Catalyst 3650 OS image not auto booting

[befox2261]

The switch I'm currently having issues with is not automatically booting the OS image after a power outage, I have to manually boot flash:<OS> every time.  here is my switch information. 

during boot I get:

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

my flash: 

72722 drwx 4096 Dec 23 2024 16:17:11 +00:00 .installer
72724 -rw- 481 Dec 23 2024 16:17:14 +00:00 bootloader_evt_handle.log
72725 drwx 4096 Dec 19 2024 21:21:48 +00:00 core
72726 drwx 4096 Dec 23 2024 16:19:15 +00:00 .prst_sync
72728 drwx 4096 Dec 19 2024 17:42:40 +00:00 .rollback_timer
72731 drwx 4096 Dec 19 2024 17:42:45 +00:00 gs_script
72732 drwx 4096 Dec 19 2024 17:42:45 +00:00 tech_support
72758 drwx 4096 Dec 23 2024 16:17:28 +00:00 dc_profile_dir
72763 -rw- 132108 Dec 23 2024 16:17:51 +00:00 memleak.tcl
72764 -rw- 76 Dec 23 2024 16:17:32 +00:00 boothelper.log
72765 -rw- 0 Dec 23 2024 16:19:05 +00:00 rdope_out.txt
72768 -rw- 545 Dec 23 2024 16:19:16 +00:00 rdope.log
72770 drwx 4096 Dec 20 2024 18:54:29 +00:00 .dbpersist
72767 -rw- 76 Dec 23 2024 15:06:51 +00:00 boothelper.old
72769 -rw- 2097152 Dec 23 2024 16:19:39 +00:00 nvram_config
72771 -rw- 2097152 Dec 23 2024 16:19:39 +00:00 nvram_config_bkup
72772 drwx 4096 Dec 19 2024 21:21:28 +00:00 onep
72775 -rw- 29452 Dec 19 2024 21:27:29 +00:00 collated_log_20241219-212729
72776 -rw- 383 Dec 19 2024 21:27:29 +00:00 btdecode_err
72777 -rw- 35 Dec 20 2024 18:37:11 +00:00 pnp-tech-time
72778 -rw- 108530 Dec 20 2024 18:37:19 +00:00 pnp-tech-discovery-summary
72779 -rw- 482681593 Dec 19 2024 21:52:38 +00:00 cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.12.SPA.bin

my show boot:

---------------------------
Switch 1
---------------------------
Current Boot Variables:
BOOT variable = flash:cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.12.SPA.bin;

Boot Variables on next reload:
BOOT variable does not exist
Manual Boot = no
Enable Break = no
Boot Mode = DEVICE
iPXE Timeout = 0

My Register:

Configuration register is 0x102

Things I have tried:

1. tried to reset the boot variable

MySwitch(config)#no boot system
MySwitch(config)#boot system flash:cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.12.SPA.bin
MySwitch(config)#no boot manual
MySwitch(config)#do wr
MySwitch#reload

      2. Tried setting Register to Ox2102, after I set it, write, and reload. it doesn't stick. not sure if this is even my issue. 

Any help would be appreciated.

[Flavio Miranda]

@befox2261 

 "2. Tried setting Register to Ox2102, after I set it, write, and reload. it doesn't stick. not sure if this is even my issue. "

  OK but you need to keep this value. Your problem may be something else but this will cause you others problems if you dont configure it as 2102

While in switch: mode, check if you have this configured

SWITCH_IGNORE_STARTUP_CFG=0

[befox2261]

so I thought you were on to something, I thought I might of forgot to change that value back after I did factory reset a few weeks ago, so I did the following:

enter Rommon Mode:

Initializing Flash...

flashfs[7]: 0 files, 1 directories
flashfs[7]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[7]: Total bytes: 6784000
flashfs[7]: Bytes used: 1024
flashfs[7]: Bytes available: 6782976
flashfs[7]: flashfs fsck took 1 seconds....done Initializing Flash.

switch: set SWITCH_IGNORE_STARTUP_CFG = 0
boot flash:cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.12.SPA.bin
MySwitch>en
MySwitch#conf t
MySwitch(config)#config-register 0x2102
MySwitch(config)#end
MySwitch#wr
MySwitch#reload

same results, don't autoboot and and register is still 0x102

[Flavio Miranda · Accepted solution]

This is not expected for sure.

   what I would try is bring a new IOS to this switch and  run the process in install mode intead the bundle mode you are using now.

 https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3650/software/release/3se/system_management/configuration_guide/b_sm_3se_3650_cg/b_sm_3se_3650_cg_chapter_010101.html

[befox2261]

Thank you, after doing this seemed to resolve my issue, for those who are interested this is what I had to do:

so I did the following:

Switch# install file flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.12.SPA.bin activate commit

switch: rebooted

set the variables again

switch:flash_init
switch: set SWITCH_IGNORE_STARTUP_CFG = 0
switch: set BYPASS_STARTUP_CONFIG = 0

I now have the following in flash:
switch: dir flash:
Directory of flash:/

32321 drwx 4096 .
2 drwx 4096 ..
32322 drwx 4096 .installer
32324 -rw- 37 bootloader_evt_handle.log
32325 drwx 4096 core
32326 drwx 4096 .prst_sync
32328 drwx 4096 .rollback_timer
32331 drwx 4096 gs_script
32332 drwx 4096 tech_support
32358 drwx 4096 dc_profile_dir
32362 -rw- 76 boothelper.log
32364 -rw- 132108 memleak.tcl
32365 drwx 4096 .dbpersist
32366 -rw- 0 rdope_out.txt
32367 -rw- 545 rdope.log
32368 -rw- 2097152 nvram_config
32369 -rw- 2097152 nvram_config_bkup
32370 drwx 4096 onep
32373 -rw- 35 pnp-tech-time
-- MORE --
32374 -rw- 117973 pnp-tech-discovery-summary
72733 -rw- 20095620 cat3k_caa-guestshell.16.12.12.SPA.pkg
72737 -rw- 34849875 cat3k_caa-rpbase.16.12.12.SPA.pkg
72734 -rw- 401289852 cat3k_caa-rpcore.16.12.12.SPA.pkg
72736 -rw- 3418756 cat3k_caa-srdriver.16.12.12.SPA.pkg
72735 -rw- 23022208 cat3k_caa-webui.16.12.12.SPA.pkg
72732 -rw- 4781 packages.conf

since I haven't set the boot variable since I deleted it I boot to the Packages.conf

switch: boot flash:packages.conf

set boot variable to packages.conf

Switch#conf t
Switch(config)#boot system flash:packages.conf
Switch(config)#end
Switch(config)#config-register 0x2102
Switch(config)#end
Switch#wr
Building configuration...

*Dec 23 21:48:21.232: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console[OK]
Switch#reload

[Flavio Miranda]

@befox2261 

 Thank you very much for sharing.