Reinstalling the OS restores your server to a clean operating system. It's handy when you want a different distribution, need to wipe a broken environment, or are handing the machine off to someone else. The whole thing takes just a few clicks in the dashboard and finishes in minutes.
⚠️ Important Warning: All Data Is Wiped
A reinstall erases everything on the disk — websites, databases, configs, and uploaded files are gone and cannot be recovered. Before you start:
- Download important data to your computer, or back it up to object storage / another server.
- Note any configs you want to keep (firewall rules, Nginx site configs, etc.).
Steps to Reinstall
- Sign in at wawanode.com → dashboard and open the service detail page for the server.
- Find Reinstall OS and click it.
- Pick an image, such as Debian / Ubuntu / CentOS / Alpine, and Windows on plans where it's offered. If you're new, an Ubuntu or Debian LTS release is a safe choice.
- Confirm the prompt and submit. The reinstall starts and usually completes in a few minutes.
- When it's done, a new root password (Administrator on Windows) is issued. View it on the service detail page and store it safely.
Reconnecting After the Reinstall
- Linux: connect over SSH with the new password.
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IPA "host key changed" warning is normal after a reinstall — just clear the old local entry:
ssh-keygen -R YOUR_SERVER_IP- Windows: connect via Remote Desktop (RDP) as
Administratorusing the newly issued password. - No client handy? Use the VNC console or the browser SSH terminal right on the service detail page.
NAT plans: your SSH port may be a mapped port rather than the default 22. Always use the port shown on the service detail page.
Still Stuck?
If the reinstall hangs, you can't reconnect, or the image isn't what you expected, open a ticket at dashboard → Tickets (/dashboard/tickets/new) and link the affected service so we can help quickly.