Solved: Recovering enable password on CATOS

vancamt76 · ‎04-24-2009

I had to change the passwords on all our devices. When I came across an old 6500 switch running CATOS I stumbled to remember the syntax.

I typed:

set enablepass MyPassword

Usage: set enablepass

then I remembered that you have to just type the command then it will prompt you to enter the curreny enable password. So when I did this it asked for the current enable password, but it acts like I changed it to something else with the last command. Everything I try fails and I am afraid to lose my connection to it since I might be in enable mode for the last time.

6500 (enable) set enablepass

Enter old password:

Sorry password incorrect.

Any suggestions? or is there a way to recover this enable password without a reboot?

Edison Ortiz · ‎04-25-2009

I'm afraid you need to reboot. If the password was saved on the configuration, a reboot won't retrieve the previous password and you must perform a password recovery by following this article:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_password_recovery09186a00801349aa.shtml

HTH,

__

Edison.

View solution in original post

Edison Ortiz · ‎04-25-2009

I'm afraid you need to reboot. If the password was saved on the configuration, a reboot won't retrieve the previous password and you must perform a password recovery by following this article:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_password_recovery09186a00801349aa.shtml

HTH,

__

Edison.

vancamt76 · ‎04-25-2009

Okay, that's what I thought. This switch will be decommissioned soon so I'm hoping we can get by without needing to configure anything on it because of course a reboot is out of the question.