Get Cisco 3500 into factory defaults

Ever needed to get an old Cisco 3500 EOL switch into factory defaults? Well I did. Since no ROMmon is available for this model a different approach is needed. That said I made a little recipe to get the system going:

1. “Power-up” the switch while pressing the mode button at the front;
2. Release the mode button when Port1x LED goes out;
3. You now have the switch: prompt;
4. Type flash_init
   • switch: flash_init;
5. Type load_helper
   • switch: load_helper;
6. Check the flash contents
   • switch: dir flash:

   Directory of flash:/

   2    -rwx  1645807   <date>  c3500XL-c3h2s-mz-120.5.2-XU.bi
   3    -rwx  94680     <date>  c3500XL-diag-mz-120.5.2-XU
   4    drwx  6784      <date>  html
   111  -rwx  272       <date>  env_vars
   112  -rwx  600       <date>  vlan.dat
   113  -rwx  2363      <date>  config.text

   843264 bytes available (2769408 bytes used)

7. Rename the config file
   • switch: rename flash:config.text flash:config.old.text
8. Reboot the switch
   • switch: boot

   Loading "flash:c3500XL-c3h2s-mz-120.5.2-XU.bin"...
   ###########################################################################
   ###########################################################################

9. Erase vlan database
   • Switch#delete flash:/vlan.dat

   Switch#delete flash:/vlan.dat
   Delete filename [vlan.dat]?
   Delete flash:/vlan.dat? [confirm]

10. Copy current config to flash (creates new config.text)
    • Switch#copy running-config startup-config
11. Delete old config file
    • Switch#delete flash:/config.old.text

    Delete filename [config.old.text]?
    Delete flash:/config.old.text? [confirm]
    Switch#

Done!

Detailed information may be found at Cisco’s website.

~ por serranos em Abril 29, 2008.