---
title: "Reinstall a node"
description: "Put a fresh copy of the operating system on a node, knowing it deletes everything already on it."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "node"
platform: "MyAccount"
url: "/myaccount/node/how-to/reinstall-a-node/"
topic: ["power-and-lifecycle"]
relationships: {"requires":["/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-node/"]}
---

# Reinstall a node

Reinstalling a node puts a fresh copy of its operating system on it. A
[reboot](/myaccount/node/how-to/reboot-a-node/) leaves your data alone; reinstalling deletes
everything already there: every file, every setting, and any licensed software on it, like RDP, MS
SQL, or BitNinja. Save what you want to keep before you start. Create [a
snapshot](/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-snapshot/) or [save the node as an
image](/myaccount/node/how-to/save-a-node-as-an-image/) first, or make sure
[backups](/myaccount/node/how-to/enable-backups-on-a-node/) are already on.

Open the node's **Actions** menu and click **Reinstall Node**. It is not offered while accidental
protection is on, so turn accidental protection off
first if it is missing. Confirm, and the reinstall starts. It blocks every other action
on the node until it finishes, so leave it alone while it runs. Once it finishes, the node is on
its fresh operating system, with none of its previous data. Connect to it as you did when it
was new, then restore what you saved. If the node stays busy for a long time, see
[Troubleshooting node actions and lifecycle](/myaccount/node/troubleshooting/actions-and-lifecycle/#reinstall-blocks-every-other-action).

To reinstall a node through the API instead of the portal, see the [node-action
operation](/api/myaccount/operations/node-action/) in the API reference.