Switch_Password_recovery

Step by step process of password recovery procedure on cisco 2950 switch


sw1>enable
Password:
Password:
Password:
% Bad secrets

sw1>

[Reset power to reboot the switch, start pressing SET/MODE button while reloading, this will interrupt the startup]


C2950 Boot Loader (C2950-HBOOT-M) Version 12.1(11r)EA1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Compiled Mon 22- Jul-02 17:18 by antonino WS-C2950-24 starting...
Base ethernet MAC Address: 00:0d:bc:83:c1:40
Xmodem file system is available.
The system has been interrupted prior to initializing the flash filesystem. The following commands will initialize the flash filesystem, and finish loading the operating system software:

flash_init
load_helper
boot


[Manually initialize flash flie system]

switch: flash_init


[list the files on flash:]

switch: dir flash:

Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 3685701 Mar 01 1993 00:07:11 +00:00 c2950-i6k2l2q4 mz.121-22.EA4a.bin
4 -rwx 1307 Mar 01 1993 00:08:08 +00:00 config.text
5 -rwx 24 Mar 01 1993 00:08:08 +00:00 private-config.text

7741440 bytes total (4052480 bytes free)

[rename the file config.text, so that while booting switch couldn't load it's configurations]

switch:rename flash:config.text flash:gyan.text

[verify the change]

switch: dir flash:

Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 3685701 Mar 01 1993 00:07:11 +00:00 c2950-i6k2l2q4-mz.121-22.EA4a.bin
4 -rwx 1307 Mar 01 1993 00:08:08 +00:00 gyan.text
5 -rwx 24 Mar 01 1993 00:08:08 +00:00 private-config.text

7741440 bytes total (4052480 bytes free)

[reload the switch, by given command]

switch: boot

[After completing boot switch will prompt you for setup mode]


--- System Configuration Dialog ---

Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: no

[Ignore setup mode]

Press RETURN to get started!


[You will get user EXEC mode, Entre into priviledge EXEC mode and veryfy that startup-config is not present]

Switch>enable
Switch#show startup-config
startup-config is not present

[list the files in flash:]

Switch#sh flash:

Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 3685701 Mar 01 1993 00:07:11 +00:00 c2950-i6k2l2q4-mz.121-22.EA4a.bin
4 -rwx 1307 Mar 01 1993 00:08:08 +00:00 gyan.text
5 -rwx 24 Mar 01 1993 00:08:08 +00:00 private-config.text

7741440 bytes total (4052480 bytes free)

[rename gyan.text to config.text]

Switch#rename flash:gyan.text flash:config.text

[copy configurations into running-config manually]

Switch#copy config.text running-config

[verify running-config, and check any plain text password]

sw1#show running-config

[Verify that starup-config has the same configuration at this time]

sw1#show startup-config

[Entre into global configuration mode for changing all encrypted passwords]

sw1#configure terminal
sw1(config)#enable secret cisco
sw1(config)#end
sw1#

[save your changes]

sw1#copy running-config startup-config
sw1#
[exit and log-in again to check your applied passwords]
sw1#exit


sw1 con0 is now available





Press RETURN to get started.


sw1>en
Password:
sw1#

[Congrats you have successfully changes your switch passwords]

For more reading please follow the link:


http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/iosswrel/ps1831/products_tech_note09186a00801746e6.shtml