> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rafftechnologies.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Factory reset
> Reinstall the same OS on a VM with a clean disk while keeping volumes, snapshots, and backups
Updated May 8, 2026
Factory Reset wipes the VM's OS disk and reinstalls **the same** OS template fresh. Everything outside the OS disk — attached volumes, backups, volume snapshots, and IP addresses — is preserved.
Use it when you want a clean OS state without changing OS templates or losing your protective copies.
## Factory Reset vs Reinstall
| | Factory Reset | Reinstall (Change OS) |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------ |
| OS template | Same as before | Pick a new one (or same) |
| OS disk | Wiped | Wiped |
| Attached volumes | Preserved | Preserved |
| Backups | **Preserved** | **Deleted** |
| Volume snapshots | **Preserved** | **Deleted** |
| VM (OS-disk) snapshots | Deleted | Deleted |
| Network and IPs | Preserved | Preserved |
| VM specs (CPU/RAM/disk) | Preserved | Preserved |
| Steps in dialog | 1 (single confirm) | 3 (OS → auth → confirm) |
| Downtime | 15 seconds — 3 minutes | 1 — 5 minutes |
If you want to keep your backups and volume snapshots, **use Factory Reset** instead of Reinstall.
### "Same OS template" means the *original* one
Factory Reset always reinstalls the **template the VM was originally created with** — not the most recent template. This matters when a VM has been reinstalled to a different template at some point in its life:
* Created with **Ubuntu 24.04** → reinstalled to **Debian 12** → factory-reset
* Result: **back to Ubuntu 24.04**, not Debian 12
Verified in `services/vm-service/internal/services/vm_service.go` (`FactoryResetVM` reads `OriginalTemplateID`). If you want to keep the most recent OS template, use [Reinstall](/products/build/virtual-machines/quickstart-guides/reinstall) and pick the template you currently have. If you want to wipe back to the original, use Factory Reset.
## Where to find it
Factory Reset lives only on the VM detail page (it's not in the row's 3-dot menu — Reinstall OS is the only OS action there).
Open the VM detail page → **Actions** tab → scroll to **System Operations** → on the **Factory Reset** card, click **Factory Reset**.
## The dialog
A single confirmation dialog opens. There's no OS picker and no auth step — it reuses what's already on the VM.
**What's preserved:**
* All attached volumes and data
* Backups and volume snapshots
* Network configuration and IPs
**What's reset:**
* Operating system disk
* VM snapshots (OS-disk snapshots only)
* Installed software and configurations
Tick the acknowledgement and click **Factory Reset**. Expect 15 seconds to 3 minutes of downtime. See [Storage model](/products/build/virtual-machines/concepts/storage-model) for the full picture of what survives this and other lifecycle events.
## What about VM snapshots?
Factory Reset deletes **VM snapshots** (point-in-time copies of the OS disk) because they reference the disk being wiped. **Volume snapshots** and **backups** survive — they live independently. If you have a VM-level snapshot you want to keep, restore from it before factory-resetting, or save it as an image first via [Save VM disk as image](/api-reference/endpoint/save-vm-disk-as-image).
## After
* The VM transitions `provisioning` → `booting` → `active`, typically under 3 minutes.
* Public IPv4 unchanged — DNS records still point to the right place.
* Login is back to the regenerated root / Administrator password (emailed) or your existing SSH key, depending on what was set on the VM before the reset.
* Attached volumes are still attached but may need re-mounting in the new OS — `/etc/fstab` is gone.
## Next steps
Switch OS templates instead.
What's protected by which.