Catalyst 9200CX won't Boot. Stuck at "Switch:"

[MMcNeill]

Made the mistake of trying to downgrade a 9200CX to 17.6.5 for compliance sake and didn't check what the lowest IOS the switch could accept. Kept getting this error: "Failed to add chosen node and bootargs prop"

Download ios 17.9.4 and am attempting to boot via bundle mode. Got this far:

switch: boot usbflash0:Firmware/cat9k_lite_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin
boot: attempting to boot from [usbflash0:Firmware/cat9k_lite_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin]
boot: reading file Firmware/cat9k_lite_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin
#####################################################################################################################################################

*Dec 28 21:24:24.725: %IOSXEBOOT-4-BOOTLOADER_UPGRADE: (rp/0): ### Thu Dec 28 21:24:24 Universal 2023 PLEASE DO NOT POWER CYCLE ### BOOT LOADER UPGRADING

*Dec 28 21:24:41.551: %IOSXEBOOT-4-BOOTLOADER_UPGRADE: (rp/0): Thu Dec 28 21:24:41 Universal 2023 Bootloader upgrade successful

*Dec 28 21:24:41.568: %IOSXEBOOT-4-BOOTLOADER_UPGRADE: (rp/0): Reloading to enable the New BOOTLOADER and MCU
Dec 28 21:24:46.892: %PMAN-5-EXITACTION: C0/0: pvp: Process manager is exiting:
Dec 28 21:24:47.508: %PMAN-5-EXITACTION: F0/0: pvp: Process manager is exiting:

Initializing Hardware...

System Bootstrap, Version 17.9.1r [FC13], RELEASE SOFTWARE (P)
Compiled Thu 06/08/2023 20:36:25 by rel

Current ROMMON image : Primary
C9200CX-12P-2X2G platform with 4194304 Kbytes of main memory

boot: attempting to boot from [flash:packages.conf]
boot: reading file packages.conf

##############

Failed to add chosen node and bootargs prop

Now the device is hanging after I sent the boot command. 

[Ruben Cocheno]

@MMcNeill 

I'm assuming that you checked the MD5 of the image and look good. It can be also the packages.conf corrupted

Step 1. Console into the switch.

Step 2. Check the flash for the .conf file.

Switch:dir flash:

Step 3. Identify the correct .conf file.

Switch:more flash:packages.conf

Step 4. Boot the switch with correct .conf file

Switch:boot flash:packages.conf

[MMcNeill]

I will give this a try.  I was having some issues with commands as after about 3-4 commands the switch would just hang. Tried to boot direct from usbflash0 and now that is giving me "synchronous abort" and then booting fails. thx

[MMcNeill]

"more" is an unsupported command for this switch

[Leo Laohoo]

Alright, Plan B!

In ROMMON, format the flash using the command "format flash:".  

After the flash is wiped, boot the firmware again from the USB flash.

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@MMcNeill wrote:
boot: attempting to boot from [flash:packages.conf]
boot: reading file packages.conf

---

The switch is attempting to boot off the wrong packages.conf information.  Therefore, the only way to fix this is to do the following: 

emergency-install usbflash0:Firmware/cat9k_lite_iosxe.17.09.04a.SPA.bin

[MMcNeill]

Thanks for the reply Leo, but it looks like emergency install is not recognized/supported on the 9200CX-12P I have.

[MMcNeill]

Has any one ever seen this error before:

!! Synchronous Abort @a0.0 !!
ESR: 0x0000000096000021
ELR: 0x00000000ff523730
LR: 0x00000000ff52372c
x0: 00000000bb0a0a2f x1: 0000000000000000
x2: 000000003b0a0a2f x3: 00000000bb0a0a2f
x4: 000000007369220a x5: 000000002f2f2f2f
x6: 000000000b2e555c x7: 0000000021ff7871
x8: 000000007f7f7f7f x9: 000000002c727264
x10: 000000007f7f7f7f x11: 0000000001010101
x12: 0000000000000010 x13: 000000000000002d
x14: 0000000039b1892a x15: 00000000bdf3d383
x16: 00000000dcca345d x17: 00000000f7bd686f
x18: 00000000417f9188 x19: 0000000000000000
x20: 00000000ff7ba6dc x21: 0000000080000000
x22: 00000000ff7ba63c x23: 0000000080000000
x24: 0000000000000000 x25: 0000000000000007
x26: 0000000000000000 x27: 00000000ff582a1d
x28: 0000000000000080 x29: 00000000ff7ba5e0

[MMcNeill · Accepted solution]

RESOLVED:

I'll try to keep this short but it was a hectic ride. Firstly, I ran into an issue with my USB that caused a synchronous abort error every time I tried to boot from usbflash0:. So I came back to the switch with a different USB and even an SD Card to try out. Never made headway with this avenue. Eventually, I just attempted my first USB out of desperation and lo and behold it began to work again and i could read the files. I then set the BOOT variable to the usbflash0: route. I had tried this before to no avail but i discovered the C9200CX is seemingly particular about case. You must do "set BOOT usbflash0:cat9k_lite...", i had simply trying lowercase boot  and it didnt work. So i set the boot variable then simply did boot usbflash0: and the switch came up. Followed usual IOS upgrade procedure and the switch is fixed. Thank you to those who gave their advice.