How to reinstall your VPS's operating system

Reinstalling wipes everything and returns the VPS to a freshly delivered state, with the system you choose. It's the way out when the configuration is lost, the machine was compromised or you simply want to switch distributions.

1. What to back up first

Make the copy while the old machine still exists. What usually hurts to lose:

• Application files — usually in /var/www, /opt or /home.
• Databases — export with mysqldump or pg_dump. Copying the data folder with the service running produces an inconsistent file.
• Configuration files — /etc/nginx, /etc/apache2, .env files, systemd units you created.
• SSL certificates — /etc/letsencrypt, if you issued them with Certbot.
• Keys and credentials — tokens, API keys, your ~/.ssh.

To bring everything to your computer, scp does the job:

scp -r root@YOUR_IP:/var/www ./vps-backup

RedHosting keeps a daily automatic backup of the VPS, but it's a safety net against the unexpected — it doesn't replace the copy you make knowing exactly what you need to take.

2. Reinstalling from the panel

• Sign in at financeiro.redhosting.com.br, go to Services → My Services and open the VPS.
• Click Open Control Panel to open the VirtFusion panel.
• On the server page, look for the option to Rebuild (or Build) the server.
• Choose the operating system from the list. You're not tied to what was installed: you can go from Ubuntu to Debian, or from any Linux to Windows Server.
• Confirm. The panel warns that data will be erased; it's your last chance to back out.

Installation takes a few minutes. Windows Server takes longer, since it's a much bigger image.

3. After it finishes

The panel generates a new password and sends the credentials to the email registered on the account. The previous password disappears along with the previous system.

The IP address doesn't change — it's the same as before the reinstall. What changes is the machine's SSH identity, which is why your computer will complain on the first connection:

WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!

That's expected. Remove the old record and connect as usual:

ssh-keygen -R YOUR_IP

4. First steps on the new system

• Update: apt update && apt upgrade -y on Ubuntu and Debian, dnf upgrade -y on AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux.
• Change the root password with passwd, or set up key-based access — see How to access your Linux VPS via SSH.
• Restore the files and databases you saved.
• Reissue the SSL certificates, if you didn't bring the Let's Encrypt folder.

5. When reinstalling isn't the answer

Reinstalling fixes a broken system. It doesn't fix:

• Lack of resources — if the VPS is constantly maxed out on memory or CPU, the problem is the plan, not the system. An upgrade fixes it; reinstalling gives you back the same small machine.
• A misconfigured application — reinstalling the system and repeating the same configuration reproduces the same problem within an hour.
• Suspected intrusion without investigation — reinstalling is worth it, yes, but first find out how they got in. Otherwise the new system gets compromised the same way.

Need help?

If the reinstall hangs or the credentials don't arrive, open a ticket at financeiro.redhosting.com.br or contact support on WhatsApp at +55 11 98833-3902.