diff --git a/ROUND_7_PREP.md b/ROUND_7_PREP.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76b223b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ROUND_7_PREP.md
@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+# Round 7 Testing - Preparation and Safety Guidelines
+
+## Mission Context
+Test AI-Homelab deployment scripts with focus on **safe cleanup and recovery** procedures. Round 6 revealed that aggressive cleanup operations caused system crashes requiring hard reboots and BIOS recovery.
+
+## Critical Safety Requirements - NEW for Round 7
+
+### ⚠️ SYSTEM CRASH PREVENTION
+**Issue from Round 6**: Aggressive cleanup operations caused system crashes requiring power cycles and BIOS recovery attempts.
+
+**Root Causes Identified**:
+1. Removing directories while Docker containers were actively using them
+2. Aggressive `rm -rf` operations on Docker volumes while containers running
+3. No graceful shutdown sequence before cleanup
+4. Docker volume operations causing filesystem corruption
+
+### Safe Testing Procedure
+
+#### Before Each Test Run
+1. **Always use the new reset script** instead of manual cleanup
+2. **Never** run cleanup commands while containers are running
+3. **Always** stop containers gracefully before removing files
+4. **Monitor** system resources during operations
+
+#### Using the Safe Reset Script
+```bash
+cd ~/AI-Homelab/scripts
+sudo ./reset-test-environment.sh
+```
+
+This script:
+- ✅ Stops all containers gracefully (proper shutdown)
+- ✅ Waits for containers to fully stop
+- ✅ Removes Docker volumes safely
+- ✅ Cleans directories only after containers stopped
+- ✅ Preserves system packages and settings
+- ✅ Does NOT touch Docker installation
+- ✅ Does NOT modify system files
+
+#### What NOT to Do (Dangerous Operations)
+```bash
+# ❌ NEVER do these while containers are running:
+rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/traefik  # Can corrupt active containers
+rm -rf /var/lib/docker/volumes/*  # Filesystem corruption risk
+docker volume rm $(docker volume ls -q)  # Removes volumes containers need
+find /var/lib/docker -exec rm -rf {} +  # EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
+
+# ❌ NEVER force remove running containers:
+docker rm -f $(docker ps -aq)  # Can cause state corruption
+
+# ❌ NEVER use pkill on Docker processes:
+pkill -9 docker  # Can corrupt Docker daemon state
+```
+
+#### Safe Cleanup Sequence (Manual)
+If you need to clean up manually:
+```bash
+# 1. Stop services gracefully
+cd /opt/stacks/core
+docker compose down  # Waits for clean shutdown
+
+# 2. Wait for full stop
+sleep 5
+
+# 3. Then and only then remove files
+rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/traefik
+rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/authelia
+
+# 4. Remove volumes after containers stopped
+docker volume rm core_authelia-data
+```
+
+## Round 7 Objectives
+
+### Primary Goals
+1. ✅ Verify safe reset script works without system crashes
+2. ✅ Test full deployment after reset (round-trip testing)
+3. ✅ Validate no file system corruption occurs
+4. ✅ Ensure containers start cleanly after reset
+5. ✅ Document any remaining edge cases
+
+### Testing Checklist
+
+#### Pre-Testing Setup
+- [ ] System is stable and responsive
+- [ ] All previous containers stopped cleanly
+- [ ] Disk space sufficient (5GB+ free)
+- [ ] No filesystem errors: `dmesg | grep -i error`
+- [ ] Docker daemon healthy: `systemctl status docker`
+
+#### Round 7 Test Sequence
+1. **Clean slate** using reset script
+   ```bash
+   sudo ./scripts/reset-test-environment.sh
+   ```
+   - [ ] Script completes without errors
+   - [ ] System remains responsive
+   - [ ] No kernel panics or crashes
+   - [ ] All volumes removed cleanly
+
+2. **Fresh deployment** with improved scripts
+   ```bash
+   sudo ./scripts/setup-homelab.sh
+   ```
+   - [ ] Completes successfully
+   - [ ] No permission errors
+   - [ ] Password hash generated correctly
+   - [ ] Credentials saved properly
+
+3. **Deploy infrastructure**
+   ```bash
+   sudo ./scripts/deploy-homelab.sh
+   ```
+   - [ ] Containers start cleanly
+   - [ ] No file conflicts
+   - [ ] Authelia initializes properly
+   - [ ] Credentials work immediately
+
+4. **Verify services**
+   - [ ] Traefik accessible and routing
+   - [ ] Authelia login works
+   - [ ] Dockge UI accessible
+   - [ ] SSL certificates generating
+
+5. **Test reset again** (idempotency)
+   ```bash
+   sudo ./scripts/reset-test-environment.sh
+   ```
+   - [ ] Stops everything gracefully
+   - [ ] No orphaned containers
+   - [ ] No volume leaks
+   - [ ] System stable after reset
+
+## Changes Made for Round 7
+
+### New Files
+- **`scripts/reset-test-environment.sh`** - Safe cleanup script with proper shutdown sequence
+
+### Modified Files
+- **`scripts/deploy-homelab.sh`**:
+  - Added graceful container stop before config file operations
+  - Removed automatic database cleanup (now use reset script instead)
+  - Added safety checks before rm operations
+  - Better warnings about existing databases
+
+### Removed Dangerous Operations
+```bash
+# REMOVED from deploy-homelab.sh:
+docker compose up -d authelia 2>&1 | grep -q "encryption key" && {
+    docker compose down authelia
+    sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker/volumes/core_authelia-data/_data/*
+}
+# This was causing crashes - containers couldn't handle abrupt volume removal
+
+# REMOVED blind directory removal:
+rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/traefik /opt/stacks/core/authelia
+# Now checks if containers are running first
+```
+
+## System Health Monitoring
+
+### Before Each Test Run
+```bash
+# Check system health
+free -h  # Memory available
+df -h    # Disk space
+dmesg | tail -20  # Recent kernel messages
+systemctl status docker  # Docker daemon health
+docker ps  # Running containers
+```
+
+### During Testing
+- Monitor system logs: `journalctl -f`
+- Watch Docker logs: `docker compose logs -f`
+- Check resource usage: `htop` or `top`
+
+### After Issues
+```bash
+# If system becomes unresponsive:
+# 1. DO NOT hard power off immediately
+# 2. Try to SSH in from another machine
+# 3. Gracefully stop Docker: systemctl stop docker
+# 4. Wait 30 seconds for disk writes to complete
+# 5. Then reboot: systemctl reboot
+
+# Check for filesystem corruption after boot:
+sudo dmesg | grep -i error
+sudo journalctl -xb | grep -i error
+```
+
+## Recovery Procedures
+
+### If Deploy Script Hangs
+```bash
+# In another terminal:
+cd /opt/stacks/core
+docker compose ps  # See what's running
+docker compose logs authelia  # Check for errors
+docker compose down  # Stop gracefully
+# Then re-run deploy
+```
+
+### If Authelia Won't Start (Encryption Key Error)
+```bash
+# Use the reset script:
+sudo ./scripts/reset-test-environment.sh
+# Then start fresh deployment
+```
+
+### If System Crashed During Testing
+```bash
+# After reboot:
+# 1. Check Docker state
+systemctl status docker
+docker ps -a  # Look for crashed containers
+
+# 2. Clean up properly
+cd /opt/stacks/core
+docker compose down --remove-orphans
+
+# 3. Remove corrupted volumes
+docker volume prune -f
+
+# 4. Start fresh with reset script
+sudo ./scripts/reset-test-environment.sh
+```
+
+## Success Criteria for Round 7
+
+### Must Have
+- ✅ Reset script completes without system crashes
+- ✅ Can deploy and reset multiple times safely
+- ✅ No filesystem corruption after any operation
+- ✅ System remains responsive throughout testing
+- ✅ All containers stop gracefully
+
+### Should Have
+- ✅ Clear warnings before destructive operations
+- ✅ Confirmation prompts for cleanup
+- ✅ Progress indicators during long operations
+- ✅ Health checks before and after operations
+
+### Nice to Have
+- ⭐ Automatic backup before reset
+- ⭐ Rollback capability
+- ⭐ System health validation
+- ⭐ Detailed logging of all operations
+
+## Emergency Contacts / References
+
+- Docker best practices: https://docs.docker.com/config/daemon/
+- Linux filesystem safety: `man sync`, `man fsync`
+- systemd service management: `man systemctl`
+
+## Post-Round 7 Review
+
+### Document These
+- [ ] Any new crash scenarios discovered
+- [ ] System resource usage patterns
+- [ ] Time required for clean operations
+- [ ] Any remaining unsafe operations
+- [ ] User experience improvements needed
+
+---
+
+**Remember**: System stability is more important than testing speed. Always wait for clean shutdowns and never force operations.
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-homelab.sh b/scripts/deploy-homelab.sh
index 8e67f27..c499916 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-homelab.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-homelab.sh
@@ -130,6 +130,13 @@ echo ""
 # Copy core stack files
 log_info "Preparing core stack configuration files..."
 
+# Safety: Stop existing core stack if running (prevents file conflicts)
+if [ -f "/opt/stacks/core/docker-compose.yml" ]; then
+    log_info "Stopping existing core stack for safe reconfiguration..."
+    cd /opt/stacks/core && docker compose down 2>/dev/null || true
+    sleep 2
+fi
+
 # Clean up any incorrect directory structure from previous runs
 if [ -d "/opt/stacks/core/traefik/acme.json" ]; then
     log_warning "Removing incorrectly created acme.json directory"
@@ -143,8 +150,14 @@ fi
 # Copy compose file
 cp "$REPO_DIR/docker-compose/core.yml" /opt/stacks/core/docker-compose.yml
 
-# Remove existing config directories and copy fresh ones
-rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/traefik /opt/stacks/core/authelia
+# Safely remove and replace config directories
+if [ -d "/opt/stacks/core/traefik" ]; then
+    rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/traefik
+fi
+if [ -d "/opt/stacks/core/authelia" ]; then
+    rm -rf /opt/stacks/core/authelia
+fi
+
 cp -r "$REPO_DIR/config-templates/traefik" /opt/stacks/core/
 cp -r "$REPO_DIR/config-templates/authelia" /opt/stacks/core/
 
@@ -222,14 +235,12 @@ fi
 # Clean up old Authelia database if encryption key changed
 # This prevents "encryption key does not appear to be valid" errors
 if [ -d "/var/lib/docker/volumes/core_authelia-data/_data" ]; then
-    log_info "Checking for Authelia database encryption key issues..."
-    # Test if Authelia can start, if not, clean the database
-    docker compose up -d authelia 2>&1 | grep -q "encryption key" && {
-        log_warning "Encryption key mismatch detected, cleaning Authelia database..."
-        docker compose down authelia
-        sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker/volumes/core_authelia-data/_data/*
-        log_success "Authelia database cleaned"
-    } || log_info "Database check passed"
+    log_info "Checking for existing Authelia database..."
+    # Check if database exists and might have encryption key mismatch
+    if [ -f "/var/lib/docker/volumes/core_authelia-data/_data/db.sqlite3" ]; then
+        log_warning "Existing Authelia database found from previous deployment"
+        log_info "If deployment fails with encryption key errors, run: sudo ./scripts/reset-test-environment.sh"
+    fi
 fi
 
 # Deploy core stack
diff --git a/scripts/reset-test-environment.sh b/scripts/reset-test-environment.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..096fdca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/reset-test-environment.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# AI-Homelab Test Environment Reset Script
+# Safe cleanup for testing between rounds
+# Run as: sudo ./reset-test-environment.sh
+
+set -e  # Exit on error
+
+# Colors for output
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+BLUE='\033[0;34m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+# Log functions
+log_info() {
+    echo -e "${BLUE}[INFO]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+log_success() {
+    echo -e "${GREEN}[SUCCESS]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+log_warning() {
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}[WARNING]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+log_error() {
+    echo -e "${RED}[ERROR]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+# Check if running as root
+if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]; then 
+    log_error "Please run as root (use: sudo ./reset-test-environment.sh)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Get the actual user who invoked sudo
+ACTUAL_USER="${SUDO_USER:-$USER}"
+if [ "$ACTUAL_USER" = "root" ]; then
+    log_error "Please run this script with sudo, not as root user"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "=========================================="
+log_warning "AI-Homelab Test Environment Reset"
+echo "=========================================="
+echo ""
+log_warning "This will safely remove all deployed services and data"
+log_warning "This is intended for testing - DO NOT use in production!"
+echo ""
+read -p "Are you sure you want to reset? (type 'yes' to continue): " CONFIRM
+
+if [ "$CONFIRM" != "yes" ]; then
+    log_info "Reset cancelled"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+echo ""
+log_info "Starting safe cleanup process..."
+echo ""
+
+# Step 1: Stop all Docker Compose stacks gracefully
+log_info "Step 1/6: Stopping all Docker Compose stacks..."
+
+if [ -d "/opt/stacks/dashboards" ]; then
+    cd /opt/stacks/dashboards && docker compose down 2>/dev/null || true
+    log_success "Dashboards stack stopped"
+fi
+
+if [ -d "/opt/stacks/infrastructure" ]; then
+    cd /opt/stacks/infrastructure && docker compose down 2>/dev/null || true
+    log_success "Infrastructure stack stopped"
+fi
+
+if [ -d "/opt/stacks/core" ]; then
+    cd /opt/stacks/core && docker compose down 2>/dev/null || true
+    log_success "Core stack stopped"
+fi
+
+# Wait for containers to fully stop
+sleep 3
+log_success "All stacks stopped gracefully"
+echo ""
+
+# Step 2: Remove Docker volumes (data will be lost)
+log_info "Step 2/6: Removing Docker volumes..."
+
+# List volumes to remove
+VOLUMES=$(docker volume ls -q | grep -E "^(core_|infrastructure_|dashboards_)" 2>/dev/null || true)
+
+if [ -n "$VOLUMES" ]; then
+    echo "$VOLUMES" | while read vol; do
+        docker volume rm "$vol" 2>/dev/null && log_success "Removed volume: $vol" || log_warning "Could not remove volume: $vol"
+    done
+else
+    log_info "No homelab volumes found"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# Step 3: Remove stack directories (configs will be regenerated)
+log_info "Step 3/6: Removing stack configuration directories..."
+
+if [ -d "/opt/stacks" ]; then
+    rm -rf /opt/stacks/core
+    rm -rf /opt/stacks/infrastructure  
+    rm -rf /opt/stacks/dashboards
+    log_success "Stack directories removed"
+else
+    log_info "No stack directories found"
+fi
+
+if [ -d "/opt/dockge/data" ]; then
+    rm -rf /opt/dockge/data/*
+    log_success "Dockge data cleared"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# Step 4: Clean up temporary files
+log_info "Step 4/6: Cleaning temporary files..."
+
+rm -f /tmp/authelia_admin_credentials.tmp
+rm -f /tmp/nvidia*.log
+log_success "Temporary files cleaned"
+echo ""
+
+# Step 5: Remove Docker networks
+log_info "Step 5/6: Removing Docker networks..."
+
+docker network rm homelab-network 2>/dev/null && log_success "Removed homelab-network" || log_info "homelab-network not found"
+docker network rm traefik-network 2>/dev/null && log_success "Removed traefik-network" || log_info "traefik-network not found"
+docker network rm dockerproxy-network 2>/dev/null && log_success "Removed dockerproxy-network" || log_info "dockerproxy-network not found"
+docker network rm media-network 2>/dev/null && log_success "Removed media-network" || log_info "media-network not found"
+
+echo ""
+
+# Step 6: Prune unused Docker resources
+log_info "Step 6/6: Pruning unused Docker resources..."
+
+docker system prune -f --volumes 2>&1 | grep -E "(Deleted|Total reclaimed)" || true
+log_success "Docker cleanup complete"
+echo ""
+
+# Final summary
+echo "=========================================="
+log_success "Test environment reset complete!"
+echo "=========================================="
+echo ""
+log_info "System is ready for next round of testing"
+log_info ""
+log_info "Next steps:"
+echo "  1. Ensure .env file is properly configured"
+echo "  2. Run: sudo ./setup-homelab.sh"
+echo "  3. Run: sudo ./deploy-homelab.sh"
+echo ""
+log_info "Note: Docker and system packages are NOT removed"
+log_info "User groups and firewall settings are preserved"
+echo ""