Password Recovery Procedure
for the Catalyst 1200, 2900, 2926, 4000, 5000, 5500, 6000
Contents

　
Description
This document describes the password recovery procedure for the following Cisco products:
· Catalyst 1200 · Catalyst 2900 · Catalyst 2926 · Catalyst 4000 · Catalyst 5000 · Catalyst 5500 · Catalyst 6000
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
1 stop bit
2. Turn off the switch and then turn it on.
Important You must complete steps 3 through 7 within 30 seconds after you turn the switch off and on and the first time you see the password prompt.
3. Press Enter at the password prompt to enter a null password.
4. Type enable at the prompt to enter enable mode.
5. Press Enter at the password prompt to enter a null password.
6. Change the password using the set password command or the set enablepass command.
7. Press Enter at the prompt to enter the old password.
set password
Use the set password command to change the login password on the CLI.
　
set password
Syntax Description
This command has no arguments or keywords.
Default
The default configuration has no password configured.
Command Type
Switch command.
Command Mode
Privileged.
Usage Guideline
The command prompts you for the old password. If the password you enter is valid, you are prompted to enter a new password and to verify the new password. A zero-length password is allowed by pressing Return.
Example
This example shows how to set an initial password:
Console> (enable) set password
Enter old password: <old_password>
Enter new password: <new_password>
Retype new password: <new_password>
Password changed.
Console> (enable)

set enablepass
Use the set enablepass command to change the password for the privileged level of the CLI.
　
set enablepass
Syntax Description
This command has no arguments or keywords.
Default
The default configuration has no enable password configured.
Command Type
Switch command.
Command Mode
Privileged.
Usage Guideline
The command prompts you for the old password. If the password you enter is valid, you are prompted to enter a new password and to verify the new password. A zero-length password is allowed.
Example
This example shows how to establish a new password:
Console> (enable) set enablepass
Enter old password: <old_password>
Enter new password: <new_password>
Retype new password: <new_password>
Password changed.
Console> (enable)








Sample Output of a Password Recovery Procedure
Console>en
Enter password:
Sorry
Console>

!--- The switch is being power cycled.
!

System Bootstrap, Version 5.2(1)CSX
Copyright (c) 1994-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
c6k_sup1 processor with 65536 Kbytes of main memory

Autoboot executing command: "boot bootflash:cat6000-sup.5-3-3-CSX.bin"

Uncompressing file: #####################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
#########################################################################
##########################################################

System Power On Diagnostics
DRAM Size ....................64 MB
Testing DRAM..................Passed
Verifying Text segment .......Passed
NVRAM Size ...................512 KB
Saving NVRAM .................Done
Testing NVRAM ................Passed
Restoring NVRAM ..............Done
Level2 Cache .................Present
Testing Level2 Cache .........Passed

System Power On Diagnostics Complete

Boot image: bootflash:cat6000-sup.5-3-3-CSX.bin

Running System Diagnostics from this Supervisor (Module 1)
This may take up to 2 minutes....please wait


Cisco Systems Console


NTP: Previous SW using local time...
Enter password: (press Enter)

2000 Jan 09 23:09:27 %SYS-1-SYS_NORMPWRMGMT:System in normal power management operation
2000 Jan 09 23:09:27 %SYS-5-MOD_PWRON:Module 3 powered up
2000 Jan 09 23:09:27 %SYS-5-MOD_PWRON:Module 4 powered up
2000 Jan 09 23:09:34 %SYS-5-MOD_OK:Module 1 is online

Console> en
Enter password: (press Enter)
Console> (enable) set password
Enter old password: (press Enter)
Enter new password: (type your new password)
Retype new password: (type your new password)
Password changed.

Console> (enable) set enablepass

Enter old password: (press Enter)
Enter new password: (type your new password)
Retype new password: (type your new password)

Password changed.
Console> (enable)




Password Recovery Procedure
for the Catalyst 2900-XL and 3500-XL

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.
13. Switch# copy flash:config.text system:running-config
14. Source filename [config.text]? (press Return)
Destination filename [running-config]? (press Return)
The configuration file is now reloaded.
15. Change the password.
16. switch#config terminal
switch(config)#enable password Cisco
17. Write the running configuration to the configuration file.
switch(config)#write mem