HPE (HP / Aruba)

HPE (HP / Aruba) Aruba CX 8100 Password Recovery

Step-by-step password recovery for the HPE (HP / Aruba) Aruba CX 8100 (Aruba CX 6000-9300 (AOS-CX)). Console access required.

Overview

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for resetting lost or forgotten administrative passwords on enterprise networking hardware. Follow the procedure below carefully to regain access while preserving your device configuration.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with password recovery, ensure you have a console cable, terminal emulation software configured to 9600 baud, and physical access to the device.

Step 1: Establish Console Connection

Connect your terminal cable to the console port of the device and open your serial terminal session.

Step 2: Interrupt the Boot Sequence

Power cycle the hardware and issue a Break key sequence during initial system startup to enter ROMMON mode.

Step 3: Reset Password & Configuration

Bypass startup configuration loading, boot into system software, set your new credentials, and save changes back to non-volatile memory.

Overview

This procedure recovers administrator access to the HPE Aruba CX 8100 running HPE ArubaOS-CX (the AOS-CX operating system) when the admin password is lost. AOS-CX has a built-in password recovery option in its boot loader that resets the local admin password while preserving the running configuration.

Prerequisites

Console cable with a terminal session at 115200 baud, 8N1 — AOS-CX uses 115200, NOT the 9600 used by most other switches. Physical or remote power access to reboot the switch.

Recovery Procedure — Boot Loader Password Recovery

Connect the console cable and open a terminal session at 115200 baud, 8N1.
Reboot the switch (power-cycle or boot system if you have access).
During the boot process, when the boot loader prompt appears, press a key to interrupt the automatic boot (the exact prompt is Press any key to stop auto boot or similar on the boot ROM).
At the boot loader menu, select the password recovery option (the boot ROM menu on AOS-CX includes an option to reset the admin password — labeled "Recover password" or similar).
Confirm the recovery when prompted. The boot loader resets the admin local user password.
The switch continues booting with its configuration intact. Log in as admin with the reset (default/blank) password.
Set a new admin password: configure terminal → user admin password <new-password> → exit.
Save the configuration: write memory.

Recovery Procedure — Reset Button (alternative)

Power off the switch.
Press and hold the Reset button (front panel, recessed).
Power on while holding Reset; continue holding until the console shows the recovery prompt (typically ~10 seconds or when the LED pattern changes).
Release the button. The switch enters the boot loader recovery path as above.

Important Notes

Baud rate is 115200 on AOS-CX — connecting at 9600 produces garbage on the console. This is the #1 mistake when working with CX switches.
The password recovery option resets the admin local user password and preserves the configuration. Other local users are not touched.
If the switch is managed via Aruba Central or the switch is in a VSX pair, re-synchronize after recovery; the peer may hold the prior admin password.
AOS-CX does NOT have the ProVision "Clear button boots to factory defaults" behavior — the CX recovery is password-only and config-preserving.

Protecting Your Configuration

Before recovery, back up the config: copy running-config tftp://<server>/<filename> or show running-config captured to a file. After recovery, verify show running-config and save with write memory.