fix Cisco NX-OS Stuck in Boot Mode loader

When you perform NX-OS upgrade on nexus an error occurs, or when you delete the config without updating boot, it leads to the following error, after reloading

...Loader Version pr-1.3 loader>

Switch did not boot into the image, so how to boot into ?

Boot cisco from kickstart NX-OS

Note: kickstart file exists only on NX-OS version < 7.0 with version > 7.0 skip this step

To fix it, first find the kickstart file to see if it exists or not, (NX-OS versions lower than 7.0 will have a kickstart file, for higher NX-OS switches will boot directly into the image)

loader> dir
bootflash:
lost+found
assoc_mgr_cnv.log
mts.log
vfc_cnv.log
vlan.dat
admin.rc.cli
n5000-uk9.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
n5000-uk9-kickstart.5.0.2.N2.1.bin

after finding the file as above is file: n5000-uk9-kickstart.5.0.2.N2.1.bin

loader> boot n5000-uk9-kickstart.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
Booting kickstart image: n5000-uk9-kickstart.5.0.2.N2.1.bin....
...............................................................................
...Image verification OK

Starting kernel...
Usage: init 0123456SsQqAaBbCcUu
INIT: version 2.85 booting
platform_type cmdline parameter not found. Asssuming Oregon.
I2C - Mezz absent
sprom_drv_init_platform: nuova_i2c_register_get_card_index
blogger: /var/log/isan.log: No such file or directory (2).
Starting Nexus5010 POST...
Executing Mod 1 1 SEEPROM Test......done
Executing Mod 1 1 GigE Port Test.......^@done
Executing Mod 1 1 Inband GigE Test.....done
Executing Mod 1 1 NVRAM Test....done
Executing Mod 1 1 PCIE Test...............................done
Mod 1 1 Post Completed Successfully
POST is completed
autoneg unmodified, ignoring
autoneg unmodified, ignoring
Checking all filesystems..... done.
.
Loading system software
No system exporting directories for NFS kernel daemon...done.
INIT: Sending processes the KILL signal
Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software
TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (c) 2002-2010, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
The copyrights to certain works contained in this software are
owned by other third parties and used and distributed under
license. Certain components of this software are licensed under
the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0 or the GNU
Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.1. A copy of each
such license is available at
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php and
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.php
switch(boot)#

Boot cisco NX-OS from system image

After booting, find the file system image boot from the boot disk

switch(boot)# dir
47 Nov 03 2010 15:21:20 ..tmp-kickstart
37 Nov 03 2010 15:21:21 ..tmp-system
20816384 Nov 03 2010 15:21:20 .tmp-kickstart
182863950 Nov 03 2010 15:21:21 .tmp-system
0 Nov 11 2010 10:44:25 admin.rc.cli
362 Mar 08 2011 16:09:26 assoc_mgr_cnv.log
49152 Mar 08 2011 15:15:41 lost+found/
7986 Mar 16 2011 13:59:36 mts.log
25164288 Dec 30 2010 11:42:38 n5000-uk9-kickstart.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
156932426 Dec 30 2010 11:41:52 n5000-uk9.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
362 Dec 30 2010 12:18:25 vfc_cnv.log
508 Jun 05 2011 13:24:58 vlan.dat

Usage for bootflash: filesystem
450199552 bytes total used
433152000 bytes free
883351552 bytes available

The file above is : n5000-uk9.5.0.2.N2.1.bin

switch(boot)# load bootflash:n5000-uk9.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
Uncompressing system image: bootflash:/n5000-uk9.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
...
System booting up.

Save configuration after getting loader error on cisco NX-OS

After booting, you can access the os as usual

Next you need to add configuration to startup so that when rebooting, there will be no errors

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)# boot kickstart bootflash:/n5000-uk9-kickstart.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
switch(config)# boot system bootflash:/n5000-uk9.5.0.2.N2.1.bin
switch(config)# copy running-config startup-config

In case the above files do not exist, you can download the file and boot from usb, or tftp

Thank you customer