> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://blog.onetsolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# VPS won't boot? Repair it with rescue mode (SystemRescue)

> Boot your VPS into SystemRescue from the OnetSolutions console to fix fstab, run fsck, reset a password or recover your files — no reinstall needed.

*Published on November 13, 2026*

An update that went wrong, a broken `/etc/fstab`, a corrupted file system: your VPS no longer boots and SSH stays silent. With **rescue mode**, you restart the VPS into a troubleshooting system straight from the OnetSolutions console, repair it and boot it back on its own system. No reinstall, no data lost.

## What VPS rescue mode is

Rescue mode starts your VPS on [SystemRescue](https://www.system-rescue.org/), a Linux troubleshooting system that runs in memory. Your disks stay intact and reachable: you mount them, repair what is broken and restart.

You open the console and land directly in a root session, no password needed. It works on Linux and Windows VPS alike: NTFS disks mount too.

## What you can fix in rescue mode

| Situation | What you do |
| - | - |
| The VPS no longer boots after a configuration mistake | Mount the partition, fix the file, restart |
| Corrupted file system | Run `fsck` on the partition |
| Root password lost | Reset it through `chroot` |
| Data to save before a reinstall | Mount the partition and copy the files |

## Repair your VPS step by step

1. Open your VPS page in the [console](https://console.onetsolutions.net), then the **Rescue mode** tab, under Console.
2. Click **Restart in rescue mode** and confirm. The VPS boots into the rescue system within one or two minutes.
3. Click **Open the console**: you are logged in as root (`[root@sysrescue ~]#`).
4. Repair your system with the commands below.
5. Click **Leave rescue mode**: the VPS restarts on its own system.

The basic commands, once in the rescue session:

```bash theme={null}
# List disks and their file systems
lsblk -f

# Check a partition before mounting it
fsck -f /dev/sda1

# Mount the system partition (the name may differ, see lsblk)
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt

# Step into your system to repair it
for d in dev proc sys; do mount --bind /$d /mnt/$d; done
chroot /mnt

# Or, in one go: reset the root password
chroot /mnt passwd root

# Before leaving rescue mode
umount -R /mnt
```

## Go further

* Only lost the password? [Reset it from the console](https://blog.onetsolutions.net/en/reset-vps-root-password.md) in one click.
* A snapshot before every risky change makes the next repair a one-click rollback: [VPS snapshots](https://help.onetsolutions.net/vps/snapshot).
* Step-by-step guide: [use rescue mode](https://help.onetsolutions.net/vps/rescue-mode).

No VPS at OnetSolutions yet? It all starts at [onetsolutions.net](https://onetsolutions.net).


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