cisco Switch password recovery & troubleshooting procedure

To recover the Switch Password

Unplug the power cable.

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.

Various Series LED Behavior and Mode Button Release  Action

Catalyst Switch 2900XL, 3500XL

• Release the Mode button when the LED above Port1x goes out.

Catalyst Switch 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.

Catalyst Switch 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.

Catalyst Switch 3560, 3750

• Release the Mode button after approximately 15 seconds when the SYST LED turns solid green. When you release the Issue the flash_init command.
• switch: flash_init
• Issue the load_helper command
• switch: load_helper
• Issue the dir flash: command.
• switch: dir flash:
• Type rename flash:config.text flash:config.old to rename the configuration file.
• switch: rename flash:config.text flash:config.old
• Issue the boot command to boot the system.
• switch: boot
• Mode button, the SYST LED blinks green
• Enter "n" at the prompt to abort the initial configuration dialog.
• Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: n
• At the switch prompt, type en to enter enable mode.
• Switch>en
• 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
• Copy the configuration file into memory.
• Switch#copy flash:config.text system:running-config
• Sw1#

• 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.

Sw# config  t

Sw(config)#enable secret <new_secret_password>

To overwrite existing enable password

Sw(config)#enable password  <new_secret_password>

Sw(config)#line vty 0 15

Sw(config-line)#password <new_vty_password>

Sw(config-line)#login

To overwrite existing vty password

_{Sw(config)#line vty 0 4}

_{Sw(config-line)#password <new_vty_password>}

_{Sw(config-line)#login}

 To overwrite existing console password

Sw(config-line)#line con 0

Sw(config-line)#password <new_console_password>

• Write the running configuration to the configuration file with the write memory command.

Sw#write memory