Password Recovery Procedures for most Cisco appliances

The following link is to the index of password recovery procedures for most Cisco appliances. Go to next discussion for IronPort Password Recovery procedure.

Note: For security reasons, the password recovery procedures described there require physical access to the equipment.

Password Recovery Procedures

Properly Sending BREAK key

You need to enter ROMMON mode which may require you to send the BREAK key. Check out the following link to find the suitable BREAK key.

Standard Break Key Sequence Combinations During Password Recovery

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Tips

* For newer machines running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 using Hyperterminal with no BREAK key available on the keyboard, try to use PAUSE key instead. Therefore instead of issuing CTRL-BREAK combination key, try to issue CTRL-PAUSE combination key instead.

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It is highly recommended to use a computer that has an actual Serial port (RS-232) when sending BREAK key. Whenever possible, don't use computer that utilize USB port to emulate Serial port since the BREAK key might not be sent properly.

If the router password recovery functionality is disabled, then you can perform tasks provided on this link to re-enable the password recovery functionality.

To Disable and Re-enable Password Recovery Functionality

NOTE:
The Cisco documentation shows copying saved configuration to running configuration as part of the recovery procedure. In some (if not most) cases, this step is a no-no.

Password recovery procedure is necessary when the password to log into the device is unknown and something in the configuration blocks administrative (enable) mode to activate. When you copy saved configuration (that have the block to enable mode access) to running configuration, then basically you are going back to the point before you make any password recovery attempt, which will nullify the password recovery work you have done.

When this is the case, then there should be no copying saved configuration to running configuration as part of the recovery procedure. Instead put enough configuration (or no configuration at all) to the device just to keep it accessible and do the things that can pass traffic.

IronPort Password Recovery Procedures

Please follow the steps below in case you have lost your "admin" password on your IronPort appliance.

* Contact Customer Support for a temporary password. You will need the Serial Number of the device.
* Once you receive the temporary password, please access the IronPort via serial connection.
* Log in as user 'adminpassword'.
* Enter the temporary password you received from the Customer Support Engineer and hit return.
* Enter the new password that will be used for the 'admin' user.

Some discussion
»Password Recovery Procedure for Cisco Ironport Mail Gateway?

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by nozero edited by aryoba
last modified: 2011-11-16 15:21:15