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

# Reset to Factory Defaults

> Wipe all data and start fresh with a clean CertForge installation.

Resetting CertForge removes all issued certificates, CA keys, users, and the SQLite database. Your configuration file (`/etc/certforge/config.yaml`) is preserved unless you explicitly delete it.

## Reset data only (keep config)

```bash theme={null}
# Stop the process
pkill certforge 2>/dev/null; true

# Delete everything in the data directory
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/certforge

# Recreate with correct ownership so certforge can write to it
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/certforge
sudo chown $USER /var/lib/certforge

# Start fresh — first-run wizard appears on next visit
certforge --config /etc/certforge/config.yaml
```

On the next start, CertForge will:

* Create a new SQLite database
* Generate a new internal CA
* Drop you into the first-run superuser setup wizard

## Full reset (wipe config too)

```bash theme={null}
pkill certforge 2>/dev/null; true
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/certforge
sudo rm -f /etc/certforge/config.yaml
```

Then re-run the installer or recreate the config manually from the [example](https://github.com/CertForge-LLC/certforge-releases/blob/main/config.example.yaml).

## PostgreSQL installations

If you configured PostgreSQL instead of SQLite, drop and recreate the database:

```bash theme={null}
psql -U postgres -c "DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS certforge;"
psql -U postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE certforge OWNER certforge;"
```

Then restart CertForge — the schema is recreated automatically on startup.

<Warning>
  This is irreversible. All issued certificates, audit logs, users, and CA keys will be permanently deleted. Take a backup first if you may need to recover anything.
</Warning>