diff --git a/backend/index.js b/backend/index.js
index 27d61b7..35db604 100644
--- a/backend/index.js
+++ b/backend/index.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ const csrfProtection = csrf({ cookie: true });  // enable this
 app.use(csrfProtection);  // enable this
 
 // MongoDB connection string
-process.env.MONGO_URI = "mongodb+srv://jokwuoma:NfVkmCxqTKSGUw9i@cluster0.c07r4.mongodb.net/?retryWrites=true&w=majority&appName=Cluster0";
+process.env.MONGO_URI = "mongodb+srv://jokwuoma:NfVkmCxqTKSGUw9i@cluster0.c07r4.mongodb.net/";
 const dbUri = process.env.MONGO_URI;
 
 mongoose
diff --git a/backend/populateDB.js b/backend/populateDB.js
index db082eb..c8b0f9e 100644
--- a/backend/populateDB.js
+++ b/backend/populateDB.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const Question = require("./Question"); // Adjust the path as necessary to your
 const { data } = require("./data"); // Adjust the path to where your data.js file is located
 
 // Store my MongoDB connection string in the MONGO_URI environment variable to connect to the database
-process.env.MONGO_URI = "mongodb+srv://jokwuoma:NfVkmCxqTKSGUw9i@cluster0.c07r4.mongodb.net/?retryWrites=true&w=majority&appName=Cluster0";
+process.env.MONGO_URI = "mongodb+srv://jokwuoma:NfVkmCxqTKSGUw9i@cluster0.c07r4.mongodb.net/";
 const mongoURI = process.env.MONGO_URI;
 // const mongoURI = 'mongodb+srv://${username}:${password}@cluster0.3x0s7hh.mongodb.net/?appName=mongosh+2.1.5';
 
diff --git a/kubernetes-manifest/secret.yaml b/kubernetes-manifest/secret.yaml
index b45bc99..d320fc5 100644
--- a/kubernetes-manifest/secret.yaml
+++ b/kubernetes-manifest/secret.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: quiz
 type: Opaque
 data:
-  mongo-uri: bW9uZ29kYitzcnY6Ly9qb2t3dW9tYTpOZlZrbUN4cVRLU0dVdzlpQGNsdXN0ZXIwLmMwN3I0Lm1vbmdvZGIubmV0Lz9yZXRyeVdyaXRlcz10cnVlJnc9bWFqb3JpdHkmYXBwTmFtZT1DbHVzdGVyMA==
+  mongo-uri: bW9uZ29kYitzcnY6Ly9qb2t3dW9tYTpOZlZrbUN4cVRLU0dVdzlpQGNsdXN0ZXIwLmMwN3I0Lm1vbmdvZGIubmV0Lw==
   # my own encoded MongoDB connection string is shown above
   # mongo-uri: bW9uZ29kYitzcnY6Ly9xdWl6X3VzZXI6M1BiMHprZDZjMEFJWkVyRUBjbHVzdGVyMC4zeDBzN2hoLm1vbmdvZGIubmV0Lz9hcHBOYW1lPW1vbmdvc2grMi4xLjU=
   # mongo-uri listed above this line is prior user's encoded connecting string