Password Recovery for Cisco Access Switches (2960)

This method can be used to recover from a reset too. Let's assume you don't know the password of the switch and also you don't have a configuration backup.

Start with resetting the switch by holding Mode button.

After the resetting, it will look like a new switch but what actually happening is that the config.text file in the flash is renamed to config.text.renamed

You will see this by entering the command dir flash:

What you need to now is just copy that file to the system:running-config file using the following command..

Switch#copy flash:config.text.renamed system:running-config

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As soon as you enter the command you will see the config is being overwritten and when it finishes you will have the privilege access which you are able to config anything of course with the old config the switch had..