cisco 9200L Password removed

[Soumyajit chakr]

Hi, 

Can anyone help me to figure it out.

I by mistake applied this command on a running switch,

no username xxxx privilege 15 secret xxxx
no enable secret xxxx

after that I lost access of the switch, can you tell me how to recover the password ?  what is the default password for this switch now?

[Richard Burts · Accepted solution]

Since entering those commands have you done a copy run start, to copy the running config to startup? If not then power cycling the switch should recover what you removed.

If you have copied running config to startup config, then recovery is a bit more complicated. I am not familiar with this switch so will describe in general terms, and if there are details of this process that are unique to this switch then someone else will have to provide those details. To recover you power down the switch, then you power up and get it to boot into rommon. In rommon you enter a command to instruct the switch to ignore the startup config, then you boot the switch. The switch boots with a very minimal configuration. But startup config is available and you can copy from startup to running config, and then you add the commands that you originally removed. And after testing and demonstrating that things work as expected, then you copy running config to startup.

[Soumyajit chakr]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your guidance, yes after a power cycle now I am able to access the switch.

[Jens Albrecht · Accepted solution]

In contrast to several other vendors, Cisco devices do not have a default password.

Hence as Richard mentioned the solution depends on whether or not you have saved the config after deleting the user and password. If you did not save the config then just power cycle the switch and you should be ready to go.

In case you saved the config you can find the detailed step-by-step password recovery instructions for your platform here:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst9200/software/release/16-10/configuration_guide/sys_mgmt/b_1610_sys_mgmt_9200_cg/troubleshooting_the_software_configuration.html#task_nzq_q4z_n1b

Note: This assumes that you configured "login local" on your console port as well.
If you only need a password for console access you can use it to get access and re-enter the deleted commands because you do not need the enable secret in that case.

[Soumyajit chakr]

Hi Jens,

Thank you!

[Leo Laohoo]

Is the command "no service password-recovery" present in the config?

[Soumyajit chakr]

Hi,

No not present, but after a reboot now i can access the switch with the old username and  pass.