Override the Forgotten Password on a Cisco Router

Pre-requisite

Connect to cisco console using putty.
Press the enter key to enter into user mode.
Once in the user mode (i.e. the prompt with greater than sign >), reboot the cisco router (i.e. using the physical switch of the router).
Going back to your putty terminal, once you see any text on it, issue the break command.
1. Point and click your mouse to the putty icon on putty title bar.
2. Select Special Command.
3. Select Break.
  Expect the see the rom monitor prompt as follows:
```
rommon 1 >
```
Execute the following command to disable the startup-config:
```
confreg 0x2142
```
Reset cisco router using the following command:
```
reset
```

Expect to see the following question:

Would you like to enter the initialization configuration dialog? [yes/no]

Type in no for the answer and press the enter key.
Press the enter key one more time to enter into user mode.
Execute the following command to enter into privilege mode:
```
enable
```
Load the startup-config into the running-config using the following command:
```
copy startup-config running-config
```
On Destination filename [running-config]?, press the enter key.
Execute the following command to enter into the configuration mode:
```
config terminal
```
Change the password using the following syntax:
```
enable secret <PASSWORD>
```
Example of setting cisco as the password:
```
enable secret cisco
```
Execute the following command to enable the startup-config:
```
config-register 0x2102
```
Exit from the configuration mode using the following command:
```
exit
```
Save the update on the running-config to the startup-config file using the following command:
```
copy running-config startup-config
```
On Destination filename [startup-config]?, press enter key.
Reboot the cisco router (i.e. using the physical switch of the router).

After this you have the new password in effect.