VPS Documentation

Reinstalling the Operating System

Sometimes you need a clean slate — whether you want to switch distributions, recover from a broken configuration, or start fresh. The Change OS feature in your dashboard wipes the VPS and installs a new operating system in one step.

Before You Begin

Reinstalling the OS permanently deletes all data on your VPS. There is no way to undo this once confirmed.

Before proceeding:

  • Create a backup if you have any data you want to keep (Backups)
  • Download important files from the server via SFTP or SSH
  • Note your current configuration — IP addresses, firewall rules, and installed software will need to be set up again on the new OS

Opening the Change OS Panel

  1. Go to your VPS dashboard and select the server you want to reinstall
  2. Scroll down to the System section — it is highlighted in red to indicate destructive actions
  3. Click Change OS

A panel slides up showing the reinstallation options.

Only the server owner can reinstall the OS. Team members with lower access levels will see this option disabled.

Choosing a New Operating System

The panel displays a dropdown with all available operating systems. Options include popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, and AlmaLinux, as well as Windows Server editions.

Each OS has a minimum disk size requirement. If your current NVMe storage does not meet the minimum for a particular OS, it will not be available for selection.

You can reinstall the same OS you already have — this effectively resets the server to a clean state.

Confirming the Reinstallation

Because this action destroys all data, the dashboard requires a deliberate confirmation:

  1. Select your target operating system from the dropdown
  2. Press and hold the Hold to Install button for 3 seconds
  3. The button text changes to Installing... once the process starts

A notification confirms the reinstallation has been initiated.

Tracking Progress

After you confirm, the VPS status changes to Installing. You can monitor progress directly in your dashboard:

  • The server detail page shows the current status and installation progress
  • The VPS list in your dashboard also reflects the installing state
  • Once complete, the status returns to Running and the new OS is ready

During installation the server is not accessible via SSH, VNC, or SFTP. The process typically takes a few minutes depending on the operating system.

After Reinstallation

Once the new OS is installed:

  • A new root password is generated — open the server in your dashboard, find the Root Password field, and click to reveal it
  • IP addresses remain the same — your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses do not change
  • All previous data is gone — software, configuration files, user accounts, and uploaded files are removed
  • Firewall rules are reset — you will need to reconfigure the firewall if you had custom rules (Firewall)
  • Monitoring continues automatically — uptime and resource metrics resume once the server is running again

Connecting to the Reinstalled Server

Use the new root password shown in your dashboard to connect:

  • SSH — ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP or use the web terminal in your dashboard
  • VNC — open the browser-based console from your dashboard for graphical access

For more details see SSH Access and VNC Console.