Note when you reload the Switch – If it is Live the Services will be effected. So do this in Maintenance window.
Step 1- Power cycle the switch. Immediatly press and hold the Mode button. Hold the button till the Status LED will go amber. Then on the console you should be in Boot Loader.
switch:
ignore startup config
switch: SWITCH_IGNORE_STARTUP_CFG=1
This will ignore the startup config.
Now issue Boot command to Boot
switch:boot
Switch boot normally and wait for until switch boot all the process.
After the switch has booted, you can use the unconfigured switch to recover your startup configuration from the flash file system, via the copy:startup-config <filepath://> command. After you have the switch configured as desired, issue the no system ignore startupconfig switch all command and the write memory command from the exec prompt to allow the switch to load the startup configuration on future bootup.
Caution: If you do not issue no system ignore startupconfig switch all and write memory, the switch boots with no configuration on future reloads.
Now setup an new password
write config
Good Luck….happy Labbing..!