# Accidentally deleted Index- Error: failed to find metadata for existing index
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [September 4, 2019, 6:29am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983 "2019-09-04T06:29:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@rajatrj16](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rajatrj16)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 6:29am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/1 "2019-09-04T06:29:49Z")
I have accidentally deleted 2-3 indexes form path: `elasticsearch/data/nodes/0`
And now I can't able to restart the elastic search.
It gives me the error:
`Caused by: java.io.IOException: failed to find metadata for existing index SOME_INDEX-2019.09.01-1 [location: AbMOLZfgdfsuaOQILdHbTiQ, generation: 29]`
How do I solve this?
[Related Issue](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/179190)
I did not find here exactly what to do!!! 😔
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### Author:  [@DavidTurner](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/DavidTurner)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 6:41am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/2 "2019-09-04T06:41:01Z")
The only supported way forwards is to delete the rest of `elasticsearch/data/nodes/0`. This will allow this node to start up. If your cluster health is `yellow` or `green` then Elasticsearch will be able to recover any missing shards from the other nodes in your cluster. If your cluster health is `red` then you might need to restore any missing data from snapshots.
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### Author:  [@rajatrj16](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rajatrj16)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 6:44am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/3 "2019-09-04T06:44:30Z")
Is there any way I can restore all data, deleting the nodes will delete all the data right?
also we do not have any other node currently, we have working on a single node right now.
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### Author:  [@DavidTurner](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/DavidTurner)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 6:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/5 "2019-09-04T06:48:29Z")
Yes, if this was a one-node cluster then you will have to delete the whole cluster and restore from a snapshot.
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### Author:  [@rajatrj16](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rajatrj16)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 7:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/6 "2019-09-04T07:16:33Z")
one last thing, when you talk about restoring from snapshot, is it AMI\SNAPSHOT taken by AWS\AZURE, or elasticsearch takes backup by itself.
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### Author:  [@DavidTurner](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/DavidTurner)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 7:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/7 "2019-09-04T07:24:34Z")
I am talking about a snapshot that you have previously taken using [Elasticsearch's snapshot/restore functionality](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/modules-snapshots.html). Filesystem-level snapshots offered by services like AWS and Azure are not something that is tested or supported - they definitely do not work if you have more than one node.
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### Author:  [@rajatrj16](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rajatrj16)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 10:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/8 "2019-09-04T10:43:17Z")
Guess I haven't took any snapshot before, So in that case, If I restart or delete whole cluster, It will delete all my data on ES right away.
Is there any way i can fetch/restore, or take any other actions to prevent my data, can't afford to loose them.
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### Author:  [@DavidTurner](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/DavidTurner)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 11:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/9 "2019-09-04T11:03:24Z")
I don't have any other suggestions to offer.
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### Author:  [@rajatrj16](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rajatrj16)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/10 "2019-09-04T11:25:29Z")
Deleted indices, but when I am restarting `./bin/elasticsearch` it gives error: `[2019-09-04T16:53:35,773][INFO][o.e.x.s.a.AuthenticationService] [elk] Authentication of [elastic] was terminated by realm [reserved] - failed to authenticate user [elastic]`
This is due to x-pack that I know but how to resolve this?
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### Author:  [@DavidTurner](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/DavidTurner)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2019, 11:33am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/11 "2019-09-04T11:33:07Z")
Sorry, I don't know what would cause that. I suggest opening another thread since this is a different issue from the one we were originally discussing.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2019, 11:33am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/accidentally-deleted-index-error-failed-to-find-metadata-for-existing-index/197983/12 "2019-10-02T11:33:07Z")
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