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Cisco 7201 Installation and Configuration Guide
OL-11364-04
Chapter 3 Starting and Configuring the Router
Replacing or Recovering a Lost Password
The enable secret password is encrypted and cannot be recovered; it must be replaced. The enable and
console login passwords may be encrypted or clear text. Proceed to the next step to replace an enable
secret, console login, or enable password. If there is no enable secret password, note the enable and
console login passwords, if they are not encrypted, and proceed to Step 17.
Caution Do not execute the next step unless you have determined you must change or replace the enable, enable
secret, or console login passwords. Failure to follow the steps as shown might cause you to erase your
router configuration.
Step 13 Enter the configure memory command to load the startup configuration file into running memory. This
action allows you to modify or replace passwords in the configuration.
Router# configure memory
Step 14 Enter the privileged EXEC configure terminal command to enter configuration mode:
Hostname# configure terminal
Step 15 Change all three passwords using the following commands:
Hostname(config)# enable secret newpassword1
Hostname(config)# enable password newpassword2
Hostname(config)# line con 0
Hostname(config-line)# password newpassword3
Change only the passwords necessary for your configuration. You can remove individual passwords by
using the no form of the above commands. For example, entering the no enable secret command
removes the enable secret password.
Step 16 You must configure all interfaces to be not administratively shut down as follows:
Hostname(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0
Hostname(config-int)# no shutdown
Enter the equivalent commands for all interfaces that were originally configured. If you omit this step,
all interfaces are administratively shut down and unavailable when the router is restarted.
Step 17 Use the config-register command to set the configuration register to the original value noted in Step 3
or Step 8, or to the factory default value 0x2102 as follows:
Hostname(config)# config-register 0x2102
Step 18 Press Ctrl-Z (hold down the Control key while you press Z) or enter end to exit configuration mode
and return to the EXEC command interpreter.
Caution Do not execute the next step unless you have changed or replaced a password. If you skipped Step 13
through Step 16, skip to Step 20. Failure to observe this caution causes you to erase your router
configuration file.
Step 19 Enter the copy running-config startup-config command to save the new configuration to NVRAM.
Step 20 Enter the reload command to reboot the router.
Step 21 Log in to the router with the new or recovered passwords.
This completes the steps for recovering or replacing a lost enable, enable secret, or console login
password.