Need help reseting the password on a Cisco 3560G switch

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Fritz

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Apr 6, 2015
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Problem I'm having is I can't interrupt the boot sequence. No key combo works. I'm using Putty under Windows 10. Damn boots no matter what I input at the proper time. All of the break sequences Cisco list are for old OS versions. Apparently Hyperterminal no longer exists. There's got to b e a way to proceed using Putty. I can connect to the switch just fine. Can't interrupt the boot sequence so I can proceed with the password reset.

Any assistance greatly appreciated.

P.S. Bought the switch off eBay. Can't get the seller to respond.
 

Kal G

Active Member
Oct 29, 2014
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On the 3560s, you use the physical mode button on the front of the switch.

See this page for the procedure.
 

Fritz

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Apr 6, 2015
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On the 3560s, you use the physical mode button on the front of the switch.

See this page for the procedure.
Thanks. I've been trying everything I could find on the web all evening. The problem is, most of the commands just flat don't work. load_helper returns an error, etc., etc.......

At first the enable command worked but now it asks for a password and will except nothing I try. also, using putty, neither ctrl-brk or ctrl-C will stop it from booting. I discovered by accident that if I hold the mode switch in long enough (a loong time) it will eventually get me to the switch: prompt. But now I'm stuck at enable asking for a password. :(
 

Kal G

Active Member
Oct 29, 2014
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Ok, try this:
1) Unplug the power and plug it back in
2) As soon as the SYST LED starts blinking, press and hold the [Mode] button
3) You will eventually see the following scroll across your terminal:

Using driver version 1 for media type 1
Base ethernet MAC Address: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Xmodem file system is available.
The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.

4) After you see this, release the [Mode] button
5) This should drop you to the "switch:" prompt
6) Then enter the command "flash_init"
7) Enter the command "help" to see if "load_helper" is available on your switch, if so, enter it next, if not, don't worry about it
8) Enter the command "delete flash:config.text" and confirm when prompted
9) Enter the command "delete flash:vlan.dat" and confirm when prompted
10) Enter the command "boot"

This should boot you to a clean switch.
 
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Fritz

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Apr 6, 2015
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Ok, try this:
1) Unplug the power and plug it back in
2) As soon as the SYST LED starts blinking, press and hold the [Mode] button
3) You will eventually see the following scroll across your terminal:

Using driver version 1 for media type 1
Base ethernet MAC Address: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Xmodem file system is available.
The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.

4) After you see this, release the [Mode] button
5) This should drop you to the "switch:" prompt
6) Then enter the command "flash_init"
7) Enter the command "help" to see if "load_helper" is available on your switch, if so, enter it next, if not, don't worry about it
8) Enter the command "delete flash:config.text" and confirm when prompted
9) Enter the command "delete flash:vlan.dat" and confirm when prompted
10) Enter the command "boot"

This should boot you to a clean switch.
Thank you sir. Apparently there is no vlan.dat. Got a "No Such File or Directory" error and load_helper isn't available on this switch.

Anyway, this got me back to square one. The switch is once again pulling an ip address from the router but I still can't log into the web GUI. Neither "admin" nor "cisco" work. Any ideas?
 

Kal G

Active Member
Oct 29, 2014
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The web GUI does not work unless you create a user with level 15 access.

From the CLI:
- enable
- config t
- username admin privilege 15 secret password (replace "admin" and "password" with your own)
- ip http server (this enables the service)
- ip http authentication local

Then try logging in to the web interface with the user you created.
 
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Fritz

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2015
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The web GUI does not work unless you create a user with level 15 access.

From the CLI:
- enable
- config t
- username admin privilege 15 secret password (replace "admin" and "password" with your own)
- ip http server (this enables the service)
- ip http authentication local

Then try logging in to the web interface with the user you created.
Thank you sir. I'm in. :)