To recover or reset the cisco router password follow following steps.
We need to connect router to console port and reboot the router (hard reboot).
Send BREAK signal (Usually it’s Ctrl+Break), Standard break signals can be found here http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/routers/10000-series-routers/12818-61.html
On acceptance of break signal router will open mini IOS called ROMmon mode.
Next step is to configure router to ignore startup-configuration by typing following on router prompt
ROMmon> confreg 0x2142
Reboot or Reset router by typing ROMmon>reset
Router will reboot and load IOS image, Once it’s loaded system configuration wizard will come up
Type no on initial configuration dialog to launch command prompt.
Router> enable “type enable to access router, router will not ask you for password)
Copy NVRAM into memory by typing following
Router#copy startup-config running-config
Type show running-configuration which will enable you to see any non-encrypted password
In case password is encrypted, we can’t read the password but can reset
To reset the password move into configuration mode by typing
Router# configure terminal
Router(config)#enable secret ciscopress Router(config)#config-register 0x2102
Router(config)#end
Save configuration by typing Router#copy running-config startup-config
Hope this help you.