Factory reset or delete a server

Two actions sound alike but do very different things. Factory reset wipes your dialer and reinstalls a clean VICIdial on the same server: same IP, same address, same bill. Cancel subscription deletes the server for good and stops billing. Both are permanent, and both give you a backup first.

Which one do you need?

• Your dialer is full of test data, or you want to start again from scratch: Factory reset.
• You are done with this server: Cancel subscription.
• Something is broken but your data is fine: chat with support first. Many problems can be fixed without wiping anything.

What you need

• You are the account owner. Team members do not see these options.
• For a factory reset, the server must be Active.

Step 1: Open the server actions menu

1. In the sidebar, click My Servers, then open your server.
2. Click the ⋮ button (More server actions) at the top right, next to Reboot.
3. Under Subscription you find Cancel subscription. Under Recovery you find Hard reset (a forced restart, nothing is wiped) and Factory reset (wipe + reinstall).

Step 2: Start a factory reset

1. Click Factory reset. Opening the window changes nothing.
2. Optional: on the left, under Download a backup, click Download backup to get your own copy first. Switch on Include call recordings if you want them too.
3. On the right, read What changes: custom system settings go back to defaults, the admin password changes, and the SSL certificate, IP, address and DNS stay the same.
4. Leave Include a pre-reset backup ticked (recommended). It backs up your data as part of the reset, before anything is wiped.
5. Type DELETE MY DATA in the box, exactly as shown.
6. Click Email me a confirmation link. Nothing has been wiped yet.

Step 3: Confirm from your email

1. Open the email with the subject "[Action required] Confirm factory reset of" your server.
2. Click the link within 5 minutes. The reset starts the moment the page says Factory reset starting. There is no other "are you sure?" step.
3. Watch the progress on your server page. The window says a reset takes about 10 minutes, longer with a backup.

If you kept the pre-reset backup, you get an email with its download link first. When the server is back, you get another email with the new VICIdial admin password; the old one stops working. Your IP, address and certificate stay the same, so your phone lines and firewall rules keep pointing at the right place.

Step 4: Cancel and delete a server

1. Open the ⋮ menu and click Cancel subscription. The window is called Cancel auto-renewal if you pay from your wallet.
2. At the top, Billing stops shows the exact date your paid time ends.
3. Pick a reason under Why are you cancelling? and add anything else we should know. An offer may appear; click Apply this offer instead if you want it.
4. Under When?, choose At the end of the billing period (recommended) to keep using the server until that date, then click Cancel subscription.
5. Or choose Cancel now: the server is deleted within the hour, with no refund. Type your server's full address exactly as shown, click Cancel now and delete, and confirm the pop-up.

Step 5: What happens next

• While a cancellation is scheduled, your server page shows Cancellation scheduled. To keep the server, open ⋮ and click Resume subscription before the date.
• Before the server is deleted, we take a final backup of your database and recordings and email you the download link. Download it straight away: it is kept for 7 days, then deleted.
• After that, the server and its address are gone. Your server page stays in your dashboard, read-only, with a Server terminated note, so you can still look at old reports.

If something goes wrong

Related articles

• Backups and restore
• Pause, resume, cancel or delete a server
• Change your plan or add-ons
• Open VICIdial admin and the agent screen
• Get help: chat, email and this help center