Service Password-Recovery - Cisco Catalyst 2960 Command Reference Manual

service password-recovery

service password-recovery
Use the service password-recovery global configuration command to enable the password-recovery
mechanism (the default). This mechanism allows an end user with physical access to the switch to hold
down the Mode button and interrupt the bootup process while the switch is powering up and to assign a
new password. Use the no form of this command to disable part of the password-recovery functionality.
When the password-recovery mechanism is disabled, interrupting the bootup process is allowed only if
the user agrees to set the system back to the default configuration.
Syntax Description This command has no arguments or keywords.
Defaults The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.
Command Modes
Global configuration
Command History Release
12.2(25)FX
Usage Guidelines As a system administrator, you can use the no service password-recovery command to disable some of
the functionality of the password recovery feature by allowing an end user to reset a password only by
agreeing to return to the default configuration.
To use the password-recovery procedure, a user with physical access to the switch holds down the Mode
button while the unit powers up and for a second or two after the LED above port 1X turns off. When the
button is released, the system continues with initialization.
If the password-recovery mechanism is disabled, this message appears:
The password-recovery mechanism has been triggered, but
is currently disabled. Access to the boot loader prompt
through the password-recovery mechanism is disallowed at
this point. However, if you agree to let the system be
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)?
If the user chooses not to reset the system to the default configuration, the normal bootup process
continues, as if the Mode button had not been pressed. If you choose to reset the system to the default
configuration, the configuration file in flash memory is deleted, and the VLAN database file,
flash:vlan.dat (if present), is deleted.
Catalyst 2960 Switch Command Reference
2-284
service password-recovery
no service password-recovery
Modification
This command was introduced.
Chapter 2 Catalyst 2960 Switch Cisco IOS Commands
OL-8604-04