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