CISCO
SWITCH PASSWORD RECOVERY
Step-by-Step
Procedure
Follow the password recovery procedure
below.
1.
Attach
a terminal or PC with terminal emulation (for example, Hyper Terminal) to the console
port of the switch.
·
Use
the following terminal settings:
·
Bits
per second (baud): 9600
·
Data
bits: 8
·
Parity:
None
·
Stop
bits: 1
·
Flow
Control: Xon/Xoff
2.
POWER
CYCLE SWITCH
3. Power the switch and bring it to the switch: prompt:
For
2900XL, 3500XL, 2940, 2950, 2960, 2970, 3550, 3560, and 3750 series switches,
do this: Hold down
the mode button located on the left side of the front panel, while you
reconnect the power cable to the switch.
Catalyst
Switch Series
|
LED
Behavior and Mode Button Release Action
|
2900XL, 3500XL, 3550
|
Release the Mode button when the LED
above Port1x goes
out.
|
2940, 2950
|
Release the Mode button after
approximately 5 seconds when the Status (STAT) LED goes
out. When you release the Mode button, the SYST LED
blinks amber.
|
2960, 2970
|
Release the Mode button when the SYST LED blinks amber and then turns
solid green. When you release the Mode button, the SYST LED blinks green.
|
3560, 3750
|
Release the Mode button after
approximately 15 seconds when the SYST LED
turns solid green. When you release the Mode button, the SYST LED blinks green.
|
4. Issue the flash_init command.
switch: flash_init
Initializing Flash...
flashfs[0]: 82 files, 3 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned
directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 7741440
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 5983744
flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 1757696
flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 7 seconds.
...done initializing flash.
Boot Sector Filesystem (bs:) installed, fsid: 3
Parameter Block Filesystem (pb:) installed, fsid: 4
5. Issue the load_helper command.
Issue the load_helper command.
switch: load_helper
switch:
Note: Make sure to type a colon ":" after the dir flash.
switch: dir flash:
Directory of flash:/
2
-rwx 2980731 <date> c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-19.EA1c.bin
3
-rwx 269 <date> env_vars
4
-rwx 796 <date> vlan.dat
5
-rwx 1478 <date> config.old
6
-rwx 5 <date> private-config.text
7
-rwx 110 <date> info
8
drwx 2432 <date> html
85
-rwx 110 <date> info.ver
1757696 bytes available (5983744 bytes used)
!--- This output is from a 2950 switch. Output from
!--- other switches will vary slightly.
switch: rename flash:config.text flash:config.old
switch:
!--- The config.text file contains the
password
!--- definition.
Note: Make sure to type a colon ":" after the dir flash.
The switch file system is
displayed:
switch: dir flash:
2
-rwx 2980731 <date> c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-19.EA1c.bin
3
-rwx 269 <date> env_vars
4
-rwx 796 <date> vlan.dat
5
-rwx 1478 <date> config.old
6
-rwx 5 <date> private-config.text
7
-rwx 110 <date> info
8
drwx 2432 <date> html
85
-rwx 110 <date> info.ver
!--- This output is from a 2950 switch. Output from
!--- other switches will vary slightly.
9. Issue the boot command.
switch: boot
switch: boot
Loading "flash:/c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-19.EA1c.bin"...##################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
10. Issue the no command at the initial dialog prompt
Enter
"n" at the prompt to abort the initial
configuration dialog.
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for
help.
Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any
prompt.
Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.
Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: n
!--- Type "n" for no.
Press RETURN to get started.
!--- Press Return or Enter.
Switch>
!--- The Switch> prompt is displayed.
At the
switch prompt, type en to enter
enable mode.
Switch>en
Switch#
IF YOU WANT YOUR OLD CONFIG BACK
THEN FOLLOW STEPS 11 ONWARDS OTHERWISE YOU ARE NOW DONE!
11. Issue the rename flash:config.old flash:config.text command
at the initial dialog prompt
Type rename flash:config.old flash:config.text to rename the configuration file
with its original name.
Switch#rename flash:config.old
flash:config.text
Destination filename [config.text]
!--- Press Return or Enter.
Switch#
Copy the configuration file into
memory.
12. Issue the copy flash:config.text system:running-config command at
the initial dialog prompt
Switch#copy flash:config.text
system:running-config
Destination filename [running-config]?
!--- Press Return or Enter.
1131 bytes copied in 0.760 secs
Sw1#
The configuration file is now reloaded.
Overwrite the current passwords
that you do not know. Choose a strong password with at least one capital
letter, one number, and one special character.
Note: Overwrite the passwords which are necessary. You
need not overwrite all of the mentioned passwords.
Sw1# conf t
!--- To overwrite existing secret
password
Sw1(config)#enable secret <new_secret_password>
!--- To overwrite existing vty password
Sw1(config)#line vty 0 15
Sw1(config-line)#password <new_vty_password>
Sw1(config-line)#login
!--- To overwrite existing console
password
Sw1(config-line)#line con 0
Sw1(config-line)#password <new_console_password>
Sw1#write memory
Building configuration...
[OK]
Sw1#
Yeah glad I found this - very helpful. Restored access to a 2950 I found :-)
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