How can I replace or restore the root volume on my EC2 instance without stopping the instance?

Resolution

Note: The instance automatically reboots during this process. The contents of the memory (RAM) is erased during the reboot. Review the Considerations for root volume replacement before proceeding with the following resolution.

1. Open the Amazon EC2 console.
2. Select Instances.
3. Choose the EC2 instance that you want to replace the root volume for.
4. Select Actions, Monitor and troubleshoot, Replace root volume.
5. In the Replace root volume screen, do one of the following:
   • Restore the initial launch state: Choose Create replacement task without selecting a snapshot.
   • Restore a previous snapshot: For Snapshot, choose the snapshot. Then, select Create replacement task.
   • Restore from an AMI: For AMI, choose the AMI. Then, select Create replacement task.
6. To delete the original root volume after the replacement task completes, select Delete replaced root volume. If you choose this option, then the original root volume automatically deletes and becomes unrecoverable.

For full details and instructions, see the following:

• Replace a root volume (Linux)
• Replace a root volume (Windows)

Related information

View root volume replacement tasks