Cisco - Catalyst Switch Factory Reset (IOS)

The procedure in this section applies to the router cards, the modular or fixed configuration switches, and GL-3 Catalyst series switches running Cisco IOS Software:

·    Router cards

o WS-X4232-L3 (Catalyst 4006/4000)

o RSM/RSFC (Catalyst 5500/5000)

o MSFC/MSM (Catalyst 6500/6000)

·    Catalyst modular switches

o Catalyst 6500/6000

o Catalyst 4500/4000

·    Catalyst fixed configuration switches

o Catalyst 2940

o Catalyst 2950/2955

o Catalyst 2970

o Catalyst 3550

o Catalyst 3560

o Catalyst 3750

o Catalyst 2900XL/3500XL

·    GL-3 Catalyst switches

o Catalyst 2948G-L3

o Catalyst 4908G-L3

Switches running Cisco IOS Software have a running configuration file and a startup configuration file. The RAM stores the running configuration, and the NVRAM stores the startup configuration. When you make a configuration change to a switch running Cisco IOS Software, the change becomes part of the running configuration. You must save the configuration changes to the startup configuration; otherwise, the configuration is lost during the next reload or power outage. This is because you lose the running configuration stored in RAM when you reload the switch or turn off the power. To save the configuration into NVRAM, issue the write memory command or the copy running-config startup-config command. If you do not save your changes to NVRAM, the changes clear from RAM and are no longer part of the startup configuration when the switch reloads.

On the Catalyst modular or fixed configuration switches running Cisco IOS Software, a separate file stores the VLAN information. The file is called vlan.dat file and is stored in NVRAM for modular switches or in Flash for fixed configuration switches. To reset these switches to factory defaults, you need to delete the startup configuration and the vlan.dat file. To restore the Catalyst 2948G-L3/4908G-L3 switches and router cards to the factory defaults, you only need to delete the startup configuration file. These switches do not contain VLAN information because they do not participate in VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP).

Reset Switch Configuration

To reset the switch to factory default, issue the erase startup-config or write erase command. This command does not clear the boot variables, such as config-register and boot system settings. You can alter the boot system parameters with the boot command. In Catalyst 4500/4000 and 6500/6000 series switches running Cisco IOS Software, you can change the configuration register value with the config-register command.

This example shows how to reset a switch running Cisco IOS Software to factory defaults with the write erase command:

Cat2950# write erase

Erasing the nvram filesystem will remove all files! Continue? [confirm]y[OK]

Erase of nvram: complete

Cat2950#

Cat2950# reload

 

System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: n   

 

!--- Do not save the configuration at this prompt. Otherwise, the switch

!--- reloads with the current running configuration and does not reset to default.

 

Proceed with reload? [confirm]y                             

 

2w0d: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested

 

C2950 Boot Loader (C2950-HBOOT-M) Version 12.1(11r)EA1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Compiled Mon 22-Jul-02 18:57 by antonino

WS-C2950G-12-EI starting...

 

!--- Output suppressed.

 

32K bytes of flash-simulated non-volatile configuration memory.

Base ethernet MAC Address: 00:05:DC:C9:79:00

Motherboard assembly number: 73-5781-08

Motherboard serial number: FAB0515A069

Model revision number: 02

Model number: WS-C2950-24

System serial number: FAB0517Q00B

 

--- System Configuration Dialog ---

Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]:n

00:00:16: %SPANTREE-5-EXTENDED_SYSID: Extended SysId enabled for type vlan

00:00:21: %SYS-5-RESTART: System restarted --

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software

IOS (tm) C2950 Software(C2950-I6Q4L2-M)Version 12.1(19)EA1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Copyright (c) 1986-2003 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Tue 09-Dec-03 00:12 by yenanh

Press RETURN to get started!

 

00:00:37: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Vlan1, changed state to administratively down

00:00:38: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Vlan1, changed state to down

Switch>

Switch>

At this stage, the switch configuration has reset to the factory defaults, with the exclusion of the VLAN information.

Reset VLAN Information

To reset the VLAN information to the factory defaults, delete the vlan.dat file from the Flash or NVRAM and reload the switch. On the 6500/6000 series switches running Cisco IOS Software, the vlan.dat file is stored in const_nvram. On the 4500/4000 series switches running Cisco IOS Software, the vlan.dat file is stored in cat4000_flash:. On the 2940, 2950/2955, 2970, 3550, 3550, 3560, 3570, and 2900XL/3500XL fixed configuration switches, the vlan.dat file is stored in flash:.

To erase the vlan.dat file on the 6500/6000 switches, issue the erase const_nvram: command. On the 4500/4000 switches, issue the erase cat4000_flash: command. On the fixed configuration switches, issue the delete flash:vlan.dat command.

The example steps show how to delete the VLAN information on Catalyst fixed configuration switches. You can use the same steps, with their respective commands, for the 6500/6000 and 4500/4000 running Cisco IOS Software:

1. To verify the VLAN information, issue the show vlan command, and to verify the vlan.dat file, issue the dir command.

2.  Cat2950# show vlan

3.   

4.  VLAN Name                             Status    Ports

5.  ---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------

6.  1    default                          active    Fa0/1, Fa0/2, Fa0/3, Fa0/4

7.                                                  Fa0/5, Fa0/6, Fa0/7, Fa0/8

8.                                                  Fa0/9, Fa0/10, Fa0/11, Fa0/12

9.                                                  Fa0/13, Fa0/14, Fa0/15, Fa0/16

10.                                                   Fa0/17, Fa0/18, Fa0/19, Fa0/20

11.                                                   Fa0/21, Fa0/22, Fa0/23, Fa0/24

12.    

13.   2    VLAN0002                         active   

14.   3    VLAN0003                         active   

15.   4    VLAN0004                         active

16.           

17.    

18.   !--- Despite the erase of the startup configuration file,

19.   !--- these user-created VLANs remain.

20.    

21.    

22.   600  VLAN0600                         active   

23.   1002 fddi-default                     active   

24.   1003 token-ring-default               active   

25.   1004 fddinet-default                  active   

26.   1005 trnet-default                    active   

27.    

28.   VLAN Type  SAID       MTU   Parent RingNo BridgeNo Stp  BrdgMode Trans1 Trans2

29.   ---- ----- ---------- ----- ------ ------ -------- ---- -------- ------ ------

30.   1    enet  100001     1500  -      -      -        -    -        1002   1003

31.   2    enet  100002     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

32.   3    enet  100003     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

33.   4    enet  100004     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

34.   600  enet  100600     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

35.   1002 fddi  101002     1500  -      -      -        -    -        1      1003

36.   1003 tr    101003     1500  1005   -      -        -    srb      1      1002

37.   1004 fdnet 101004     1500  -      -      1        ibm  -        0      0  

38.   1005 trnet 101005     1500  -      -      1        IBM  -        0      0  

39.   Switch# 

40.    

41.    

42.   Cat2950# dir flash:

43.    

44.   !--- On the 4500/4000, issue the dir cat4000_flash: command.

45.   !--- On the 6500/6000, issue the dir const_nvram: command.

46.    

47.   Directory of flash:/

48.    

49.   2  -rwx     2487439   Mar 11 1993 01:25:32  c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-9.EA1d.bin

50.   3  -rwx         840   Mar 20 1993 09:20:09  vlan.dat 

51.    

52.   !--- This vlan.dat file stores user-configured VLANs.

53.    

54.   4  -rwx     2491435   Mar 08 1993 16:14:13  c2950-mvr.bin

55.   6  -rwx          42   Mar 01 1993 00:07:35  env_vars

56.   7  -rwx         109   Mar 11 1993 01:23:56  info

57.   8  drwx         640   Mar 11 1993 01:26:35  html

58.   19  -rwx         109   Mar 11 1993 01:26:35  info.ver

59.    

60.   7741440 bytes total (1088512 bytes free)

Switch#

61.   Delete the VLAN information from Flash or NVRAM, and reload the switch.

Note: On the 6500/6000 and 4500/4000 running early versions of Cisco IOS Software, the delete command may not work. Instead, you must issue the command erase const_nvram: or the command erase cat4000_flash:. Do not specify the vlan.dat file in the command syntax. However, on later versions of Cisco IOS Software, the delete const_nvram:vlan.dat command works for the 6500/6000, and the delete cat4000_flash:vlan.dat command works on the 4500/4000.

Cat2950# delete flash:vlan.dat

Delete filename [vlan.dat]?

 

!--- Press Enter.

 

Delete flash:vlan.dat? [confirm]y

 

Cat2950# reload

Proceed with reload? [confirm]y

4w5d: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested

62.   After reload, check the VLAN information with the show vlan command.

The user-configured VLANs no longer appear in the command output. Only factory-default VLAN information is on the switch.

Cat2950# show vlan

 

VLAN Name                             Status    Ports

---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------

1    default                          active    Fa0/1, Fa0/2, Fa0/3, Fa0/4

                                                Fa0/5, Fa0/6, Fa0/7, Fa0/8

                                                Fa0/9, Fa0/10, Fa0/11, Fa0/12

                                                Fa0/13, Fa0/14, Fa0/15, Fa0/16

                                                Fa0/17, Fa0/18, Fa0/19, Fa0/20

                                                Fa0/21, Fa0/22, Fa0/23, Fa0/24

1002 fddi-default                     active   

1003 token-ring-default               active   

1004 fddinet-default                  active   

1005 trnet-default                    active   

 

VLAN Type  SAID       MTU   Parent RingNo BridgeNo Stp  BrdgMode Trans1 Trans2

---- ----- ---------- ----- ------ ------ -------- ---- -------- ------ ------

1    enet  100001     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

1002 fddi  101002     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

1003 tr    101003     1500  -      -      -        -    -        0      0  

1004 fdnet 101004     1500  -      -      -        ieee -        0      0  

1005 trnet 101005     1500  -      -      -        IBM  -        0      0

Switch#