Hi Gordon
Good that you were able to recover the password through the console. I am describing the step by step procedure to recover the password for others who may require it.
1. Use the power switch in order to turn off the router, and then turn
the router back on.
2. Press Break on the terminal keyboard within 60 seconds of power up
in order to put the router into ROMMON.
If the break sequence does not work, refer to the following link for other
key combinations :
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/products/hw/routers/ps133/products_tech_
note09186a0080174a34.shtml
3. The router will then come to rommon prompt.
rommon>
4. Once the router is at rommon prompt, please issue the following
commands :
rommon>confreg 0x2142
This step bypasses the startup configuration where the passwords are stored.
5. Now do :
rommon>reset
The router will reboot ignoring the saved configuration.
6. Type no after each setup question, or press Ctrl-C in order to skip
the initial setup procedure.
7. Type enable at the Router> prompt.
You are in enable mode and should see the Router# prompt.
8. Issue the command :
Router#copy start run
This will copy the NVRAM into memory.
Important: Do not type copy run start or write mem.
These commands will erase your startup configuration.
9. Issue the command :
Router# show running-config.
The show running-config command shows the configuration of the router. In
this configuration, the shutdown command appears under all interfaces, which
indicates all interfaces are currently shut down. In addition, the passwords
(enable password, enable secret, vty, console passwords) are in either an
encrypted or unencrypted format. You can reuse unencrypted passwords. You
must change encrypted passwords to a new password.
10. Issue the following commands :
Router#conf t
Router(config)#
11. Type enable secret in order to change the enable secret
password. For example:
Router(config)#enable secret cisco
This will help you set up a new password on the router.
12. Set up an username and password by :
Router(config)#username password
13. Issue the no shutdown command on every interface that you use. If you
issue a show ip interface brief command, every interface that you want to
use should display up up.
14. Now issue the following command :
Router(config)#config-register 0x2102
15. Press Ctrl-z or end in order to leave the configuration mode.
Router# prompt appears.
16. Type write memory or copy running-config startup-config in order to
commit the changes.
Router#write mem
and now you can reload the router. The password has been recovered. You can
now login with the new password that you have just set up.
Cheers!!
