Procedure With Password Recovery Disabled - Cisco Catalyst 3750 Software Configuration Manual

Recovering from a Lost or Forgotten Password

Procedure with Password Recovery Disabled

If the password-recovery mechanism is disabled, this message appears:
The password-recovery mechanism has been triggered, but
is currently disabled.
through the password-recovery mechanism is disallowed at
this point.
reset back to the default system configuration, access
to the boot loader prompt can still be allowed.
Would you like to reset the system back to the default configuration (y/n)?
Caution Returning the switch to the default configuration results in the loss of all existing configurations. We
recommend that you contact your system administrator to verify if there are backup switch and VLAN
configuration files.
•
•
Elect to continue with password recovery and lose the existing configuration:
Step 1
Would you like to reset the system back to the default configuration (y/n)? Y
Load any helper files:
Step 2
Switch: load_helper
Display the contents of Flash memory:
Step 3
switch: dir flash:
The switch file system appears in the directory.
Step 4 Boot the system:
Switch: boot
You are prompted to start the setup program. To continue with password recovery, enter N at the prompt:
Continue with the configuration dialog? [yes/no]: N
At the switch prompt, enter privileged EXEC mode:
Step 5
Switch> enable
Enter global configuration mode:
Step 6
Switch# configure terminal
Step 7 Change the password:
Switch (config)# enable secret password
The secret password can be from 1 to 25 alphanumeric characters, can start with a number, is case
sensitive, and allows spaces but ignores leading spaces.
Catalyst 3750 Metro Switch Software Configuration Guide
34-6
Access to the boot loader prompt
However, if you agree to let the system be
If you enter n (no), the normal boot process continues as if the Mode button had not been pressed;
you cannot access the boot loader prompt, and you cannot enter a new password. You see the
message:
Press Enter to continue........
If you enter y (yes), the configuration file in Flash memory and the VLAN database file are deleted.
When the default configuration loads, you can reset the password.
Chapter 34 Troubleshooting
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