This article outlines our policies and procedures regarding requests for operating system (OS) reinstallation for all dedicated server models in all locations.
We have made iLO/IPMI available for all servers in this group, so manual self troubleshooting is always possible, you can see our article here for more details. There are no limitations to the amount of times iLO/IPMI is accessed or re-installations are followed by the client.
In a nutshell, our general policy on reinstallation by our technicians, is:
- All clients have a allowance of 2 reinstallations every 30 days counting from your signup date at no extra cost, via ticket
- Extra manual re-installations will be charged at 45 EUR per re-installation.
- We do not perform manual re-installation on weekends
1) Understanding the issue, Why & When to Reinstall
- Fresh start after period of testing.
- Malware infection.
- System file corruption or system wide file permission issue.
- Switching operating systems (e.g., Ubuntu → AlmaLinux).
- Changing control panels like cPanel, Plesk or DirectAdmin.
- Lost Pre-boot password.
- Pre-boot encryption is needed but was not made from start and the system.
If you are troubleshooting one of the issues below, we do not recommend a re-installation:
- Firewall / SSH configuration errors.
- Package/application configuration.
- User permissions, or password lost.
- Performance issues
2) How do we reinstall?
Our process follows the standard and minimal approach, we wipe the entire server and install a fresh minimal OS.
If you require a GUI, or Proxmox, Windows or similar we can adjust the re-installation.
We do not offer Windows licenses, the client is completely responsible for the licensing process together with Microsoft.
3) Before requesting a reinstall
- Make sure all your data is backed up.
- Save firewall rules and any other configuration files you need
- Ensure that passwords or access key files are saved.
4) How to request OS reinstall?
Very simple, open a ticket with our Dedicated Server department.
In the ticket:
- Mention clearly the server hostname and IP.
- Which operating system you need and the version required.
- Any special partitioning or Pre-boot encryption.
- Confirmation of complete data loss: We need your explicit confirmation you have made a backup of all relevant data and we can move to wipe the server entirely beyond recovery.
We’ll hop on the request as soon as possible, kindly note that such requests in general receive less priority so if this request is urgent, please point out in your message.
Requests lacking the above may be returned for clarification and will not count until complete.
5) After re-install is done
Change your root/Administrator password, so to ensure only you have your password.
Upgrade to SSH-keys authentication only.
Kindly note that we are not liable for data loss resulting from customer‑initiated or billable technician‑initiated reinstalls.
