You can reinstall your VPS with a fresh copy of any available operating system at any time from the client area. Use it to start over after a mistake, to switch from one Linux distribution to another, or to move between Linux and Windows where your plan allows.
Before you start: back up
A reinstall erases the whole disk. Files, databases, users and settings on the server are deleted and cannot be recovered. Copy anything you need to your computer or another server first, for example with scp, rsync or a database dump. If snapshots are available on your service, take one before reinstalling so you can roll back.
Your IP address stays the same, so DNS records pointing at the server keep working.
How to reinstall
- Open My services and select the server.
- Choose Reinstall.
- Pick the operating system template.
- Confirm. The server is stopped, rebuilt from a clean template and started again, usually within a few minutes.
- The new password is shown on the service page and emailed to you.
Which operating system should I pick?
- Ubuntu LTS: the most popular choice for websites, Docker, Node.js, Python and most tutorials you find online.
- Debian: very stable and light, a good fit for long-running servers.
- AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux: compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, often required by control panels and enterprise software.
- Windows Server: for MetaTrader, .NET applications and anything that needs Remote Desktop.
Pick the newest long-term support release unless your software needs an older one.
After the reinstall
Your old SSH host key changes, so your computer may warn that the server identity has changed. Remove the old entry with:
ssh-keygen -R YOUR-SERVER-IP
Then connect again and accept the new fingerprint. Update the system and set up your firewall again, since the server starts from a clean image.
If the reinstall does not finish within about fifteen minutes, open a ticket from the service page and include the template you chose.