C3560 Unable to load IOS

[merryllem]

Greetings All,

I recently bought a C3560 switch of off ebay for a home lab. The switch worked for a week and today when I rebooted the switch it  recieved the following messages:

switch: boot flash:c3560-ipbasek9-mz.122-55.SE4
Loading "flash:c3560-ipbasek9-mz.122-55.SE4"...@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Error loading "flash:c3560-ipbasek9-mz.122-55.SE4"

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

So i downloaded the a new image, formated the flash and xmodem'd a new Image to try and fix the problem. However this did not help.

switch: format flash:
Are you sure you want to format "flash:" (all data will be lost) (y/n)?y
Warning: Trying to free already-freed memory!!!
Warning: Trying to free already-freed memory!!!
Warning: Trying to free already-freed memory!!!
flashfs[0]: 0 files, 1 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 32514048
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 1024
flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 32513024
flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 12 seconds.
Setting console baud rate to 115200...
Filesystem "flash:" formatted

switch: copy xmodem: flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5.bin
Begin the Xmodem or Xmodem-1K transfer now...
CC...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
File "xmodem:" successfully copied to "flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5.bin"

switch: ×(tware (C3560-IPBASE-M), Version 12.2(35)SE5, RELEASE SOFTWARE
Unknown cmd: ×(tware

switch: boot flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5.bin
Loading "flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5.bin"...@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Error loading "flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5.bin"

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

switch:

Any recommendations on what to do next?

[darren.g]

merryllem wrote:
Greetings All, 
I recently bought a C3560 switch of off ebay for a home lab. The switch worked for a week and today when I rebooted the switch it  recieved the following messages: 

Either your flash is fubar, or you've downloaded a corrupt image.

switch: ×(tware (C3560-IPBASE-M), Version 12.2(35)SE5, RELEASE SOFTWARE

Unknown cmd: ×(tware

The corrupt character at the start of the software line leads me to think the formar, rather than the latter, but you never know.

Try the image download/install process again, but if it doesn't work I'd be suspecting the flash. I've never pulled one of those apart, so I don't know if the flash is something you could source/replace yourself (I'm assuming, since you bought it off eBay, that there's no service contract).

Cheers.

[Leo Laohoo]

Error loading "flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5.bin"

The IOS is corrupt.

[merryllem]

I have tried a few other images and that did not help either. I aslo found out that the 3560 does not have any field replaceable parts. So a quick flash swap I was hoping for is not a possiblility (or is it?).

[Leo Laohoo]

I have tried a few other images and that did not help either.

Did you try to check the MD5 hash file is the same as the one published in the Cisco website?  If the hash file is not the same then either you downloaded an incomplete file or something is wrong with your client.

[merryllem]

I did not check the MD5 hash file but I did try a few different IOS's. I also used an image from a working 3560.