---
title: "Reinstall a firewall"
description: "Reinstall an E2E Firewall to put its FortiGate back to how it was at creation, keeping its plan, addresses, and licence, and erasing every setting."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "firewall"
platform: "MyAccount"
url: "/myaccount/firewall/how-to/reinstall-a-firewall/"
topic: ["manage"]
---

# Reinstall a firewall

<!-- cspell:ignore FortiGate -->

Reinstalling puts the FortiGate back to how it was when you created the firewall, on the same
firewall. Use it to start over when the FortiGate's configuration is no longer usable, without
deleting the firewall and creating a new one.

After reinstalling, the firewall keeps:

- Its plan.
- Its public IP and its private IP.
- Its licence.
- Its VPCs and Add-on IPs.

Every setting you made on the FortiGate is erased: policies, routes, NAT, VPN tunnels, interfaces,
and admin accounts. The `admin` password goes back to the one from the launch email, even if you
changed it on the FortiGate.

## Before you begin

- You have a backup of the FortiGate's configuration, saved from the FortiGate's screen, if
  you want any of it back.
- You still have the password from the launch email. The password link in the email works for
  seven days.
- The firewall is **Running** and unlocked. **Reinstall Firewall** is available only then. To
  remove a lock, see [Lock a firewall](/myaccount/firewall/how-to/lock-a-firewall/).
- Accidental protection is off. While it is on, **Reinstall OS** reads
  **This action cannot be performed while the accidental protection mode is enabled.** See
  [Turn on accidental protection for a firewall](/myaccount/firewall/how-to/turn-on-accidental-protection-for-a-firewall/).

## Reinstall the firewall

Reinstalling permanently erases every setting on the FortiGate. Back up the configuration first.

1. In MyAccount, under **Network**, click **Firewall**.
2. On **Manage Firewall**, in the firewall's row, click **Actions**, then **Reinstall Firewall**.
3. **Reinstall OS** warns **All data on this VM will be permanently deleted after re-installation.**
   Turn on **I understand the risk, and want to reinstall Operating system for the Node : <name>.**
4. Click **Reinstall**.

A message reads **your reinstall action has commenced and it may take a while.** The firewall
powers off, starts again, and is reinstalled. **Status** shows **Reinstalling** until it is
running. Traffic through the firewall stops until then. Reinstalling usually takes about two
minutes, from when you click **Reinstall** until the FortiGate's screen opens again.

On a powered-off firewall, the reinstall shows **Failed to initiate the reinstall for the Firewall
Appliance. Please try later.** Start the firewall, then reinstall. If the firewall is **Running**
and the message shows, try again later.

If reinstalling fails partway, the firewall goes back to the state it was in before, and E2E emails
the account owner.

## Check the reinstalled firewall

On **Manage Firewall**, **Status** reads **Running**. Then:

1. Sign in to the FortiGate at `https://<public-ip>` as `admin`, with the password from the launch
   email. If you use SSH, the FortiGate has a new SSH host key after a reinstall, so remove the old
   one from your SSH client's known hosts first:

   ```bash
   ssh-keygen -R <public-ip>
   ```

   For a minute or two after the screen returns, SSH can refuse the password while the first
   configuration applies. Wait, then sign in again.

2. Check that the licence reads **Valid** on the FortiGate, in **System** > **FortiGate VM
   License**. If it is not, wait a few minutes, and check again.
3. Restore your configuration from the backup, or set the firewall up again.

If the licence still shows as not valid after a few minutes, see
[The FortiGate shows its licence as invalid or expired](/myaccount/firewall/troubleshooting/firewall/#the-fortigate-shows-its-licence-as-invalid-or-expired).

Change the `admin` password again, as at the first sign-in; see
[Sign in to the FortiGate](/myaccount/firewall/how-to/sign-in-to-the-fortigate/). For help with any
message, see [Reinstalling the firewall fails](/myaccount/firewall/troubleshooting/firewall/#reinstalling-the-firewall-fails).