Reinstall replaces the whole disk with a fresh copy of an OS image. Use it to switch distribution, or to start over on a server you have made a mess of.
Everything on the disk is destroyed
There is no snapshot taken first, nothing kept, and no way back. Copy off anything you want to keep before you start.
What is kept
- The IPv4 address. A routine reinstall does not hand you a new one, so DNS and firewall allowlists elsewhere keep working.
- The plan, the label, and the hostname.
- Private network attachments.
What changes
- A new root password, shown to you when the job finishes.
- The disk. All of it.
Doing it
- Open the server, then Reinstall.
- Pick the image. Only images available on this server's cluster are offered.
- Confirm. The job stops the server, wipes it, clones the image, and boots it.
The server is unreachable while this runs. It takes about as long as the original deploy.
When it is refused
A reinstall is refused while another job is running on the server, and while the account is suspended. It cannot run against a server that is still provisioning.
Reinstall or destroy?
| You want | Do this |
|---|---|
| Different OS, same IP and plan | Reinstall |
| Different plan, keep the data | Resize |
| Stop paying for it | Destroy |
| Retry a deploy that failed | Recreate |