To reset your router configurations back to the original factory settings, follow the steps below. This will delete any configuration you have on your router.

The steps below assume you have connected your router to a console and have accessed your router’s command line interface.

1. Turn off your router.
2. Turn on your router and within the first 20 seconds of startup send a break character to the terminal.
   • Windows – If you are using PuTTY, on your keyboard press Ctrl + Break at the same time; or you right click on the bar at the top of the PuTTY window and select Special Command > Break.
   • Mac – If you are using terminal, on your keyboard press Control + A, then Control + B.
   • You may also refer to the Cisco page on Standard Break Key Sequence Combinations During Password Recovery.
3. You will immediately be taken to the prompt.
4. At the prompt, type the following command to tell the router to skip the existing configuration on startup: confreg 0x2142.
5. At the prompt, type the following command to restart the router: reset.
6. The router will restart.
7. If you are prompted for initial configuration dialogue, type no.
8. After the loading has stopped, press Return to be taken to the main prompt.
9. At the prompt:
   • Type en to enter privileged mode
   • Type write erase to issue the erase comment
   • Type y to confirm erase command
   • Type configure t
   • Type config-register 0x2102 this tells the router to process existing config on startup
   • Type end
10. Turn off your router and then turn it back on. Your router has now been restored to the original factory settings.