# Starting from scratch

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [7 March 2024 00:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216 "2024-03-07T00:37:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Homerjsimpson137](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Homerjsimpson137](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Homerjsimpson137)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 00:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/1 "2024-03-07T00:37:03Z")

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Is there a way to start from scratch with Node-Red? Meaning nothing is saved and all is deleted. Ive screwed up something that I had working so I deleted my deployed flow and shutdown everything and rebooted everything, but when I open up my browser to localhost:1880 It brings my old flow up.  
I need to start from scratch and is there a way to cleanly do this?

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**Author:** ![smanjunath211](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/smanjunath211/32/95742_2.png) [@smanjunath211](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/smanjunath211)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 00:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/2 "2024-03-07T00:51:48Z")

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if it is just the flows you want fresh, just rename flows.json tosomething else and start node-red.

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**Author:** ![Homerjsimpson137](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Homerjsimpson137](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Homerjsimpson137)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 01:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/3 "2024-03-07T01:03:10Z")

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It's everything I want to delete and start from scratch.

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**Author:** ![smanjunath211](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/smanjunath211/32/95742_2.png) [@smanjunath211](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/smanjunath211)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 01:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/4 "2024-03-07T01:32:46Z")

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Sorry, I will let the experts take over.

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**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 01:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/5 "2024-03-07T01:51:23Z")

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> [@Homerjsimpson137](#):
>
> I open up my browser to localhost:1880 It brings my old flow up.

That sounds like you need to clear your browser cache.

Is Node-red on a PC or Linux?

At least on Linux everything you do in Node-red is within the ~/.node-red directory.  
You can delete that then re-run the installation script.

There are core components of Node-red in /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red but nothing you did would have affected those, and a reinstall probably replaces them anyway.

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**Author:** ![Homerjsimpson137](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Homerjsimpson137](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Homerjsimpson137)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 02:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/6 "2024-03-07T02:12:04Z")

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Running Windows on a PC. I’ll try clearing my cache and see how that does before I go and reinstall for sure.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 09:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/7 "2024-03-07T09:51:04Z")

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If you delete (or rename) the entire `.node-red` folder then that should do what you want. node-red will make a new one.

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [7 March 2024 09:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/8 "2024-03-07T09:55:26Z")

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> [@jbudd](#):
>
> > [@Homerjsimpson137](#):
> >
> > I open up my browser to localhost:1880 It brings my old flow up.
> 
> That sounds like you need to clear your browser cache.

TBH, it sounds like the OP deleted nodes but didnt deploy.

> [@Homerjsimpson137](#):
>
> so I deleted my deployed flow and shutdown everything and rebooted everything

* * *

@Homerjsimpson137 if you regularly wish to do this kind of thing, [project mode](https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/projects/) may be more suited. You can create new projects (new blank projects) from within the UI.

Otherwise, just do as colin stated:

1. stop node-red
2. delete the `.node-red` directory
  - you will know where that is by the output of the console output when you start node-red (it states the `userdir`)

3. start node-red

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [5 June 2024 09:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-from-scratch/86216/9 "2024-06-05T09:55:50Z")

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