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Reset the root password

Reset the root or Administrator password on a cloud server from the Cloud Console when you have lost access.

Reset your server's root password. Applies to all VPS and dedicated servers, Linux and Windows.

Reset it

  1. Open the Cloud Console, either directly or via Client Area → your server → Open Cloud Console.

  2. Select Manage beside the server.

    Selecting Manage on a server

  3. Open the Options tab, then Password.

    The Options tab

  4. Select Reset Password.

  5. Choose the user — root on Linux, Administrator on Windows.

    Selecting the user to reset

  6. Confirm.

The server usually needs to be powered off for the reset to apply, and it is restarted as part of the process. Anything running on it stops. Do this at a time you can afford a brief outage.

The new password is shown in the console, or emailed to you.

Check it worked

ssh root@203.0.113.10

Change it to something of your own on first login:

passwd

Better still, set up key authentication and stop using the password entirely — see Add an SSH key and Connect over SSH. A key cannot be guessed, and there is nothing to lose track of.

If you still cannot log in

  • Permission denied immediately — SSH may be configured to refuse root password logins (PermitRootLogin prohibit-password). Use rescue mode to edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config, or connect via VNC where SSH configuration does not apply.
  • The connection times out — a firewall on the server is blocking you. Rescue mode or VNC will get you in.
  • Host key verification failed — expected after a rebuild, not a password reset. Clear the old entry: ssh-keygen -R 203.0.113.10.

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