Reinstalling Your Server's Operating System
Reinstalling the operating system wipes your server and gives you a clean install of the OS you choose, in about 5–10 minutes. It's the fastest way to recover from a compromised or badly broken server, or to switch distributions. It also erases everything on the disk, so read the warnings below first.
Before you reinstall
A reinstall permanently deletes all data on the server's disk. Staff can't undo it or recover anything afterward.
- Want a safety net? Take a snapshot first. If the new install doesn't work out, you can restore the snapshot.
- Need specific files? Copy them off with
rsyncorscp, or dump your databases, before you start. - Reinstalling because the server was hacked? Don't restore a snapshot taken after the compromise, because it contains the attacker's changes. Rebuild clean, then restore only data you've checked.
Your IP addresses and reverse DNS settings belong to the service, not the disk, so they stay the same after a reinstall.
How to reinstall
- In the dashboard, go to Cloud VPS and open your server's Instance ID.
- Click Re-Install (Format Disk). On some views it's the Reinstall tab.
- Choose the operating system and version, for example Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, or Windows, depending on what's available for your plan.
- Confirm. The reinstall takes about 5–10 minutes. Leave the server alone until the dashboard shows it running again.
Choosing an OS
| If you want… | Consider |
|---|---|
| The widest tutorial and package support | Ubuntu LTS |
| A stable, minimal server base | Debian |
| RHEL compatibility (cPanel and other enterprise software) | AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux |
| A Windows desktop or Windows-only software | Windows Server, where your plan offers it |
Need something not on the list? You can install from your own ISO. See ISO images and boot order.
After the reinstall
- Log in with the new credentials. The reinstall sets a new root password, shown on the server's page in the dashboard. The old one no longer works.
- SSH says "Permission denied" for root? Many modern images turn off password login for root over SSH by default. Log in through the VNC console instead, then add your SSH key, or create a sudo user, before connecting over SSH.
- Getting a "host key changed" warning? That's expected, because the server has a new identity. On your computer, run
ssh-keygen -R <your-server-ip>and connect again. - Secure the server before you put anything on it. See Initial Server Security Hardening.
Something went wrong?
- The reinstall seems stuck for well over 15 minutes. See My Server Provisioning Seems Stuck.
- No network after the reinstall. Use Reconfigure Network from the dashboard.