cisco catalyst 4506-E password recovery issue

[hicham.salama]

hello,

we have a Cisco Catalyst 4506-E, and we lose the enable password, we try to resolve the problem with the procedure bellow :

rommon 1 > set

rommon 1 > confreg

 Configuration Summary : 
 => load ROM after netboot fails
 => console baud: 9600
 => autoboot from: commands specified in 'BOOT' environment variable

 do you wish to change the configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
 enable  "diagnostic mode"? y/n  [n]:  n
 enable  "use net in IP bcast address"? y/n  [n]:  n
 disable "load ROM after netboot fails"? y/n  [n]:  n
 enable  "use all zero broadcast"? y/n  [n]:  n
 enable  "break/abort has effect"? y/n  [n]:  n
 enable  "ignore system config info"? y/n  [n]:  y

 change console baud rate? y/n  [n]:  n

 change the boot characteristics? y/n  [n]:  n

 Configuration Summary : 
 => load ROM after netboot fails
 => ignore system config info
 => console baud: 9600
 => autoboot from: commands specified in 'BOOT' environment variable

 do you wish to save this configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
 You must reset or power cycle for new configuration to take effect

rommon 1 >confreg 0x2142

after this step we have a message :  usage: confreg

[balaji.bandi]

You followed the right steps :

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-4000-series-switches/21229-pswdrec-cat4000-supiii-21229.html

you do not need the below step  : (that only required if you like to bypass startup-config.

EDIT - my typo wrong here 

rommon 1 >confreg 0x2142

after below step,> issue reset command to reload.

do you wish to save this configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
 You must reset or power cycle for new configuration to take effect

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi,

rommon 1 >confreg 0x214

Should be 0x2142 

rommon 1 >confreg 0x2142

[hicham.salama]

hi reza,

yes exactly, it was 0x2142

[balaji.bandi]

may @Reza Sharifi correcting my typo, what is the outcome after reset ? as suggested, post complete boot logs any issue connecting the console to the device.

[hicham.salama]

the problem that I meet is that after the command confreg 0x2142 I have the error message usage confreg

[balaji.bandi]

ROMMON Mode, it will not accept any backspace or delete as per i know.

so you need to type correct syntax to accept (no white space before or after)

>confreg 0x2142

As I have mentioned in the post, you do not need to enter 

do you wish to save this configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
 You must reset or power cycle for new configuration to take effect

 > reset

or follow here is simple steps :

1. Power down the device

2. Power on the device  Press CTRL+C

3. you get rommon>confreg 0x2142

4. >reset

change the password.

change back config-register 0x2102

#config t

(config)#config-register 0x2102

#end

#wr

#reload

[hicham.salama]

we followed the instructions, but still the same result, after the confreg command 0x2142 we return to the line we have
usage: confreg

nothing changes

[balaji.bandi]

we are not sure what you doing wrong in the steps.

Please connect the console cable and capture all the information you doing, and post here to understand better.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-4000-series-switches/21229-pswdrec-cat4000-supiii-21229.html

follow step 2 you do not need to enter confreg 0x2142

move to step3.

like below :

1. Issue the confreg command at the rommon prompt.

   Make the selections that appear here in boldface for password recovery:

   rommon 1 > set
   

   rommon 1 > confreg
   
    Configuration Summary : 
    => load ROM after netboot fails
    => console baud: 9600
    => autoboot from: commands specified in 'BOOT' environment variable
   
    do you wish to change the configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
    enable  "diagnostic mode"? y/n  [n]:  n
    enable  "use net in IP bcast address"? y/n  [n]:  n
    disable "load ROM after netboot fails"? y/n  [n]:  n
    enable  "use all zero broadcast"? y/n  [n]:  n
    enable  "break/abort has effect"? y/n  [n]:  n
    enable  "ignore system config info"? y/n  [n]:  y
   
    change console baud rate? y/n  [n]:  n
   
    change the boot characteristics? y/n  [n]:  n
   
    Configuration Summary : 
    => load ROM after netboot fails
    => ignore system config info
    => console baud: 9600
    => autoboot from: commands specified in 'BOOT' environment variable
   
    do you wish to save this configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
    You must reset or power cycle for new configuration to take effect

   Issue the reset command so that the module reboots.

   Due to the changes that you made in step 2, the module reboots but ignores the saved configuration.

   rommon 2 > reset

[Reza Sharifi]

When you get to this point just rest the device. there is no need for confreg 0x2142 command as the auto boot will take care of that. 

do you wish to save this configuration? y/n  [n]:  y
 You must reset or power cycle for new configuration to take effect

 HTH

[habbaz.reformer]

if the password recovery feature enabled
plug the power while u holding the mode key until u enter the Rommon mode and follow this :

:flash_init
:dir
:rename flash:config.text flash:config.text.bk
:boot
en
#rename flash:config.text.bk flash:config.text
#copy flash:config.text system:running-config
#conf t
enable secret ....
wr

[Reza Sharifi]

plug the power while u holding the mode key until u enter the Rommon mode and follow this :

The 4500 series switches do not have a mode key.

HTH

[habbaz.reformer]

In order to power cycle, turn the device off, then back on.

Press Ctrl-C within 5 seconds to prevent autoboot. This action puts you in ROM monitor (ROMmon) prompt mode.