# Accidentally deleted "renewal" folder

**URL:** <https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [April 20, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137 "2020-04-20T14:50:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![EncryptKeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/encryptkeeper/32/39039_2.png) [@EncryptKeeper](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/EncryptKeeper)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137/1 "2020-04-20T14:50:38Z")

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Was removing a subdomain cert that I don’t need anymore, accidentally deleted the whole `renewal` folder. Now I can’t renew:

```auto
sudo certbot renew
Saving debug log to /var/log/letsencrypt/letsencrypt.log

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

No renewals were attempted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

```

I ran this command (by accident while meaning to remove a folder _inside_ renewal): `rm -rf /etc/letsencrypt/renewal`

It produced this output: ☹

My web server is (include version): nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu)

The operating system my web server runs on is (include version): Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS

My hosting provider, if applicable, is: digital ocean

I can login to a root shell on my machine (yes or no, or I don’t know): yes

I’m using a control panel to manage my site (no, or provide the name and version of the control panel): no

The version of my client is (e.g. output of `certbot --version` or `certbot-auto --version` if you’re using Certbot): 0.27.0

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JuergenAuer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/juergenauer/32/26491_2.png) [@JuergenAuer](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/JuergenAuer)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137/2 "2020-04-20T15:02:41Z")

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Hi @EncryptKeeper

create a new certificate

```auto
sudo certbot

```

---

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**Author:** ![Osiris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/839c29/32.png) [@Osiris](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/Osiris)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137/3 "2020-04-20T15:16:57Z")

</div>

Or restore the directory from a recent backup. You _do_ have a recent backup, right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![EncryptKeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/encryptkeeper/32/39039_2.png) [@EncryptKeeper](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/EncryptKeeper)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137/4 "2020-04-20T16:25:12Z")

</div>

Ok - turns out I have a backup from a week ago.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/c/a/ca6c06ea1ea201324bba7048c6841ce60236468d.png) [@system](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/accidentally-deleted-renewal-folder/120137/5 "2020-05-20T16:25:15Z")

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