Hello,

Your 2500 routers is booting into so-called BootROM mode. I see three possible reasons for that: either the FLASH contents are erased or corrupt, or the configuration register value is wrong, or the configuration file in NVRAM instructs the router to boot into the BootROM or to an inexistent image.

Let's try this: Enter the ROMMON mode, i.e., after you power-on your router, wait a couple of seconds, then press the sequence. You will be presented with a prompt containing the single > sign. Now, type these two command:

o/r 0x2142
i

The first command will set the configuration register to the value 0x2142, i.e. ignore the stored configuration and load the first image in FLASH. The second command instructs the router to reset.

If even after this sequence of steps router still boots into BootROM mode, it is probable that the FLASH has been erased or corrupted. Try to verify its contents using the show flash command in the BootROM mode and try to download the proper IOS back. Are you familiar with that procedure?

Best regards,

Peter