Redo Cisco 800 config 1

[Dustin67]

I got a used Cisco 804 and am having a devil of a time getting it configured.

My first problem is that when I try to console into the router I get a username prompt, which I of course do not know. So, following the instructions at Cisco's site for password recovery (

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/474/pswdrec_800.html)

I get to the command where I type "copy start running". The router than tells me "Error opening nvram:/startup-config (No such file or directory)".

How is this possible? If the router boots normally and asks for a Username, doesn't that mean it HAS to have a startup-config?

Secondly, maybe I'm going about this wrong. If there's no startup-config can I just skip the step where I copy the startup-config to memory and enter config term and begin to build my own configuration (followed by the remaining steps in the password recovery guide)?

 

[tecnikall]

Hello there, this is strange, however you don't need the old configs in there and start fresh you can try the following:

send the router into rommon mode and change the conf reg value to ignore the start up config file
rommon1>confreg 0x2142
rommon1>reset
on reload you will be asked if you want to enter the initial configs just type no, next:
router>en
router#conf t
router(conf)#enable password <your own password>
router(conf)#end
router#wr mem (save the new password)
router#show start --- to see if we have now a valid start up file---
If you can see your new password in there just go back to the config t mode and change the conf register back to 0x2102:
router#config t
router(conf)#configuration-register 0x2102
router(conf)#end
router#wr mem
router#reload
Everything should be fine now.... However if you can not see your new config file in there, your nvram chip may be faulty.....

 

[baddos]

You want to do "copy running-config startup-config".

 

[Dustin67]

baddos says: "You want to do "copy running-config startup-config"."

From the link in my first post:

"Important: Type config mem or copy start running to copy the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) into memory. Do not type config term or copy running start."

Regardless, thanks for the info teknikall. I'll give that a shot this weekend and report back the results.

 

[baddos]

copy running-config startup-config copies the current configuration to the saved config file. If you switch it, it loads the saved file into the running configuration.

 

[tecnikall]

Dustin67, one more thing before you go ahead, after you reload the router ignoring the startup config at enable mode do a write erase, this way you will delete any config file you may have in the nvram... Good luck!

 

[NMCman]

It may be that the guy who had the router previously called the startup config file another name. This can be done and will cause problems later. As you dont want the config on the router the best bet is to do a password recovery and with nothing in the running memory do a copy run start. This will clear all memory in the startup file. Dont forget to change the conf reg back....

 

[Dustin67]

Your method worked great tecnikall. One correction to your post:

Where you say "router(conf)#configuration-register 0x2102" it should be "config-register 0x2102"...at least on my 804.

Thank you very much for your help.