Catalyst 2900-XL and 3500-XL Password Recovery Procedure

Description

This document describes the password recovery procedure for the Cisco Catalyst 2900-XL and the Cisco Catalyst 3500-XL.

Step-by-Step Procedure

  1. Attach a terminal or PC with terminal emulation to the console port of the switch. Use the following terminal settings:

    9600 baud rate
    No parity
    8 data bits
    No stop bit

  2. Unplug the power cable.

  3. Hold down the mode button while reconnecting the power cord to the switch. You can release the mode button a second or two after the LED above port 1x is no longer illuminated.

    The following instructions appear:

    The system has been interrupted prior to initializing the flash file system. 
The following commands will initialize the flash file system, and finish loading 
the operating system software:
     
flash_init
load_helper
boot
  4. Type flash_init.

  5. Type load_helper.

  6. Type dir flash:.

    The switch file system is displayed:

    Directory of flash: 
 2 -rwx 843947 Mar 01 1993 00:02:18 C2900XL-h-mz-112.8-SA
 4 drwx   3776 Mar 01 1993 01:23:24 html 
66 -rwx    130 Jan 01 1970 00:01:19 env_vars
68 -rwx 1296   Mar 01 1993 06:55:51 config.text
1728000 bytes total (456704 bytes free)
  7. Type rename flash:config.text flash:config.old to rename the configuration file.

    This file contains the password definition.

  8. Type boot to boot the system.

  9. Enter N at the prompt to start the Setup program, Continue with the configuration dialog? [yes/no] : N

  10. At the switch prompt type en to turn on enable mode.

  11. Type rename flash:config.old flash:config.text to rename the configuration file with its original name.

  12. Copy the configuration file into memory: 
    Switch# copy flash:config.text system:running-config
Source filename [config.text]? (press Return)
Destination filename [running-config]? (press Return)

    The configuration file is now reloaded.

  13. Change the password: 
    switch#configure terminal
switch(config)#enable password Cisco
switch#control/Z

  14. Write the running configuration to the configuration file:

    switch(config)#write memory