2960X in Rommon will not recognize usbflash0

[anthony.j.shutters.civ1]

i have several 2960X model switches that have lost their IOS on the onboard flash during an IOS upgrade.

i want to use a USB to load or copy the IOS onto the onboard flash but the units that are in Rommon will not recognize the usbflash.

i can see and use the usbflash on a unit that is up and running with a good IOS but the Rommon units don't see it.

here is the errors i see

*******************************************************************************

switch: version
C2960X Boot Loader (C2960X-HBOOT-M) Version 15.2(2r)E1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Compiled Wed 23-Apr-14 02:21 by abhakat

switch:
CPU rev: B
Image passed digital signature verification
Board rev: 18
Testing DataBus...
Testing AddressBus...
Testing Memory from 0x00000000 to 0x1fffffff.../
Using driver version 4 for media type 1
Xmodem file system is available.
Base ethernet MAC Address: cc:d8:c1:18:c1:80
The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.
USB EHCI 1.00
USB EHCI 1.00
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 32
ERR: Read ERROR start 0 blks 1
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
ERR: !CSWSIGNATURE
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
ERR: Read ERROR start 0 blks 1
ERR: !CSWSIGNATURE
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
ERR: !CSWSIGNATURE
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
ERR: Read ERROR start 0 blks 1
ERR: !CSWSIGNATURE
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8
usbd_control_transfer fail status 8

usbflash0: contains unexpected values in partition table or boot sector.
Device needs formatting before use!
USB Console INIT
Initializing Flash...
mifs[5]: 12 files, 1 directories
mifs[5]: Total bytes     :    1806336
mifs[5]: Bytes used      :     833536
mifs[5]: Bytes available :     972800
mifs[5]: mifs fsck took 0 seconds.
mifs[6]: 1 files, 1 directories
mifs[6]: Total bytes     :    3870720
mifs[6]: Bytes used      :     971264
mifs[6]: Bytes available :    2899456
mifs[6]: mifs fsck took 1 seconds.
mifs[7]: 5 files, 1 directories
mifs[7]: Total bytes     :     258048
mifs[7]: Bytes used      :       8192
mifs[7]: Bytes available :     249856
mifs[7]: mifs fsck took 0 seconds.
mifs[8]: 5 files, 1 directories
mifs[8]: Total bytes     :     258048
mifs[8]: Bytes used      :       8192
mifs[8]: Bytes available :     249856
mifs[8]: mifs fsck took 1 seconds.
mifs[9]: 154 files, 14 directories
mifs[9]: Total bytes     :  122185728
mifs[9]: Bytes used      :    2341376
mifs[9]: Bytes available :  119844352
mifs[9]: mifs fsck took 6 seconds.
...done Initializing Flash.
Loading "flash:/c2960x-universalk9-mz.150-2a.EX5/c2960x-universalk9-mz.150-2a.EX5.bin"...flash:/c2960x-universalk9-mz.150-2a.EX5/c2960x-universalk9-mz.150-2a.EX5.bin: no such file or directory

Error loading "flash:/c2960x-universalk9-mz.150-2a.EX5/c2960x-universalk9-mz.150-2a.EX5.bin"

Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process.
Boot process failed...

The system is unable to boot automatically.  The BOOT
environment variable needs to be set to a bootable
image.

switch: dir usbflash0:
unable to stat usbflash0:/: unknown error

[Philip D'Ath]

Try using the "flash init" command.  Then you might be able to see it.  Not sure.

[095kot095]

on 2960X "flash init" not help. fat16 not help. nothing help... tftp no work in rommon... only x-modem...

[Philip D'Ath]

I just read this more closely.  It can see the usbflash.

I think ROMMON only supports FAT16.  IOS supports FAT32.  Bit of a pain.

I bet your usbflash is formatted as FAT32.  Format it back to FAT16 and I think you'll be away.

[mohamedmostafa12]

i have the same issue and i already formated my flash fat16

[akaple]

Did you ever find a solution for this? I have a switch doing the exact same thing. 

[elition]

Use usbflash only < 4G and FAT16

[Tiago_Silva]

I have the same issue. All files on the internal flash are gone. Unable to read from USB stick.

Using a USB stick of 3.8GB formated in FAT16, did not help either.

[Nathan_O]

I too had the same problem of the USB drive not being recognized in rommon. After much experimenting, I found that rommon will only read FAT drives with a allocation size less than 64K.  I came across a 1GB drive that I could set the allocation size to 16K, 32K or 64K.  The 2960x in rommon would recognize and boot off of the USB with 16K or 32K clusters, but not 64K.  When you format your USB drive, if you only have the option of using 64K clusters, it will not work in rommon.  I tried formatiing a larger USB forcing it to 32K clusters in Windows but the format failed saying the specified cluster size is too small for FAT16/12.    Hopefully this will save some folks a bit of sanity.   Ironically, once the switch is booted, it will no longer read the USB drive.

Solution: Find a USB drive that will allow you to format as FAT with 16K or 32K clusters.

[JorgeAlvarezV]

I have a 2GB USB, cleaned it, created the partition, formated FAT and 32K Allocation size, not read, made hte volume smaller, did a FAT with 16K Allocation size, still not read, have tried 1x 4GB, 3x 2GB. 

Anyone resolved this? Any insight would be really helpful. 

Also tried XMODEM, transfers the whole file and as soon as it finishes it gives I/O errors, this in BAUD 9600, BAUD 115200 and BAUD 56000.

ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 32
ERR: Read ERROR start 0 blks 1
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 8
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 32
ERR: Read ERROR start 0 blks 1
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 8
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 32
ERR: Read ERROR start 0 blks 1
ERR: usbd_bulk_transfer fail status 8

[david.ding1]

rommon only support <4 GB FAT16 USB driver, =4 is not working, so 2GB or smaller.

Windows format file system: FAT

Allocation unit size: default allocation size

Then try again.

[kperello]

1. Insert USB 2.0 into a 2960x switch.

2. Format USB 2.0 using format usbflash0: command .

3. Insert formatted USB into operational stack member with IOS saved locally in flash: 

4. Used copy command to get image from flash to USB copy flash0:xxxxx.bin usbflash0:xxxxxx.bin

5. Insert USB back into switch where code load will be loaded and use copy command to place image file in local flash

[andrewmcca]

If anyone comes across this threat again, you can use a larger USB drive, but create a partition of less than 4Gb.  Below using windows diskpart:

From a windows command prompt enter "Diskpart"

type "list disk" to view disks, then select it with "select disk 1"

Delete any existing partitions by entering "list part" then "select part 1" (where 1 is the partition number) then "delete part."

Create a partition using "create part primary size=2000" to create a partition with a size of 2GB.

Exit out of diskpart and format the partition using: "format /FS:FAT/Q" (where is the disk drive letter, you may need to assign a drive letter using "disk management" if it isn't assigned one.