Overview
The following describes how to delete a Dedicated Server.
Make sure to have another hosting plan active if you wish to keep your site up and running.
If you wish to keep your website active and move it to a different hosting plan, you must already have added a Shared or Managed VPS hosting plan. Only then will you have the opportunity to move the data to this new server when you are canceling.
- If another hosting plan is not added first, the website will go down, and your account will only be available for domain registrations.
How to delete a Dedicated Server
When deleting your Dedicated Server, there are two options to consider:
- Migrate your data to a different server
- Permanently delete all users and data
Each option is described below. Make sure to follow the steps carefully to prevent data loss on your server.
If this is the only hosting plan active on the account, follow the Closing your account article instead.
Option 1 — Migrating your data to a different server
This is most often the case when deleting a Dedicated Server. This can also be thought of as downgrading your Dedicated Server to a different hosting plan.
- Make sure you've already purchased a second Shared or Managed VPS hosting plan.
- Navigate to the Manage Account page.
- Locate your Dedicated Hosting plan. To the right, click the Manage button.
-
Scroll down and click the Cancel button to proceed.
During this process, you will have the option to transfer to another server within your current account.
- Select one of the following options in the dropdown menu that appears:
- No Hosting (DNS Only) — removes hosting and sets your domain to DNS Only.
- Select another available server — removes Dedicated hosting and transfers the website to another available plan.
- Click the Remove button to confirm the cancellation.
Option 2 — Permanently deleting all users and data
If you no longer need your website, you can delete the Dedicated Server during the cancellation process. From the Transfer to server dropdown menu, select No Hosting (DNS Only). This option removes the hosting service and permanently deletes all files, users, and data associated with the server.
Before proceeding, make sure you've backed up any necessary data first, as it will not be recoverable after you delete the server. See the following articles for more information:
If your databases contain more than 3 GB of data
If you wish to delete a Dedicated Server and the databases associated with it contain more than 3 GB of data, the Delete button will be greyed and you will not be able to delete the server.
There are several options you can take in order to proceed with deleting the server:
- Reduce the size of the existing databases to be below 3 GB (if you plan to use the databases on a shared MySQL server, DreamHost recommends reducing the size significantly below 3 GB to allow the databases room to grow).
- Add a MySQL VPS and move the databases off the Dedicated Server to it. Once the databases have moved to the MySQL VPS, the Dedicated Server can be canceled.
- Delete any databases over 3 GB that are no longer being used.