# Upgrade Guide — v0.17.9

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## What Changed

### Better GitSync Error Guidance for Untracked File Conflicts

When git-sync pulls fail because local untracked files would be overwritten by incoming commits, the error message now explains what to do.

**Before**: The degradation report said "Conflicts may not auto-resolve correctly" — generic and not actionable.

**After**: The report now says: "Git pull blocked. To fix: either (1) commit the local files to your repo, or (2) add them to .gitignore and remove them from your working tree, then retry."

This commonly happens when Instar generates `.instar/hooks/` or `.instar/context/` files during setup, the remote repo also tracks those files, and they diverge. The fix is to decide: should these files be in your repo or excluded?

## What to Tell Your User

- **"Git sync error messages are more helpful."** If your git backup sync fails because of local files that conflict with remote ones, you will now see clear guidance on how to resolve it — either commit your local version or exclude the files from tracking.

## Summary of New Capabilities

| Capability | How to Use |
|-----------|-----------|
| Untracked file conflict guidance | Automatic — shows when git pull fails with this error type |
