Use Recovery Mode

You can use recovery mode if you want to use the WatchGuard System Manager Quick Setup Wizard to force a Fireware installation regardless of the Fireware version that is currently installed.

You can also use recovery mode to recover devices that might have had firmware upgrade failures. It can be used when a device is unable to restart normally.

When you start a Firebox in recovery mode, the device uses the version of Fireware that was originally installed when the device was manufactured. The Quick Setup Wizard finds the latest version of Fireware installed on the management computer and installs it on the Firebox. When you start the device in recovery mode, the Quick Setup Wizard installs a new Fireware image and all files on the device are removed.

One reason to use recovery mode is to install an older version of Fireware on a device, if you do not have a device backup image. For more information, see Use the Quick Setup Wizard to Downgrade Fireware.

In Fireware 12.3 and higher, you can also use recovery mode to automatically restore a designated backup image from a USB drive that is connected to the Firebox. When the Firebox starts in recovery mode and a valid auto-restore backup image exists on a connected USB drive, the Firebox restores the backup image automatically and reboots. For more information, see Automatically Restore a Backup Image from a USB Drive.

If you only want to reset the device to factory-default settings, but do not want to change the Fireware version, use the steps to reset the device to factory-default settings. For more information, see Reset a Firebox.

We recommend that you do not downgrade a Firebox to a version of Fireware lower than Fireware v12.1.3 Update 8, v12.5.9 Update 2, or v12.7.2 Update 2, based on your device model. You cannot restore a backup image from a version of Fireware lower than Fireware v12.1.3 Update 8, v12.5.9 Update 2, or v12.7.2.

Contact technical support for help if you have problems when you use recovery mode.

When the device is in recovery mode, it is ready to be discovered by the WSM Quick Setup Wizard.