Enable Secret Password Recovery Procedures
- Attach a PC to the console port of the router. Password recovery cannot be done remotely.
- Type a show version at the console prompt. You only have to be in User mode to run the show version command. Make a note of the configuration register number. It will almost always be 0x2102, but might be 0x102. If you cannot do a show version use 0x2102 or check a similar router for it’s configuration register.
- Once you have this information follow these steps:
Basic Steps
• Power reset the router.
• Go into ROMMON mode for password recovery.
• Set the configuration register to boot the router without loading the configuration file.
• Reboot the router.
• Copy the startup-configuration into memory.
• Go into Global Configuration mode and change the password.
• Reset the configuration register to boot the router using the startup configuration file.
• Save the configuration back to NVRAM.
• Reboot the router.

Step 1 Power reset the Router.

Step 2 Within 60 seconds of the router reboot, press the Ctrl+Break keys. This puts the router in ROMMON mode.

Step 3 The router should boot to a router> prompt with no router name.

Step 4 Type o/r 0x42 at the router> prompt. This tells the router to boot from Flash Memory without loading the configuration file. If you want to boot from ROM instead, type o/r 0x41.
However, booting from ROM allows you to only view the encrypted password or erase the configuration. You cannot change the password.

Step 5 Type i at the router prompt. The router will now reboot, but ignore it’s saved configuration (which contains the forgotten password).

Step 6 When the router boots up it will ask you if you want to configure the router. Press Ctrl+C to break out of the startup configuration.

Step 7 Type enable at the router> prompt. This will put you in enable or Privileged mode and the prompt will look like this: router#

Step 8 Type copy startup-config running-config (or copy start run) to copy the startup configuration into memory. With the startup configuration in memory you can now change the enable secret password.

Step 9 At the router# prompt type config t to go into global configuration mode.

Step 10 At the router(config)# prompt type enable secret new_password where new_password is a new password.

Step 11 You now need to change your configuration register to tell the router to boot up with the startup configuration file. Type config-register 0x2102 and press enter. This tells the router to load the startup-config file in NVRAM when it boots up. (use the number you saved from the show version command)
Step 12 Press Ctrl+Z to leave global configuration mode.

Step 13 At the router# prompt type copy running-config startup-config (or copy run start). This will save your password change to NVRAM.

Step 14 Type reload and press enter to reboot the router.

Good info Jigs.. Thanks for Sharing !

thanks a lot

Hi Jigs
That was great man...Wow!!

Hey I was trying to configure a Cisco 2500 we have for internet access, but it seems i cannot get a prompt or any other type of command input. I have tried sending breaks and all but nothing seems to works, this is all I see on Power On. It does not let me input any commands at all in any part of the process.

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System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c), SOFTWARE
Copyright (c) 1986-1996 by cisco Systems
2500 processor with 2048 Kbytes of main memory

%SYS-4-CONFIG_NEWER: Configurations from version 11.3 may not be correctly under
stood.
F3: 4835864+66448+338152 at 0x3000060

Restricted Rights Legend

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is
subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted
Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph
(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, California 95134-1706



Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 2500 Software (C2500-I-L), Version 11.3(4), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1998 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Tue 16-Jun-98 02:54 by phanguye
Image text-base: 0x03028EE0, data-base: 0x00001000

cisco 2509 (68030) processor (revision M) with 2048K/2048K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID 10354009, with hardware revision 00000000
Bridging software.
X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
1 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
2 Serial network interface(s)
8 terminal line(s)
32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
8192K bytes of processor board System flash (Read ONLY)



Press RETURN to get started!


%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0, changed state to up
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to down
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial1, changed state to down
%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0, changed state to down

%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down
%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial1, changed state to down
%SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from memory by console
%SYS-5-RESTART: System restarted --
Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 2500 Software (C2500-I-L), Version 11.3(4), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1998 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Tue 16-Jun-98 02:54 by phanguye

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Any idea how can I configure my router?? I really need to