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The XG Series hardware appliances will reach end-of-life (EOL) on March 31, 2025. Click here to see the XG to XGS migration documentation.

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Reset to factory settings

You can reset the firewall to factory default settings using the serial console. It doesn't affect the firewall's registration. If you forget the default admin's password, you can reset it to the factory default.

Resetting the firewall to its factory settings does as follows:

  • The secure storage master key (SSMK) isn't cleared.

  • The current firmware's configuration is reset. The firmware from which you moved to the current one retains its associated configuration. If you roll back, its configuration becomes available.

    Note

    The firewall holds independent configurations associated with the current and previous firmwares, but it maintains a common set of signatures updated through Pattern updates, reports, and logs for both firmwares.

Reset the firewall or admin password

To connect through the serial console and choose the reset action, do as follows:

  1. Connect your endpoint to the firewall's RJ45 COM port slot or the micro USB slot using a console cable.
  2. On your endpoint, open Device Manager and look under Ports for the COM port number. For example, COM7.
  3. Access the firewall using an SSH app, such as PuTTY.
  4. Under Connection type, select Serial.
  5. Under Serial line, enter the COM port number. For example, COM7.
  6. Under Speed, enter 38400.

  7. Click Open.

    The firewall's serial console opens.

  8. Enter RESET in capital letters.

  9. Enter the number for one of the following options:

    • Option 1: Deletes custom configurations.
    • Option 2: Deletes custom configurations and resets signatures updated based on Pattern updates to the firmware version's default signatures.
    • Option 3: Deletes custom configurations, reports, logs, and resets signatures updated based on Pattern updates to the firmware version's default signatures.
    • Option 4: Resets the default admin's password.

    Note

    Custom configurations include custom signatures, such as the IPS signatures you create.

    Signatures based on Pattern updates are updated when the firewall connects to the internet.

  10. Confirm the reset action.

  11. Sign in to the web admin console using the default password.
  12. Change the password to a complex one in the pop-up that appears.
  13. Click Apply.

Watch the video to reset admin password

Reset admin password in an HA cluster

When you reset the default admin's password of the primary device in a high availability cluster through the serial console, the password isn't synchronized with the auxiliary device.

After you change the default admin's password to a new, complex password, the auxiliary device is only synchronized with it if it has the same existing password.

So, you must first individually reset the password to the factory default in both devices.

  1. Reset the password in the current device.
  2. Reset the password in the peer HA device.
  3. Sign in to the primary device's web admin console using the default admin's password.

  4. Set a new secure password in the pop-up that appears.

    The secure password is synchronized to the auxiliary device.