Error in authentication on 3560 switch

[Chad Kleeman]

Hi, forgive the rudimentary question, but here is the issue I am facing. 

I just got a brand new switch and was configuring this and somehow I am not able to get into this via telnet or console.  I was hoping to get into ROMMON mode and just redo the config but I don't seem to be able to get this to come up.  I have used control break using putty as the terminal but I don't seem to get anywhere like I have doing this on other Cisco devices.  Any ideas or suggestions on how to get this back so I can just redo the config on it?                   

[m.kafka · Accepted solution]

reboot the switch while holding the mode button (a few swconds, until the status light is steady)

release the mode button, you should see a promtk "switch>" - if not repeat the power cycle and hold the mode button longer than before.

enter: flash_init

enter: rename flash:config.text flash:config.old

(Do not use line editing commands like delete, cursor right or left etc...

you can easily mess up the filename - get it right the first time or better power-cycle again)

reboot again normally... you should see after a while the autoinstall-script "do you want to configure..." , quit the auto-install ("N" or "crtl-Z")

with the command  "more flash:config.old" you can read the old startup config and use it as a base for your new (corrected) configuration.

if not sure, search cisco.com for password recovery ws-c3560

rgds, MiKa

[Chad Kleeman]

That was it.  Thanks...I figured it had to be something simple.  Appreciate the quick response.