Rebuild your Cloud VPS (reinstall the operating system)

Reinstall your Cloud VPS with a fresh operating system when you want a clean start. All data on the server is permanently deleted, so take a snapshot first.

Before you rebuild

Warning: Rebuilding permanently deletes all data on the server. It cannot be undone.

• Copy any files you need to your computer or another server.
• If you have the snapshot add-on, take a snapshot first (Management → Snapshots → Take New Snapshot). You can restore it if you change your mind.

Your IP address and plan stay the same.

Rebuild

1. Sign in to the client area, open Services and select your Cloud VPS.
2. Click Reinstall OS (or open Rebuild server in the danger zone).
3. Choose the Operating system you want.
4. Type REBUILD in the confirmation box. This prevents rebuilding by accident.
5. Confirm.

The server is reinstalled with a fresh copy of the chosen system. For security, you can start a rebuild up to 3 times per hour.

After the rebuild

1. Open the Overview tab and check the Root Password. If it shows Not set, use Reset root password.

2. Connect with SSH — see Connect to your Cloud VPS with SSH.

3. Your computer may warn that the server's identity has changed. This is expected after a rebuild. Remove the old entry with:

   ssh-keygen -R YOUR_SERVER_IP
   

4. Update the system and set up your SSH key and firewall rules again.