CSCwh54386 - C9300 / C9500: ERROR: failed to boot (Out of Resources)

[sjm1825]

During OS upgrade, I accidentally cancelled update, while trying to copy terminal output to documentation. when i tried to re-run this command, it produced many errors, so i did a factory reset.

install add file flash:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin activate commit prompt-level none

next, I tried booting the OS with this command in rommon

boot usbflash0:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin

but it just produces the 'out of resources' error. The workarounds for this -CSCwh54386- all require working OS. what else can i try? or is a switch RMA the only solve remaining ?

errors ...

Failed to allocate space for the ISO (Out of Resources)
boot: failed to find bootable image on device usbflash0:
ERROR: failed to boot from usbflash0: (Not Found)

this is despite finding the image and getting response-

Validate packages: SHA-1 hash:

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

WARNING:  This method will completely wipe out the flash.  All files, including configs, will be erased. 

Force the switch to boot into ROMMON and then do this:  

emergency-install usbflash0:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin

[sjm1825]

perfect! thanks so much, finally have OS up again

[AdamKoch58333]

FWIW, just went through this.  Did the emergency-install from USB - it claims it will wipe the flash, but in my experience it didn't.  I was in a boot loop, so I broke to rommon and followed the "emergency-install usbflash0:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.05.SPA.bin" instruction, which brought me back online with my full config on my new code version.

This switch was 16.6.5 in BUNDLE mode, and we wanted to bring it up on the new code in INSTALL mode - we simply ran "file flash:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.05.SPA.bin activate commit", which put us in the failed scenario.  I strongly believe that if the boot statement was repointed to packages[.]conf first, we would have been fine.  A direct code jump is supported from 16.6.5 to 17.9.5, so I don't necessarily believe the workaround, which claims you need to do an interim hop on 17.3, is correct.  This *SHOULD* have automatically set the boot statement to packages.conf -- I think this might be what the bug is.