Password Recovery for the Catalyst 2900XL, 3500XL, 2950, and 3550 Series

Switches
Contents
Introduction
Step-by-Step Procedure

Introduction
This document describes the password recovery procedure for the Cisco Catalyst 2900XL, 3500XL, 2950, and 3550 series switches.

Step-by-Step Procedure
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. Unplug the power cable.
3. Hold down the mode button located on the left side of the front panel, while reconnecting the power cable to the switch.

For 2900/3500XL and 3550 Series switches: release the mode button after the LED above Port 1x goes out.

Note: LED position may vary slightly depending on the model.

Catalyst 3524XL

For 2950 Series switches: release the mode button after the STAT LED goes out.

Note: LED position may vary slightly depending on the model.

Catalyst 2950-24
 The following instructions appear:

The system has been interrupted prior to initializing the

flash filesystem. The following commands will initialize
the flash filesystem, and finish loading the operating
system software:
flash_init
load_helper
boot
switch:

!--- This output is from a 3500XL switch. Output from a 2900XL,

2950 or 3550 will vary slightly.

4. Issue the flash_init command.
5. switch: flash_init
6. Initializing Flash...
7. flashfs[0]: 143 files, 4 directories
8. flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
9. flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 3612672
10. flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 2729472
11. flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 883200
12. flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 86 seconds
13. ....done Initializing Flash.
14. Boot Sector Filesystem (bs:) installed, fsid: 3
15. Parameter Block Filesystem (pb:) installed, fsid: 4
16. switch:
17.
18. !--- This output is from a 2900XL switch. Output from a
3500XL, 3550 or 2950 will vary slightly.
19.
20. Issue the load_helper command.
21. switch: load_helper
switch:
22. Issue the dir flash: command.
23.
24. !--- Make sure to type a colon ":" after the dir flash.
25.
The switch file system is displayed:
 switch: dir flash:
Directory of flash:/
2 -rwx 1803357 <date> c3500xl-c3h2s-mz.120-
5.WC7.bin

!--- This is the current version of software.

4 -rwx 1131 <date> config.text

!--- This is the configuration file.

5 -rwx 109 <date> info

6 -rwx 389 <date> env_vars
7 drwx 640 <date> html
18 -rwx 109 <date> info.ver
403968 bytes available (3208704 bytes used)
switch:

!--- This output is from a 3500XL switch. Output from a 2900XL,

2950 or 3550 will vary slightly.

26. Type rename flash:config.text flash:config.old to rename the configuration file.

27. switch: rename flash:config.text flash:config.old
28. switch:
29.
30. !--- The config.text file contains the password definition.
31.
32. Issue the boot command to boot the system.
33. switch: boot
34. Loading "flash:c3500xl-c3h2s-mz.120-
5.WC7.bin"...###############################
35. ##############################################################
##################
36. ##############################################################
########
37. File "flash:c3500xl-c3h2s-mz.120-5.WC7.bin" uncompressed and
installed, entry po
38. int: 0x3000
39. executing...
40.
41. !--- Output truncated.
42. !--- This output is from a 3500XL switch. Output from a
2900XL, 2950 or 3550 will vary slightly.
43.
44. Enter "n" at the prompt to start the Setup program.
45. --- System Configuration Dialog ---
46. At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help.
47. Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt.
48. Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.
49. Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: n
50.
51. !--- Type "n" for no.
52.
53. Press RETURN to get started.
54.
55. !--- press Return or Enter.
 56.
57. Switch>
58.
59. !--- The Switch> prompt is displayed.
60.
61. At the switch prompt type en to enter enable mode.
62. Switch>en
63. Switch#
64. Type rename flash:config.old flash:config.text to rename the configuration file with its original name.
65. Switch#rename flash:config.old flash:config.text
66. Destination filename [config.text]
67.
68. !--- Press Return or Enter.
69.
70. Switch#
71. Copy the configuration file into memory:
72. Switch#copy flash:config.text system:running-config
73. Destination filename [running-config]?
74.
75. !--- Press Return or Enter.
76.
77. 1131 bytes copied in 0.760 secs
78. Switch#
The configuration file is now reloaded.

79. Change the password:

80. Switch#configure terminal
81. Switch(config)#no enable secret
82.
83. !--- This step is necessary if the switch had an enable secret
password.
84.
85. Switch(config)#enable password Cisco
86. Switch#(config)#^Z
87.
88. !--- Control/Z.
89.
90. Write the running configuration to the configuration file with the write memory command:
91. Switch#write memory
92. Building configuration...
93. [OK]
Switch#

 Page last updated on: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:10:29 GMT 

 All contents are Copyright © 1992–2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

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network 172.16.21.0 255.255.255.0
default-router 172.16.21.254
dns-server 10.255.0.10 10.255.0.11 208.67.222.123 208.67.220.123
203.113.131.1