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How to Reset cPanel to Default

Hey there! So, you’re wondering how to reset your cPanel to its default settings, huh?

Don’t worry, you’re definitely not the only one.

Sometimes we all need a fresh start, whether it’s because things have gotten messy, you’re troubleshooting an issue, or you’re gearing up for a new project.

How to Reset cPanel to Default

Resetting cPanel can wipe away unwanted changes and give you a clean slate, making sure everything runs smoothly.

In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the steps to reset your cPanel to its default settings. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started with web administration – this guide will help you manage your cPanel like a boss.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Understanding cPanel Defaults

Let’s chat about cPanel, your trusty web hosting control panel.

It makes managing your web hosting a breeze by coming pre-loaded with settings that keep everything running smoothly.

These default settings cover email, security, and resource management, making sure your website is good to go right from the start.

When resetting your cPanel to default, these are what you want to achieve, hence you need to remove any customizations or data that was added overtime.

Default cPanel Settings and Configurations

Here’s a quick look at what cPanel sets up for you:

Email Management: Got emails sent to non-existing addresses? No worries, cPanel’s default mailbox catches them for you.

Resource Limits: Disk space and bandwidth quotas are set automatically, helping you manage your resources without fuss.

Security Settings: Default security measures keep your account safe from unauthorized access.

These defaults give you a solid foundation to manage your hosting with ease.

Reasons for Reverting to Default Settings

Sometimes, you might want to hit the reset button on your cPanel settings because of:

How to Reset cPanel to Default

Corrupted Settings: If things get messed up, resetting can fix issues caused by improper changes or software conflicts.

Misconfigurations: Accidentally created a mess while tinkering? Going back to default clears up errors and conflicts.

New Projects: Starting fresh with a new project? Resetting gives you a clean slate.

Let’s now look at the steps to reset your cPanel to default.

#1. Backup Your Data

Before making any changes, it’s crucial to back up all your data. 

This includes your website files, databases, email accounts, and any other important data stored in your cPanel. 

You can use the built-in backup feature in cPanel to create a full backup

This ensures you have a copy of everything in case something goes wrong during the reset process and needs to be restored.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to back up your data effectively:

What to Backup

Website Files: All the files that make up your website, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and other media files.

Databases: Databases that store your website’s content and settings, such as MySQL databases for WordPress sites.

Email Accounts: Emails and configurations for all email accounts hosted on your cPanel.

Configuration Files: Any custom configurations, such as .htaccess files, SSL certificates, and other important settings.

Using cPanel’s Built-in Backup Feature

cPanel provides a built-in backup feature that makes the process straightforward. 

Here’s how to use it:

1. Log in to cPanel: Access your cPanel dashboard using your login credentials.

Log in

2. Navigate to the Backup Section: Look for the ‘Backup’ or ‘Backup Wizard’ icon under the ‘Files’ section.

3. Select Full Backup: Choose the option to create a full backup. 

This will include all your website files, databases, email accounts, and configuration settings. 

You can choose partial backup if you need to save only specific parts of your websites.

Back up

4. Choose Backup Destination: Decide where you want to save the backup. 

You can usually choose between storing it on your server, downloading it to your local computer, or saving it to a remote destination like FTP or cloud storage.

5. Start the Backup Process: Click the button to start the backup. 

The time it takes will depend on the size of your data. Once the backup is complete, you’ll have a compressed file containing all your cPanel data.

Verifying the Backup

Once the backup process is complete, it’s a good idea to verify that the backup was successful:

Download and Inspect: If you saved the backup on your server, download it to your local computer and inspect the contents to ensure everything is included.

Check File Integrity: Open the backup file to check that it isn’t corrupted and that all essential files and databases are present.

#2. Use cPanel’s Built-in Features

Alright, now that you’ve backed up your data, let’s dive into using cPanel’s built-in features to reset specific parts of your account back to default. 

cPanel comes with several built-in features that can help you reset specific aspects of your account back to default without performing a complete reset. 

These tools allow you to address issues related to files, databases, and email accounts individually. 

cPanel makes this super easy and you don’t need to be a tech wizard to do it!

Here’s how to use them:

File Manager

The File Manager in cPanel is a powerful tool that allows you to manage all the files and directories in your hosting account. 

If you’re encountering issues due to corrupted or unnecessary files, you can manually delete or reorganize them using the File Manager.

Files

How to Use File Manager:

1. Log in to your cPanel dashboard and click on the ‘File Manager’ icon under the ‘Files’ section.

2. Browse through your directories to locate the files or folders causing issues.

3. Select the files or folders you want to delete, right-click, and choose the ‘Delete’ option. 

File manager

Make sure to double-check that you’re deleting the correct files to avoid removing essential data.

4. You can also move, rename, or edit files directly within the File Manager to help resolve configuration issues.

MySQL Databases

cPanel provides robust database management tools that allow you to manage MySQL databases. 

If you have issues with your databases, such as corruption or unwanted tables, you can drop and recreate them to start fresh.

How to Manage MySQL Databases:

MySQL databases

1. In your cPanel dashboard, click on the ‘MySQL Databases’ icon under the ‘Databases’ section.

2. Locate the database you want to reset. 

Click the ‘Delete’ button next to the database name to drop it. 

Confirm the deletion to remove the database completely.

3. If you need to, after dropping the problematic database, scroll down to the ‘Create New Database’ section. 

Enter a name for the new database and click ‘Create Database.’

4. Scroll down to the ‘MySQL Users’ section to add users to your new database. 

Make sure to assign appropriate privileges.

Email Accounts

If you’re facing issues with your email accounts, such as delivery problems or misconfigurations, cPanel allows you to remove and re-add email accounts easily. 

This can help resolve email-related problems by starting with a clean slate.

Email accounts

How to Manage Email Accounts:

1. In your cPanel dashboard, click on the ‘Email Accounts’ icon under the ‘Email’ section.

2. Locate the email account you want to reset. Click the ‘Delete’ button next to the account to remove it. Confirm the deletion.

3. After removing the problematic email account, scroll up to the ‘Add Email Account’ section. 

Enter the new email address, password, and mailbox quota, then click ‘Create Account.’

#3. Manual Reset Through File Management

In some cases, a more thorough reset is required to achieve a completely clean cPanel environment, similar to its original state from your hosting provider. 

This involves deleting all non-default files, reinstalling applications, and resetting cPanel configurations to default settings.

Here’s how to do it:

Delete Unnecessary Files

To achieve a default setup, you need to remove any files or folders that didn’t come with the original cPanel installation. 

This process will eliminate custom files, installed applications, and user-generated content, leaving only the default cPanel files.

Using File Manager:

1. Log in to your cPanel dashboard and click on the ‘File Manager’ icon under the ‘Files’ section.

2. In the File Manager, navigate to your root directory, typically named ‘public_html’ or ‘www.’ 

This directory contains all the files related to your website.

3. Identify and select all files and folders that did not come with the default cPanel setup. 

Be cautious not to delete default cPanel files. 

Generally, these are files you or your applications have added.

How to Reset cPanel to Default

4. Right-click on the selected files and choose ‘Delete.’ 

Confirm the deletion to remove these files from your server. 

You may also move them to a temporary folder if you want a safety net before permanent deletion.

Using an FTP Client:

1. Use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your hosting account. Enter your FTP credentials provided by your hosting provider.

2. Once connected, navigate to your root directory, typically ‘public_html’ or ‘www.’

3. Select the files and folders you want to remove and delete them. 

This process is similar to using File Manager but can be more efficient for handling multiple files.

Reinstall Applications

If you have applications like WordPress installed, consider reinstalling them to ensure they start with a clean slate. 

Reinstalling will remove any custom configurations, plugins, or themes that might be causing issues.

How to Reinstall Applications:

1. As usual, before uninstalling, back up any essential data from your applications. 

For WordPress, this could include exporting your posts, pages, and theme settings.

2. In File Manager or via FTP, delete all files related to the application. 

For WordPress, this includes files in the root directory as well as any associated subdirectories.

3. Go to the ‘MySQL Databases’ section in cPanel and delete the database associated with the application. 

Create a new database for a fresh start.

WordPress databases

4. Use the ‘Softaculous Apps Installer’ in cPanel to reinstall the application. 

Follow the prompts to complete the installation, ensuring it’s set up with default settings.

#4. Resetting cPanel Configurations to Default

Along with deleting files and reinstalling applications, it’s essential to reset cPanel configurations to their default settings. 

This includes resetting email accounts, DNS settings, and other configurations.

Reset Email Accounts

1. In your cPanel dashboard, click on the ‘Email Accounts’ icon under the ‘Email’ section.

2. Locate the email accounts. Click the ‘Delete’ button next to the account to remove it. Confirm the deletion.

Reset DNS Settings

Zone editor

1. In your cPanel dashboard, click on the ‘Zone Editor’ icon under the ‘Domains’ section.

2. Identify and remove any custom DNS records that you have added.

3. Ensure that the default DNS records provided by your hosting provider are correctly configured.

Reset Other Configurations

Access Configuration Settings: Use the relevant cPanel tools to reset other configurations like FTP accounts, SSL certificates, and cron jobs to their default states.

Remove Custom Configurations: Delete or reset any custom configurations that you have added.

#5. Ensuring a Clean Slate

To achieve a truly default setup, follow these additional steps:

1. Default Configuration Files: Ensure that configuration files like ‘.htaccess’ and ‘php.ini’ are reset to default settings. 

You can find default versions of these files in cPanel documentation or your hosting provider’s support resources.

2. Check for Hidden Files: Some configuration files might be hidden (starting with a dot, like ‘.htaccess’). 

Make sure to delete or reset these files as well.

How to Reset cPanel to Default

3. Default Directory Structure: Ensure that the directory structure matches the default setup provided by your hosting provider. 

This might involve creating or deleting certain folders to align with the original layout.

And that’s it! Your cPanel should be now in the default setup and ready to start a new project.

To reconfigure the settings, you can always use the backed up files and data for a fresh start.

Conclusion

So, you’ve just reset your cPanel to its default settings.

Remember to always back up your data first to avoid any mishaps.

After the reset, reconfigure important settings like email accounts and databases to get everything back on track.

Keep your cPanel running smoothly with regular updates and monitoring, and if you run into problems, don’t hesitate to reach out to your hosting provider’s support team for help.

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