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Elastic Compute Service:Re-initialize a disk

Last Updated:Jan 24, 2025

If you want to clear data from a cloud disk and restore the disk to the status it was in when it was created, you can re-initialize the disk. This topic describes how to re-initialize a cloud disk.

Instructions

After you re-initialize a cloud disk, the disk is restored to the status it was in when it was created. Before you re-initialize a cloud disk, see the references listed in the following table based on the disk type.

Warning

After you re-initialize a cloud disk, all data that is stored on the disk after the disk was created is cleared. We recommend that you create a snapshot for the disk to back up disk data before you re-initialize the disk. For more information, see Create a snapshot.

Disk type

Creation method

References

Status after re-initialization

System disk

Created together with an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance

Re-initialize a system disk (reset the operating system)

The system disk is restored to the status the disk was in when the ECS instance was created. The re-initialization operation clears all data stored on the disk from the point in time when the disk was created to the point in time when the disk was re-initialized. The automatic mounting configuration becomes invalid.

Data disk

Empty data disk

Re-initialize a data disk

The data disk is restored to the initial state it was in when it was created. In the initial state, no data is stored and no partition or file system exists on the disk.

Created from a snapshot

The data disk is restored to the initial state it was in when it was created from the snapshot. The re-initialization operation clears all data stored on the disk from the point in time when the disk was created to the point in time when the disk was re-initialized. However, the data in the snapshot, partitions, and file systems are retained on the disk.