If you have one of the following Cisco Catalyst switches your job is easy:

• Catalyst 1200
• Catalyst 1400
• Catalyst 2900
• Catalyst 5000

Just do this:

• Connect to the console port with a normal Cisco router console cable and reboot the switch.
• When you see the password prompt press the Return key. (There will be a null password for the first 30 seconds after boot-up).
• Type Enable.
• When you see the Password prompt press the Return key. As long as you're still within the 30-second window, you won't need a password.
• Now either view or change the password.

Other models of Catalyst switches require different methods:

Catalyst 1600 Password Recovery

To recover a lost password on the Catalyst 1600, you need to push and hold the reset button on the switch until the LCD display displays "erasing mgmt passwd". If you let go at that point, the switch will reset and will come back without a password. This can also be achieved from TrueView.

Catalyst 1700, 1900, 2100, 2800, and 2820 Password Recovery

If you've lost the password on one of these Catalyst switches you're screwed. You have to contact the Cisco TAC and open a case with a Cisco engineer.

Tell the Cisco engineer the switch's serial number or MAC address (which is printed on the outside of some switches), and the engineer will supply a new password.

Catalyst 1800 Password Recovery

To recover a lost password on the Catalyst 1800, first look on the left side of the Catalyst 1800 switch. There should be two small black buttons mounted on a red holding device, located side by side inside the left cover. The black button located nearer to the front of the switch is the NMI switch.

To do the password recovery, let the box boot up. When the box has finished booting up and asks for the password, press the NMI switch five times. This will reload the switch and reset the password to its default value of "public".

Catalyst 2600 Password Recovery

Press the System Request button to access the System Request Menu, and then Clear NVRAM. This will clear the password, but will also reset all configuration parameters to their default values, which means losing all options previously configured on the switch. You will be required to reconfigure them.

Catalyst 2900XL Password Recovery

1. Unplug the power cord from the back of the switch.
2. While holding down the Mode button, reconnect the power cord to the switch. You can release the "Mode" button a second or two after the LED above Port 1 x goes off.
3. Type flash_init at the prompt. This resets the baud rate of the console port to 9600; if your console stops working, reset its baud rate to 9600 as well.
4. Type the load_helper command.
5. Type the dir flash: command.
6. Rename the configuration file; from "config.text" to "config.old", for example. Do this by typing rename flash:config.text flash:config.old at the prompt.
7. Boot the system with the boot command.
8. Enter "N" when promted to start the Setup program.
9. Enter "N" when asked if you want to continue with the configuration.
10. Enter "en" at the switch prompt.
11. Rename the configuration file with the rename flash:config.old flash:config.text command.
12. Copy the configuration file in to memory using the copy flash:config.text system:running-config. Press <Return> in response to the two confirmation prompts.
13. The configuration file is now loaded, and you can configure a new password normally:
    • Enter the config terminal command.
    • Enter the enable password [new_password] command.
    • Write the running configuration to the configuration file using the write mem command.

1. Press the "sys req" button.
2. Move the arrow key to clear NVRAM.
3. Press Return.
4. The box will now reboot, no password required.

1. Press the "sys req" button to access the System Request menu.
2. Select Clear the System Password. This will clear only system password. All the other configuration parameters saved in NVRAM will be retained.
   Caution:   If the "sys req" button is pressed for more than five seconds, a download of the main image will be forced, causing all of your configurations to reset to factory defaults.