Reinstall the operating system on a FlashRDP Windows RDP or Linux VPS from the Billing Portal: pick an OS and version, add SSH keys and a hostname.
To start fresh or switch to a different operating system, reinstall your server from the Billing Portal. Your IP addresses and billing stay the same, and the new system is usually ready in 3 to 5 minutes.
A reinstall erases everything on the server. All files, apps, databases and settings are deleted and can’t be recovered. Copy anything you need first, or take a backup on the Backups tab.
Sign in to the Billing Portal, click Servers, then your server. Click Reinstall at the top of the page, or open the Reinstall tab.
The Reinstall tab: OS, version, SSH keys, hostname and summary
2
Choose an operating system
Pick a family: Windows, Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CentOS, Fedora, FreeBSD, Alpine Linux and more. The family installed now has a green dot.See available distributions for the Linux and BSD versions.
3
Pick a version
Choose the exact version, for example Debian 13 (Trixie) Minimal. Some families offer extra builds such as Cloud Micro or a desktop edition. The version installed now is marked Current.
4
Linux only: choose SSH keys (optional)
Under SSH keys, select the saved keys to install for root. To add keys first, see Manage SSH keys.
5
Set a hostname (optional)
Enter a full hostname such as server1.example.com, or leave the field empty to keep the default.
6
Confirm
Check the Summary (the operating system now and the new one), then click Reinstall server. A window asks you to confirm that everything on the server is erased. Click Reinstall.
7
Wait for setup
The server page switches to Deploying server and shows each step: Setting up environment, Installing operating system, Starting server and, on Windows, Finalizing Windows setup. You can leave the page. When it shows Your server is ready, click Go to server.
8
Get your password
When the reinstall finishes, fresh login details are emailed to you. The password saved in the Billing Portal is cleared, so to see a password in the portal, click Reset next to Password on the Overview tab (or Reset password on the Settings tab) once the server is Running. See Reset server password.On Linux, if you chose SSH keys, you can sign in with your key right away.
