Unable to do password recovery on 3620 Router 1

[camusa]

When the router boots up, I immediately see a message stating that "Password Recovery Function is Disabled". Normal Ctrl+Break doesn't work. Is there another way around this?

Any help would be appreciated...

 

[jwi71]

This usually crops up with a "wierd" config register. Verify that your config register is set to default as on some platforms and on some IOS versions, you can change the config register to boot while disabling the break function.

Try this:
Connect via hyperterm
Unplug router
Plug in router
Start pressing the break sequence immediately.
This should (if I remeber right) get you in.
If not, enter global config and verify the config register is the default value.

J

 

[camusa]

I apologize, I didn't give all the info, we purchased the router and it still has a configuration saved and we can't even get into user exec mode w/o password. We are just trying to wipe out the config and start over.

If somebody knows how to get by the config file or wipe the config file w/o getting into privileged mode, please let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[BOKA]

Give this procedure a shot:

http://www.heinzulm.com/password.html

I have not tried it myself - do not want to lock myself out in case it does not work , but since you are locked out already anyway...
And please-please, let us know if it worked.

Thanks and good luck.

 

[fmonteiro]

Would you post your config register value? This is the last line of the show version output.

In this register there is a bit to enable the break key sequence but I have never tested it.

If this bit is disable and the router is really working as it should be, you will have to contact your Cisco reseller and ask them to replace the router or you give you the enable password.

By the way, the break key enable bit is the 8th (zero relative from right to left). So, in a 0x2102 (0010 0001 0000 0010) it is set. In a 0x2002 (0010 0000 0000 0010) it is not.

 

[camusa]

I have no way of doing a sh ver.

The router has a config and I don't have the password to get into user mode.

I am just trying to completely wipe out the config and start over with my own.

Chris

 

[fmonteiro]

Hi guys,

Have you ever heard about an undocumented "no service password-recovery" command?

Can anybody provide any additional information about that or if there is a possible way to circumvent it?

This could be the problem we are facing here!

 

[BOKA]

Did anyone read my post?
The link actually tells you how to overstep the "no service password-recovery" feature.
More info:
"no service password-recovery" setting makes your device ignore break sequence during startup, so you cannot run "classic" password recovery procedure via booting into rommon.
The command sets bit 08 (0x0100) of the config register, so if it is 1 - break is ignored, and if it is 0 - break is enabled.

 

[fmonteiro]

Hi Boka,

I do apologize for not accessing the link you provided.

Really good stuff!

 

[camusa]

The website listed above allows you to turn password recovery back on, the only catch is you have to get into privileged mode and save the running config to startup config, otherwise if not and you reboot the router it will still have password recovery turned off.

I am still looking for a way to wipe out the config file, or a backdoor into rommon mode.

If anybody has any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[BOKA]

Thanks for the input, mrmccoy. I guess, that link was not as great as I hoped it would be.

How about this one:

http://www.groupstudy.com/archives/ccielab/200112/msg00576.html

Also, am I correct in presuming, that you do not have another router? Or, may be, you can get your hands on a FLASH memory chip from another router. Then you can try switching FLASH and that should drop the router to the ROMMON prompt upon startup, since magic number will not match.

Good luck, and please, keep us posted. Thanks.

 

[camusa]

Hey Boka, I appreciate all the help that you offered.

I tried the break according to the article, and I posted what happened in my previous post.

What I got to work is after the IOS finished loading (############### [OK]), I hit Ctrl Break, and it took me into rommon mode.

Thanks for all the input everybody!!

 

[aghamir]

Guys,
I really need your help on this issue. I would like to wipe out the config file from a password protected 3640 router. I've tried the password recovery procedure after reading the posts in this forum but I still have the following problem:
when I get to <hotname># and try the &quot;configure terminal&quot; command, it wouldn't allow me and displays a failed authorization message. Can anybody tell me why I'm getting this message?
Thank you very much.

 

[BOKA]

AGHAMIR, did you try this procedure:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products...ducts_password_recovery09186a0080094774.shtml

step-by-step?

If you want to just wipe out the config, in step 10 just type &quot;erase start&quot;, then jump to step 15, and in step 17 just type &quot;reset&quot;.
That should give clean router with empty config.

Good luck.