Solved: Re: Catalyst 9300 Password Recovery - Page 3

cory.smith@rsmus.com · ‎09-20-2017

I must be blind today because I cannot find any information about this. Can someone point me in the right direction?

idrmhd · ‎02-26-2024

I was try to press and hold more than a minute. I couldn't enter to the ROMMON mode. What alternative mechanisms I can use? Thank you for your help.

jbannister@netsyncnetwork.com · ‎01-29-2018

This is a pretty important process to remember because it is almost inevitable that a Catalyst Admin will need to perform this process. It also works on Catalyst switches it is super useful '

uttam.singh3@wipro.com · ‎03-23-2018

Hi Smith,

As you mentioned, i have tried power cycle and hold the mode button but switch is not going to loader mode.

can you help me on that....

tkaczoro · ‎04-03-2018

Uttam,

I had the same problem as you did. In my case I found that the process differs very slightly from the 38/3650 in that instead of HOLDING the Mode button you need to press it multlple times 2-3 in my case just after it comes up with Initializing hardware.

System Management Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE Everest 16.6.x (Catalyst 9300 Switches) - Troubleshooting the Softwa…

Exceprt from documentation :

Procedure

Step 1	Connect a terminal or PC to the switch. Connect a terminal or a PC with terminal-emulation software to the switch console port. If you are recovering the password for a switch stack, connect to the console port of the active switch. Connect a PC to the Ethernet management port. If you are recovering the password for a switch stack, connect to the Ethernet management port of a stack member .
Step 2	Set the line speed on the emulation software to 9600 baud.
Step 3	Power off the standalone switch or the entire switch stack.
Step 4	Reconnect the power cord to the switch or the active switch. . The switch starts the boot process. Press the Mode button when it attempts to start booting. Press the Mode button 2-3 times until the switch fails to boot and goes to ROMMON mode. Initializing Hardware... System Bootstrap, Version 16.6.1r [FC1], RELEASE SOFTWARE (P) Compiled Sat 07/15/2017 8:31:57.39 by rel Current image running: Primary Rommon Image Last reset cause: SoftwareReload <---- Start pressing the mode button C9300-24U platform with 8388608 Kbytes of main memory attempting to boot from [flash:packages.conf] Located file packages.conf # ##################################################################### Unable to load cat9k-rpboot.16.06.02b.SPA.pkg Failed to boot file flash:user/packages.conf ERROR: failed to boot from flash:packages.conf (Aborted) <--- will abort switch: switch: <---- ROMMON Proceed to the Procedure with Password Recovery Enabled section, and follow the steps.
Step 5	After recovering the password, reload the switch or the active switch . On a switch: Switch> `reload` Proceed with reload? [confirm] `y` On the active switch: Switch> `reload` `slot` <stack-active-member-number> Proceed with reload? [confirm] `y`

Hope this helps !

ehayric1320 · ‎09-24-2019

As others have said the method above, marked as the answer, may not work for some. On my 9300 running Fuji 16.9.3 I had to wait for the image to begin loading and then simply press the mode button once to interrupt it.

Initializing Hardware...

System Bootstrap, Version 16.9.1r [FC2], RELEASE SOFTWARE (P)
Compiled Tue 05/29/2018 14:59:59.99 by rel

Current ROMMON image : Primary
Last reset cause : PowerOn
C9300-48UXM platform with 8388608 Kbytes of main memory

boot: attempting to boot from [flash:packages.conf]
boot: reading file packages.conf
################################# <~~~ Press 'Mode' button here to interrupt

boot: failed to load cat9k-rpboot.16.09.03.SPA.pkg
boot: failed to boot file flash:user/packages.conf
ERROR: failed to boot from flash:packages.conf (Aborted)
switch:

Daryl Allen · ‎10-16-2018

For password recovery on Catalyst 9300, look at this:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst9300/software/release/16-6/configuration_guide/sys_mgmt/b_166_sys_mgmt_9300_cg/b_166_sys_mgmt_9300_cg_chapter_01100.html#task_nzq_q4z_n1b

Recovering from a Lost or Forgotten Password

Procedure

Step 1	Connect a terminal or PC to the switch. Connect a terminal or a PC with terminal-emulation software to the switch console port. If you are recovering the password for a switch stack, connect to the console port of the active switch. Connect a PC to the Ethernet management port. If you are recovering the password for a switch stack, connect to the Ethernet management port of a stack member .
Step 2	Set the line speed on the emulation software to 9600 baud.
Step 3	Power off the standalone switch or the entire switch stack.
Step 4	Reconnect the power cord to the switch or the active switch. As soon as the System LED blinks, press and release the Mode button 2-3 times. The switch enters the ROMMON mode. Initializing Hardware... System Bootstrap, Version 16.6.1r [FC1], RELEASE SOFTWARE (P) Compiled Sat 07/15/2017 8:31:57.39 by rel Current image running: Primary Rommon Image Last reset cause: SoftwareReload <---- Start pressing and releasing the mode button C9300-24U platform with 8388608 Kbytes of main memory attempting to boot from [flash:packages.conf] Located file packages.conf # ##################################################################### Unable to load cat9k-rpboot.16.06.02b.SPA.pkg Failed to boot file flash:user/packages.conf ERROR: failed to boot from flash:packages.conf (Aborted) <--- will abort switch: switch: <---- ROMMON Proceed to the Procedure with Password Recovery Enabled section, and follow the steps.
Step 5	After recovering the password, reload the switch or the active switch . On a switch: `Switch> reload Proceed with reload? [confirm] y` On the active switch: `Switch> reload slot <stack-active-member-number> Proceed with reload? [confirm] y`
Step 6	Power on the remaining switches in the stack.

ani123.gaekwad@gmail.com · ‎08-21-2019

I know it seems funny but you have to press the mode button multiple times to get bootloader mode

3slaverty · ‎07-21-2020

CFG line and the mode button and the reboot x 2 worked for me. Thanks.

But in my case, after reload switch continued to ignore the config until I reversed the original CFG statement (=0)

mwalsleben · ‎02-17-2023

Last action before rebooting is the command "no system ignore startupconfig switch all" when in config mode.

Save config & reload your switch.