How to Reset Cisco Router Password or Reset Switch Password?

This is going to be very old but very informative post. People often search for this info in websites on how to reset a cisco router or cisco switch when they forget the password.

The below post will help to reset the router password along with configuration. Once the below steps are performed, the configuration will be erased.

Power ON Cisco Router/Switch that you want to reset.
Press and hold CTRL key + Pause Break. This will let you enter rommon mode.
Once you are at the rommon> prompt, you need to type “confreg 0x2142” without quotation and hit enter.
Type “reset” without quotation and hit enter

You should be able to login now without a password. You have to again change the config register value back to “config-register 0x2102”.

Type “enable” without quotation and hit enter
Type “config terminal” without quotation and hit enter
Type “config-register 0x2102” without quotation and hit enter
Type “write conifg” to write the configuration with the config register value.

That’s all!! Cheers..

Avinash Karnani

I am working in an IT company and having 10+ years of experience into Cisco IP Telephony and Contact Center. I have worked on products like CUCM, CUC, UCCX, CME/CUE, IM&P, Voice Gateways, VG224, Gatekeepers, Attendant Console, Expressway, Mediasense, Asterisk, Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc. I am not an expert but i keep exploring whenever and wherever i can and share whatever i know. You can visit my LinkedIn profile by clicking on the icon below.

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