Reinstall procedure
Performing an operating-system reinstall will completely erase your server’s disks and deploy a fresh image. Always create full backups of your data and configurations before starting.
**Steps to reinstall your server:**
1. **Log in to the client portal:** From the IllusionCloud client area, go to **Services → My Services** and click the service you want to reinstall. This opens the server management page.
2. **Open the reinstall tool:** In the actions or management section, choose **Reinstall**. A wizard will open with options for operating system, control panel and other extras.
3. **Choose your OS and extras:** Select the distribution or Windows version you want to deploy. You can also enable optional software such as a control panel (e.g., cPanel/WHM, Plesk) or a database stack. If you choose a licensed OS or panel, the monthly licence cost will be displayed.
4. **Configure disks and partitions (optional):** Some reinstall tools allow you to choose RAID level, disk set and custom partition sizes. If you are unsure, accept the defaults.
5. **Set credentials:** Enter and confirm the new root (or Administrator) password. You may also supply SSH public keys to be added to `/root/.ssh/authorized_keys` for key-based login.
6. **Confirm and start installation:** Review the summary and check the box acknowledging that all data will be erased. Start the reinstall. A progress bar will indicate the provisioning status.
7. **Wait for completion:** The reinstallation process usually takes a few minutes for Linux and longer for Windows or control panel installations. You can monitor progress via the status indicator or by accessing the remote console to watch the installer.
8. **Receive new credentials:** When the installation finishes, the system will send an email to your account with the new login details. If you installed a control panel, allow additional time for it to complete its post-install tasks (cPanel may take 10–20 minutes; Plesk or DirectAdmin may take longer).
**Post-reinstall checklist**
- **Update and harden:** Log in to the new system, update packages and apply the security baseline (update packages, configure firewall, disable root login, etc.).
- **Restore data:** Re-import your backups and adjust configurations to match your new environment.
- **Verify services:** Test that web, database and other services start correctly. Confirm that your DNS records point to the correct IP.
If the reinstall process fails or the server is unresponsive after starting, use the remote console to check for prompts (for example, confirming partition changes). For further assistance, open a support ticket.