

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "youremail@example.com"

Check settings:

git config --list

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Create or Initialize a Git Repository

Option A: Initialize Git in an existing folder

cd /c/Users/YourName/Desktop/my-project
git init

Option B: Clone an existing repository

git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git

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Check Repository Status

git status

Shows:

• Untracked files
• Modified files
• Staged files

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Add Files to Git

Add a single file

git add filename.txt

Add all files

git add .

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Commit Changes

Save changes to Git history:

git commit -m "Initial commit"

📌 Every commit should have a clear message.

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Connect to GitHub (Remote Repository)

Add remote origin

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repository.git

Verify:

git remote -v

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Push Code to GitHub

First push

git push -u origin main

(Use master if your branch is named master)

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🔁 10️⃣ Daily Git Workflow

git status        # Check changes
git add .         # Stage changes
git commit -m "Update feature"
git pull          # Get latest changes
git push          # Upload changes

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11️⃣ Branching Basics

Create a new branch

git branch feature-branch

Switch to branch

git checkout feature-branch

Create & switch in one command

git checkout -b feature-branch

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12️⃣ Merge Branches

git checkout main
git merge feature-branch

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13️⃣ Undo Mistakes

Undo staged file

git reset filename.txt

Undo last commit (keep changes)

git reset --soft HEAD~1

Discard file changes

git checkout -- filename.txt

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14️⃣ Useful Git Commands Cheat Sheet

Command	Purpose
git log	View commit history
git diff	See changes
git branch	List branches
git pull	Fetch + merge
git stash	Save work temporarily

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Best Practices

✔ Commit often
✔ Write meaningful commit messages
✔ Pull before pushing
✔ Use branches for features
✔ Never commit passwords or secrets