Reinstall the operating system on a Virtualizor VPS

Reinstalling the operating system gives you a completely fresh server in a few minutes. It is the fastest fix for a badly broken or compromised VPS, and the way to switch distributions, for example from CentOS to AlmaLinux or Ubuntu. Virtualizor does this from ready-made OS templates.

Before you start

• Copy important data off the server (for example with rsync or scp), or create a Virtualizor backup. See VPS backups in Virtualizor.
• Decide which OS you need. If you plan to install a control panel, check its requirements; for example see choose a Linux distro for your VPS.

Reinstall the OS

1. Log in to Virtualizor and open your VPS.
2. Click Install or Reinstall OS (the icon may show a disc or an OS logo).
3. Browse the templates by distribution: AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, and others your provider offers. Windows templates appear only if your plan supports them.
4. Click the version you want, for example Ubuntu 24.04.
5. Enter a new root password and confirm it. Use a long random password.
6. If offered, paste an SSH key so you can log in without a password.
7. Tick the confirmation box that you understand data will be lost, and click Reinstall.

The VPS is stopped, the disk is formatted and the template is written. This usually takes 2–10 minutes. Watch progress in the task list.

Templates with applications

Some providers offer templates with software pre-installed, for example a control panel or Docker. These save setup time but may install versions you would not choose; a plain OS template plus your own installation gives you more control. Panel installers such as Plesk or DirectAdmin expect a clean, minimal OS.

After reinstalling

1. Wait until the VPS status is Online.
2. Your computer may warn that the host key changed when you connect over SSH. Remove the old key with ssh-keygen -R your.vps.ip, then connect again.
3. Log in as root with the new password or key.
4. Update packages and secure SSH; see first steps on a Linux VPS.
5. Restore your data and set the hostname.

Troubleshooting

• Reinstall stuck at a percentage: wait 15 minutes, then check the task log. If it failed, run the reinstall again or contact support.
• Root password not accepted: some templates disable root password login over SSH. Use the VNC console, or reinstall with an SSH key.
• No network after reinstall: very rare with official templates; check the IP configuration in VNC and contact support.
• Template missing: your provider decides which templates are available.

Next steps

• Change the root password and hostname.
• Connect to the VPS over SSH.
• Configure firewall rules.