While continuing to hold the reset button, plug the power cable back into the device.
An Ethernet cable connecting your PC directly to the or Internal Port 1 of the FortiGate. Step-by-Step Execution:
Method 1: Factory Reset via the Command Line Interface (CLI)
This operation will revert all settings to factory defaults. Do you want to continue? (y/n) Use code with caution.
config system admin edit admin set password end Use code with caution.
Log in using your administrator credentials. At the command prompt, enter the following command: execute factoryreset Use code with caution. Step 3: Confirm the Action
| Item | Default Value | | :--- | :--- | | | 192.168.1.99 | | Subnet Mask | 255.255.255.0 | | Username | admin | | Password | (Leave this field completely blank / empty) | | Console Port BAUD Rate | 9600 |
Connect an Ethernet cable from your management workstation's network interface card directly into any of the ports on the FortiGate 30D.
: Connect via PuTTY console, power cycle the FortiGate, and repeatedly press any key during bootup to interrupt the cycle. You will enter the bootloader menu.
Type B and press Enter. This boots the device with the default configuration for this session only . However, to make it permanent, you must then log in via CLI and run execute factoryreset .
Type the following command to initiate a full factory reset: execute factory reset Video: Fortinet: How to Reset a FortiGate Firewall to Factory Default
By mastering these three reset methods—hardware button, CLI command, and bootloader wipe—you ensure your legacy FortiGate 30D never becomes an expensive paperweight. Save this guide, keep a console cable handy, and you’ll always be able to bring your firewall back from the brink.
Install a standard terminal client such as PuTTY (Windows), Tera Term, or use the native screen / minicom utilities on macOS and Linux.
