Cisco 3500 lost it's brains

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone has seen this and fixed it, when powered on I get this:

Base ethernet MAC Address: 00:0a:b7:dc:14:80
Xmodem file system is available.
The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.
Initializing Flash...
flashfs[0]: 2 files, 1 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 15998976
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 1536
flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 15997440
flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 17 seconds.
...done Initializing Flash.
Boot Sector Filesystem (bs:) installed, fsid: 3
Loading ""...: permission denied

Error loading ""

Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process.
Boot process failed...

The system is unable to boot automatically. The BOOT
environment variable needs to be set to a bootable
image.

I tried a few things:

switch: ?
Unknown cmd: ?
switch: ?
? -- Present list of available commands
boot -- Load and boot an executable image
cat -- Concatenate (type) file(s)
copy -- Copy a file
delete -- Delete file(s)
dir -- List files in directories
flash_init -- Initialize flash filesystem(s)
format -- Format a filesystem
fsck -- Check filesystem consistency
help -- Present list of available commands
load_helper -- Load and initialize a helper image
memory -- Present memory heap utilization information
mkdir -- Create dir(s)
more -- Concatenate (display) file(s)
rename -- Rename a file
reset -- Reset the system
rmdir -- Delete empty dir(s)
set -- Set or display environment variables
set_param -- Set system parameters in flash
sleep -- Pause (sleep) for a specified number of seconds
trap -- Cause a software breakpoint to occur
type -- Concatenate (type) file(s)
-- MORE --
unset -- Unset one or more environment variables
version -- Display boot loader version
switch: flash_init
Initializing Flash...
...The flash is already initialized.
switch: load_helper
switch: dir flash
unable to stat flash/: permission denied
switch: dir

List of filesystems currently registered:

flash[0]: (read-write)
xmodem[1]: (read-only)
null[2]: (read-write)
bs[3]: (read-only)

switch:

unforetunately Google didn't turn up anything productive to help me out so I figured I'd give it a shot here, any help is appreciated. I have tried boot flash but no luck there, I think the flash is empty of files or it doesn't have one that is bootable.

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Comments

netstat

I had the same problem with a 2924. U are in Rommon and u have give it a new image to boot from since the one it has is failing. TFTP will not work you have to used an Xmodem file transfer.

First do this

switch: set ip address 192.168.127.240 (just to make it happy!)

switch: copy xmodem: flash:c2955-i6q4l2-mz.121-13.EA1.bin

In the mean time as soon as u do so go to your Terminal Emulator and select the image and start the file transfer via xmodem. Once u start it from the emulator the Switch will detect the 'send' and start receiving. Note: Xmodem is done through the console (com) port itself. It is Very very very slow but it works.......

david_r

Before you resort to Xmodem, try adding ip default-gateway <tftp server IP address> and trying copy tftp flash:

edit: oops, you aren't in boot mode

Danman32

It could be that the BOOT environment variable is pointing to the wrong image filename, and/or not correctly specifying the location of the image (NVRAM:) and/or the file isn't even there.

But then it does indicate the flash is empty

List of filesystems currently registered:

flash[0]: (read-write)
xmodem[1]: (read-only)
null[2]: (read-write)
bs[3]: (read-only)

hectorjhrdz

if you have a PCMCIA flash card you can load an image on it an try to boot the switch. Tha problem you post it seems like the DRAM module is damaged or IOS.

hectorjhrdz

ignore my last post please!!!!

david_r

Dan,
I think what you highlighted is just the first file system or in computer parlance, the 0 file system, unless null actually contains 2 files.

However, I think you are correct in it missing the IOS
flashfs[0]: 2 files, 1 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 15998976
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 1536

borumas

I had the same problem with a 2924. U are in Rommon and u have give it a new image to boot from since the one it has is failing. TFTP will not work you have to used an Xmodem file transfer.

First do this

switch: set ip address 192.168.127.240 (just to make it happy!)

switch: copy xmodem: flash:c2955-i6q4l2-mz.121-13.EA1.bin

In the mean time as soon as u do so go to your Terminal Emulator and select the image and start the file transfer via xmodem. Once u start it from the emulator the Switch will detect the 'send' and start receiving. Note: Xmodem is done through the console (com) port itself. It is Very very very slow but it works.......

You hit the nail on the head there, thanks allot, I'm new to using xmodem and even though I had tried it awhile back on this switch I did it incorrectly, took over 2 hours to transfer the file but it is now working. Thanks allot Netstat and also the rest of you guys for trying to help me out.

netstat

you welcome!

borumas

Thanks again, lol, yeah our engineers were upgrading the IOS's remotely so it would support IGMP V3 for multicasting and this switch died (it is a 3550, not 3500 as I had said), I replaced it and spent a bit of time trying to fix it then but after having issues it has sat on my workbench for a month or so. Now it's back in the warehouse ready to be used again.