I was recently trying to factory reset a Cisco Express 500 switch for use at a customer site.  I researched Cisco’s website and other websites, but nothing I tried would work.  The basic steps are these:

  1. Hold down the mode button while applying power to the switch.
  2. After the mode lights turn amber, let go and the switch will reset to defaults.
  3. After a short time a port (usually port 1) light will start blinking.  Plug your workstation/laptop into that port.  Your workstation/laptop should then acquire a DHCP address from the switch.
  4. You should then be able to access the web GUI using the default IP address.

Unfortunately, none of the online documentation I read mentioned the fact that this only worked when Windows XP was the operating system.  Windows Vista or Windows 7 will not work.  I did not find this out until after the fact when another engineer, who had also struggled with this issue, informed me that this was the case.