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Managing Boot Priorities

The boot order determines which device your VPS attempts to load its operating system from when it starts up. By default, your server boots from its primary NVMe Disk. However, when performing custom installations or system repairs, you may need to switch the priority to the CD/DVD-ROM (ISO).

Discovery

Boot from ISO Images

Repair

Access Recovery Media

Changing the Boot Order

Follow these steps to modify your server’s startup behavior.
1

Locate the Media Tab

Log in to the Cloud Portal, click Manage on your VPS, and navigate to the Media tab.
2

Mount your Media

Ensure you have an ISO image mounted in the CD/DVD-ROM section. You cannot boot from the optical drive if it is empty.
3

Set Boot Priority

Look for the Boot Order toggle or dropdown. Click to swap between:
  • Hard Disk: Primary storage.
  • CD/DVD-ROM: Standard for custom ISOs.
4

Restart Your VPS

For the changes to take effect, click the Restart button in the top right corner. The server will now attempt to load the ISO first.

Advanced Boot Options

Within the same Media tab, you can also toggle between different emulation modes:
  • Virtio (Recommended): Provides the highest performance for modern Linux and Windows versions.
  • IDE/SATA: Use this only for older operating systems that lack built-in Virtio drivers.

If your server keeps booting back into the installer instead of your newly installed OS, it’s likely because the boot order is still set to CD/DVD-ROM. Switch it back to Hard Disk and restart.
Once your installation or repair is complete, it is a best practice to click the Eject button for the ISO to prevent accidental boots into the media in the future.

Need Extra Help?

If your custom ISO isn’t loading correctly or you’re seeing a ‘No Bootable Device’ error:

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Last Updated: January 2026 | FREAKHOSTING: Flexible Virtualization Control.