My VPS Won't Boot / Stuck in Rescue Mode

If your VPS is not booting or you cannot connect to it, this guide will help you diagnose and fix the problem.

Step 1: Check VPS Status in VirtFusion

Log in to cp.vps.ezscale.tech and check your server's status:

• Stopped -- Your VPS is powered off. Click Power → Start to boot it.
• Running -- The VPS is on but you cannot connect. The OS may be hanging. Open the VNC Console to see what is happening on screen.
• Error -- Something went wrong at the hypervisor level. Contact support.

Step 2: Use the VNC Console

The VNC console lets you see your server's screen output directly, even if networking is broken. Go to your server in VirtFusion and click VNC Console. This will show you exactly where the boot process is stuck or what error messages are being displayed.

Common Boot Issues

Bad /etc/fstab Entries

If you added a mount entry to /etc/fstab that does not exist or has the wrong UUID, Linux may hang or drop to an emergency shell during boot. Through VNC, you will see a message like "dependency failed" or "emergency mode".

Fix: In the emergency shell (via VNC), edit fstab and remove or fix the bad entry:

nano /etc/fstab

Comment out the problematic line by adding # at the start, then reboot:

reboot

Disk Full

If your disk is 100% full, the OS may fail to boot or services may crash. Check via VNC or rescue mode:

df -h

Fix: Remove unnecessary files to free space:

# Clear old package caches
sudo apt clean          # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf clean all      # AlmaLinux/Rocky

# Find large files
du -sh /* 2>/dev/null | sort -rh | head -20

# Clear old logs
sudo journalctl --vacuum-size=50M

Kernel Panic

A kernel panic usually happens after a bad kernel update. You will see "Kernel panic - not syncing" on the VNC console. This typically requires an OS reinstall.

Network Configuration Errors

Bad network config will not prevent the VPS from booting, but you will not be able to SSH in. Use VNC to access your server and fix the network configuration.

Rescue Mode

Some OS templates offer a rescue boot option in VirtFusion. This boots a minimal Linux environment where you can mount your disk and repair files. Check your server's Power menu for rescue options.

Last Resort: Reinstall the OS

WARNING: Reinstalling the OS will erase all data on your VPS. Only do this if you have backups or the data is not important.

Go to your server in VirtFusion → Power → Rebuild. Select your desired OS template and confirm.

Preventing Future Issues

• Keep backups. EZSCALE offers VPS backup plans. Check your server settings in VirtFusion or contact support to add backup service.
• Test changes carefully. When editing system files like /etc/fstab, double-check your work before rebooting.
• Monitor disk space. Set up alerts or periodically check df -h to avoid filling your disk.