Cannot set flash:"ios version" as directory - Catalyst 2960-S

[dtipps]

Hello. First post!

I am very new at networking and my supervisor does not know the answer to my dilemma.

The situation. I have a 2960-S. I upgraded its IOS from 12.2 to 15.0. (specifically "c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin")

I did this upgrade by downloading ios from cisco, installing TFTP server, connecting switch to TFTP server and applying the upgrade. I deleted the old 12.2 ios (I realize now I should have "archived" it. I think that's a thing) 

I get this error when the switch boots: 

"Loading "c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin"...c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin: no such device

Error loading "c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin"

Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process."

The switch will boot just fine afterwards, but I hate errors. I would like to make this error go away. (I find this as an opportunity to learn and grow)

Why would it say there's no such device... but then boot to it anyway? I don't understand.

Under "dir flash:" I get this:

2 -rwx 14567808 Mar 1 1993 00:03:30 +00:00 c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin
3 -rwx         4996 Jul 17 2017 21:39:49 +00:00 vlan.dat
4 -rwx         3029 Jan 2 2006 00:08:28 +00:00 config.text
5 -rwx         1915 Jan 2 2006 00:08:28 +00:00 private-config.text
6 -rwx         4120 Jan 2 2006 00:08:28 +00:00 multiple-fs

I noticed (before I deleted it) that the old 12.2 ios had a "drwx" instead of just an rwx. I'm assuming this is my problem.

Anyway, I tried the "cd" command but I get a "file is not a directory" error. I have not been able to find anything else to be helpful.

Switch#cd c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin
%flash:/c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin is not a directory

I do not know exactly what I am doing, as I am new at this (the guy who knew everything up and left) so I'm learning trial by fire. Please be patient with me.

Again, I know very little. I will do my best to answer any questions and produce any required content.

Thank you!

[Richard Burts]

You are on the right track. The previous image object file was in a directory, where the directory name is based on the object file name. When you did your upgrade you put the object file directly into the root directory and not into its own directory. The error in booting is because the switch at first expects to find a directory which has the object file but there is no directory. Then it look into the root directory and finds the object file and boots successfully.

The issue with trying to cd to the file is that you are trying to Change Directory but what you are trying to change to is not a directory.

HTH

Rick

[dtipps]

Thank you for the quick reply! (was in a meeting. Just got out)

With what you said, I refined my google search and found this topic. https://supportforums.cisco.com/discussion/9775381/moving-files-within-flash

Seems to be what I need. In the command "copy flash:filename flash:/directoryname" (see bold) how do I know what the directory name is?

I'm assuming the command would look something like:

copy flash:c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin flash:/(???)

Again, thank you for the help.

[Iulian Vaideanu · Accepted solution]

"I did this upgrade by downloading ios from cisco, installing TFTP server, connecting switch to TFTP server and applying the upgrade." - what exactly did the "applying the upgrade" part consist of? :)

You can either correct the (probably wrong) boot path (by conf t / boot system flash:/c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2a.SE9.bin / wr mem) or, if you want to get your directory back, reapply the update by archive download-sw tftp://x.x.x.x/c2960s-universalk9-tar.150-2a.SE9.tar (which does the file extraction, boot path configuration and everything).

On a side note, weird naming (150-2a.SE9) - I wonder if they meant 150-2.SE9a...

[dtipps]

This is exactly what I needed! That command did the trick.

I appreciate all three of you. I better understand what I did and what went wrong.

Thank you!

(I click Lulian's answer as "correct answer" and gave the rest of you "5 stars." I assume that how you "reward" on this site)

[Predrag Jovic]

The easiest way is to change boot path as suggested by Iulian Vaideanu (you don't need folder to properly boot device), but proper boot path is required.

You can also create directory with name you want (in example folder newIOS):
mk flash:newIOS
check folder name on flash
sh flash: