Need to clear your MikroTik router's settings but can't find the right reset option? Start with WinBox or a browser if you can sign in, or use your model's Reset-button sequence if you're locked out. Here's how each method works, plus Netinstall recovery when a normal reset fails.
Decide whether you need a reset or a restart
A factory reset removes your custom configuration and credentials. If you only want to restart the router while keeping your settings, disconnect all power sources.
Reconnect power without holding Reset. This restarts the router without clearing its configuration.
A normal factory reset restores the default configuration. That includes custom defaults installed by an ISP or administrator, so the result isn't always MikroTik's original home-router setup.
If the router belongs to your workplace or internet provider, contact the administrator or provider before clearing it. Account permissions and hardware recovery restrictions determine which reset methods are available.
Reset through WinBox
Use WinBox v4 when you have administrator access to the router.
- 1.Open WinBox and connect to your router with an administrator account.
- 2.Open System → Reset Configuration.
- 3.Leave the optional reset settings unchanged for a normal factory reset.
- 4.Start the reset.
- 5.Confirm the reset. The router restarts.
Use your browser instead
WebFig provides the same reset option when browser management is enabled. You'll need the router's management address and credentials.
Open the router's configured management IP address in your browser, commonly 192.168.88.1 under the home-router default configuration. Then sign in to the router's browser interface. Enter WebFig and open System → Reset Configuration.
Start the reset with the optional settings unchanged. Then confirm the reset.
There's also a shortcut on devices offering Quick Set and a factory default configuration. While signed in through WinBox or the browser interface, open Quick Set.
Select Reset Configuration. Then confirm the reset.
Reach for the Reset button when you're locked out
The physical button restores the default configuration without a sign-in on supported hardware. Follow your model's LED instructions: there is no universal 10-, 15-, or 30-second timer.
Disconnect power from the router. Press and hold Reset, then reconnect power while continuing to hold Reset.
Release Reset at your model's configuration-reset LED signal. On the hEX refresh, release it when the reset-indicator LED starts flashing.
Don't keep holding past that signal for a normal reset. Depending on the model, later signals select access-point mode, an empty configuration, or recovery.
If the button reset fails, try Netinstall recovery below. If Protected RouterBOOT restricts button resets or recovery, contact the administrator who configured it.
Access the reset menu in MikroTik Pro on Android
On Android, MikroTik Pro gives you access to the router's reset menu.
- 1.Open MikroTik Pro and connect to your router.
- 2.Open the main-menu drawer.
- 3.Open System → Reset Configuration.
- 4.Start the reset.
- 5.Confirm the reset.
Recover with Netinstall when a normal reset fails
Netinstall reinstalls RouterOS on supported MikroTik RouterBOARD hardware. For a clean reset, the installation must discard the old configuration.
Download Netinstall for Windows from the Tools section of MikroTik's Downloads page. Next, download the RouterOS packages matching your router's architecture, including its required wireless drivers.
Give your PC's Ethernet adapter a static address, such as 192.168.88.1/24. Run Netinstall as administrator, then open Net booting. Set Client IP address to a different address in the same subnet.
Connect the router's Ether1/BOOT port to the PC's Ethernet connection. Hold Reset while powering on the router to enter Etherboot recovery. Release Reset at your model's recovery LED indication, typically after the LED sequence completes (blinking, then solid, then off). Entering recovery alone does not reset the configuration.
Select the detected router in Netinstall. Use Browse to locate the RouterOS packages. Disable Keep Old Configuration, then enable Apply Default Config to install the default configuration.
Click Install. Reboot the router when installation finishes.
If Netinstall fails because Protected RouterBOOT restricts recovery, contact the device's administrator for the emergency recovery procedure. Emergency reformat requires holding Reset at power-on for longer than the device's reformat-hold-button value but shorter than its reformat-hold-button-max value. Those values may be the defaults or may have been changed by an administrator. The reformat erases RouterOS, all files, and the configuration, so you'll need to reinstall RouterOS with Netinstall afterward.
Reconnect after the reset
The restored default setup gives you a starting point for configuring the router again. Reconnect using the management address supplied by the restored configuration, commonly 192.168.88.1 under the home-router defaults.
If you used Netinstall and can't reach the router, move your cable from Ether1 to a LAN port. For security reasons, some devices aren't accessible through Ether1 under the default configuration.
Check the device sticker for default credentials. Don't assume the password is empty. Sign in using the credentials for the restored default configuration. If an ISP or administrator's custom setup returns, contact them for its access details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I factory reset a MikroTik router from the command line?
Yes. In an authenticated RouterOS terminal, SSH session, or supported local console, run /system/reset-configuration. Enter y at the “Dangerous! Reset anyway? [y/N]:” prompt. Your account needs sufficient permissions. RouterOS clears the configuration and restarts.
Can I keep my administrator account during a reset?
Yes. Run /system/reset-configuration keep-users=yes in an authenticated RouterOS terminal, then confirm with y. This retains existing RouterOS user accounts while resetting the configuration.
How do I reset to an empty configuration?
Run /system/reset-configuration no-defaults=yes and confirm with y. This clears the settings without installing the model's default configuration. You'll need to configure LAN addressing, DHCP, Wi-Fi, and firewall settings yourself.
Does skip-backup=yes delete my existing backup files?
No. The skip-backup=yes reset option suppresses creation of a new automatic configuration backup. It is not a command for deleting previously stored files.