Guide

Undo what the AI changed: how Desktop Steward's history and undo work

Letting an AI touch files is only comfortable if mistakes are cheap. Desktop Steward keeps a journal: before a file is changed or deleted it keeps a copy, and every move is remembered. Undo puts things back exactly, for 7 days.

See what happened

What did you change on my computer today?

10:32 Moved 48 files from Downloads into Downloads/Images and Downloads/Documents. 10:35 Wrote Documents/AI Workspace/shopping.txt. 10:40 Deleted 3 duplicate photos (kept for 7 days).

The same list is in the Desktop Steward panel (icon → Open panel) under Changes, with an Undo button for each entry and a feed of everything the AI did, including what it was refused.

Put it back

Undo the move from 10:32.

Restored 48 files to Downloads and removed the two folders that were created. Nothing else was touched.

Undo is exact: moved files return to their old path, overwritten files get their previous content back, deleted files come out of the holding area. If a file was changed again later by you or another app, undo tells you and leaves that file alone.

What is kept, and for how long

  • A copy of every file before it is overwritten or deleted, in ~/.desktop-steward on your computer, readable only by your account.
  • Moves and renames as a map, so undo needs no copies.
  • 7 days by default (keepHistoryDays in the settings), then the copies are removed for good.

Nothing about the history leaves your computer; the journal is a local folder, not a cloud service.

Questions

Can I undo something the AI did from my phone or from ChatGPT?

Yes, it is the same journal: say undo in any chat, or use the panel on the computer.

Does undo work for changes I made myself in Finder or Explorer?

No, only for changes made through Desktop Steward.

Try it with Desktop Steward

Free on Mac and Windows. Asks before anything risky, undo for every change.

Download for Mac or Windows