# /etc/letsencrypt directory replacement?

**URL:** <https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434>\
**Category:** Server\
**Created:** [June 1, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434 "2018-06-01T23:44:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walker0fB4ss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/walker0fb4ss/32/23743_2.png) [@Walker0fB4ss](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/Walker0fB4ss)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434/1 "2018-06-01T23:44:05Z")

</div>

Long story short - I stupidly deleted the wrong folder and I wondering how to get it back. Can I upload it from somewhere? I enabled Let’s Encrypt successfully using the “How To Enable Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate on AWS LightSail Server”, but that was just for 1 cert for the “www” subdomain. I was attempting to start over and do it for 2 certs - for the “www” and the naked domain. I meant to only delete the /live dir inside. After I realized my mistake, I wondered when and where the /etc/letsencrypt dir came from. I thought maybe it was generated by one of the steps in the tutorial, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. How screwed am I? Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![\_az](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/22d042/32.png) [@\_az](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/_az)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434/2 "2018-06-01T23:53:57Z")

</div>

If you deleted `/etc/letsencrypt`, you’re pretty screwed. The private keys for your certificates and ACME account only existed here and can’t be recovered via othre means.

Certbot will automatically re-create that directory the next time, though, just without any of your old data.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walker0fB4ss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/walker0fb4ss/32/23743_2.png) [@Walker0fB4ss](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/Walker0fB4ss)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434/3 "2018-06-02T00:00:33Z")

</div>

That’s kind of okay, then, right? The one I blew away was my first one and had been in use for just a few months. Sounds like I can start from scratch and hopefully get it right this time?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![\_az](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/22d042/32.png) [@\_az](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/_az)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434/4 "2018-06-02T00:00:58Z")

</div>

Yeah, definitely. Wiping out `/etc/letsencrypt` is the de-facto way to “start again”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walker0fB4ss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/walker0fb4ss/32/23743_2.png) [@Walker0fB4ss](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/Walker0fB4ss)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434/5 "2018-06-02T00:02:19Z")

</div>

Thanks for the info, being kind to a rookie and for the insanely fast response!!!

---

<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:** [July 2, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/etc-letsencrypt-directory-replacement/63434/6 "2018-07-02T00:02:26Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.