4000 Password Recovery

The 4000 series password recovery using at least software release 9.17(4) or later (flash/netboot) or cisco IOS release 10.0 or later ( ROM ). With that said .

step 1 - power cycle the router

step 2 - Use the Break key sequence within 60 sec of powering on .
The ROM monitor(>) prompt will appear

step 3 - Enter the command, e/s 2000002
( Record the output resulting from this command . This is the software conf reg value.

step 4 - Enter q ( quit ) to return to the ROM monitor.

step 5 - Enter the o/r 0x42 command . This will cuase the router to ignore the contents
of the NVRAM .

step 6 - Enter i ( initialize ) at the ROM monitor (>) prompt . ( The router will reboot )

step 7 - Answer no to all of the setup questions .

step 8 - Enter the enable EXEC command at the router > prompt .

step 9 - Enter the show startup-config or sh conf priviledge EXEC command to see
if your password is clear text .

step 10- If your password is clear text, proceed to step 14
or if your password is encrypted , continue to to step 11

step 11- Enter the configure memory priviledge command

step 12- Enter the conf t priviledge EXEC command

step 13- If you lost the enable password ,use the enable password global configuration
to configure a new password asn press ^Z to exit .
If you lost the login password , configure the console line using the login and password line configuration commands.

step 14-The enable password , locate the enable-password global conf command
entry in the configuration and record the password .

step 15-Use the copy running-conf or write memory priviledge EXEC command to write
the configuration into running memory . Caution that you have a backup of your conf file . The router is now fully functional. and you can use your
recovered passwords .

*** RESTORE THE SOFTWARE CONF REG TO ITS ORIGINAL VALUE ASAP.***

step 16- Enter your conf term priviledge EXEC command enter the config-register
global conf command . You must enter ( 0x2102 ) exit this command
save to the IOS and reload . ( You can do a show ver and at the bottom of the values you should see that the next time you reload the register will change .