How to restore the password of a Cisco Catalyst Switch

1. Unplug the power cord of the vswitch, press the switch Mode button, and re-plug the power cord of the vswitch. Release the Mode button after the LEDs on Port 1x are off.

2. For the Catalyst 2940/2950 L series:

Unplug the power cord of the switch, hold down the Mode button of the switch, and re-plug the power cord of the switch. Release the Mode button after the stat led is off.

3. For the Catalyst 2955 series:

There is no external Mode button in Catalyst 2955, so you cannot use the previous method to recover the password. when the switch is started, press Ctrl + Break for Windows series PCs; for UNIX series workstations, press Ctrl + C. as follows:

C2955 Boot Loader (C2955 −hboot −m) Version 12.1 (0.0.514), CISCO DEVELOPMENT TEST

VERSION

Compiled Fri 13 −dec −02 by madison

WS −c2955t −12 starting...

Base ethernet MAC Address: 00: 0b: be: b6: ee: 00

Xmodem file system is available.

　　

Initializing Flash...

Flashfs [0]: 19 files, 2 directories

Flashfs [0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories

Flashfs [0]: Total bytes: 7741440

Flashfs [0]: Bytes used: 4510720

Flashfs [0]: Bytes available: 3230720

Flashfs [0]: flashfs fsck took 7 seconds.

... Done initializing flash.

Boot Sector Filesystem (bs :) installed, fsid: 3

Parameter Block Filesystem (pb: installed, fsid: 4

/--- The switch will start automatically within 15 seconds. After this information is displayed, press Ctrl + Break or Ctrl + C ----/

　　

The system has been interrupted prior to initializing the flash file system to finish

Loading the operating system software:

Flash_init

Load_helper

Bootswitch:

　　

Enter the flash_init command:

Switch: flash_init

Initializing Flash...

Flashfs [0]: 143 files, 4 directories

Flashfs [0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories

Flashfs [0]: Total bytes: 3612672

Flashfs [0]: Bytes used: 2729472

Flashfs [0]: Bytes available: 883200

Flashfs [0]: flashfs fsck took 86 seconds

... Done Initializing Flash.

Boot Sector Filesystem (bs :) installed, fsid: 3

Parameter Block Filesystem (pb: installed, fsid: 4

Switch:

　　

Enter the load_helper command:

Switch: load_helper

Switch:

　　

Run the dir flash command to display the file system of the vswitch:

Switch: dir flash:

Directory of flash :/

2 −rwx 1803357 c3500xl −c3h2s −mz.120 −5. WC7.bin

4 − rwx 1131 config. text

5−rwx 109 info

6−rwx 389 env_vars

7 drwx 640 html

18 −rwx 109 info. ver

403968 bytes available (3208704 bytes used)

Switch:

　　

Rename the configuration file:

Switch: rename flash: config. text flash: config. old

Switch:

　　

Enter the boot command to start the vswitch:

Switch: boot

Loading "flash: c3500xl −c3h2s −mz.120 −5. WC7.bin "... ###############################

######################################## ########################################

######################################## ##############################

File "flash: c3500xl −c3h2s −mz.120 −5. WC7.bin" uncompressed and installed, entry po

Int: 0x3000

Executing...

　　

Do not enter setup mode:

−−−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

　　

In privileged mode, restore the original configuration file:

Switch # rename flash: config. old flash: config. text

Destination filename [config. text]

Switch #

　　

Save the configuration file in the memory:

Switch # copy flash: config. text system: running −config

Destination filename [running −config]?

1131 bytes copied in 0.760 secs

Switch #

　　

In global configuration mode, cancel the password setting:

Switch (config) # no enable secret

　　

Save Configuration:

Switch # write memory

Building configuration...

[OK]

Switch #

　　　　

4. For the Catalyst 3550/3750 series:

1. Connect a PC with a Super Terminal Program supporting the Xmodem protocol to the console port of the switch and set the baud rate to 9600.

2. Unplug the power of the switch.

3. press the Mode button on the vswitch and re-plug the power cord of the vswitch. when the LED on vswitch port 1X is off, you can release the Mode button for 1 to 2 seconds. some instructions will be displayed:

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

Switch #

4. initialize the flash file system:

Switch # flash_init

5. Load the Help file:

Switch # load_helper

6. display the content in flash memory:

Switch # dir flash:

7. Rename the configuration file:

Switch # rename flash: config. text flash: config. text. old

8. Start the system. If you are prompted to enter setup mode, enter N:

Switch # boot

Continue with the configuration dialog? [Yes/no]: N

9. In privileged mode, restore the configuration file name to the original file name:

Switch # rename flash: config. text. old flash: config. text

10. Write the configuration file into the memory:

Switch # copy flash: config. text system: running-config

Source filename [config. text]?

Destination filename [running-config]?

11. Change the password in global configuration mode:

Switch (config) # enable secret {password}

12. Exit and save it to the startup-config file:

Switch (config) # copy running-config startup-config