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Corsari
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How To add a SATA controller driver to ESXi 3.5 Install CD (edited)

Hi to all the community,

Today I downloaded and tried to install VMWare ESXi on a Core Duo Quad system.

The main board is an ASUS P5KPL-CM with Intel Chipsets G31and ICH7.

The pc is equipped with a SATA hdd.

The issue is:

Right after clicking install, I get a message such "Unable to find a support device to write the VMWare ESXi server"

Related to the issue I add this question:

Is it a must that the HDD on where to install, got to be BLANK/EMPTY? Or it is not?

In other words, what happen if ESXi installer finds out something on the disk (i.e. the disk is fully partitioned with a bootable Windows)? Does ESXi installer have an erase disk option or if any partition is present, the result is the issue I described above?

I ask it because I see that here http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3.5/Whiteboxes_SATA_Controllers_for_ESX_3.5_3i.htm are mentioned some systems with the ICH7 chipset.

Obviously it is a controller matter. On this pc, Windows XP Pro installs fine, no SATA drivers required.

That is the reason of this post.

Thank you all if you help me with the right tip.

Robert

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Hi Robert, VMware changed the way ICH7 controllers are recognized between update 2 and update 3. With neither release were ICH7 connected drives supported, but with update 3 the controller is support for CD-ROMs only.

To get going I would support installing update 2. You can then modify oem.tgz to reverse the changes that update 3 made. Take a look at this thread for more information - http://communities.vmware.com/message/1094540#1094540. You could also try this install method - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive.php.

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weinstein5
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Welcome tot he Forums - ESXi ideally requires the use of VMware supported hardware - if not you can check vm-help.com a website that has pulled together information about hardware that is not-supported by VMware but other users have gotten to work with ESCi and ESX including issues with non-supported SATA controllers -

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If you find this or any other answer useful please consider awarding points by marking the answer correct or helpful
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Corsari
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On the UltimateWhiteBox web site, seems that the chipsets should work

http://ultimatewhitebox.com/motherboard/39

so... any idea on what the problem could be?

Or it is said it works, but a modified ISO is needed?

If yes, thank you for any tip.

Robert

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Corsari
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Searching the Hardware Compatibility Database

says that ICH-7 is supported.

Well...

Help please.

Thank you

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fejf
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Enter your bios and try to change the ich7 controller type from "AHCI" to "legacy", "native" or what ever it's called in your bios.

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There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.

-- There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.
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Corsari
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@ fejf: thank you for the tip, but unfortunately there is not this item in the P5KPL-CM motherboard BIOS.

Is it the ATA/IDE Configuration?

Disable, disables the controller

Ebhanced, sets all SATA devices (up to 4) to operate in SATA mode

Compatible, sets all SATA devices to operate in PATA mode, i.e. 2 PATA and 2 SATA devices

(explanations taken from the motherboard user manual)

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fejf
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Try enhanced and compatible if one of them works.

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There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.

-- There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.
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Corsari
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@ fejf: I was trying right now all the combinations. None of them is working.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Hi Robert, VMware changed the way ICH7 controllers are recognized between update 2 and update 3. With neither release were ICH7 connected drives supported, but with update 3 the controller is support for CD-ROMs only.

To get going I would support installing update 2. You can then modify oem.tgz to reverse the changes that update 3 made. Take a look at this thread for more information - http://communities.vmware.com/message/1094540#1094540. You could also try this install method - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive.php.

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Corsari
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Thank you Dave.

If I understand well, you mean:

- install update 2

- follow the threads to next update to Update 3?

Isn't it?

If yes, where do I find Update 2 to download it?

Please confirm

Thank you

R.

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Corsari
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Please note that I tried the procedure @

Well,

the lspci command reported

8086:27df 82801G ICH7 FAMILY (IDE Controller) vmhba0

8086:27C0 82801GB/GR/GH ICH7 FAMILY (Serial ATA Storage Controller IDE) vmhba1

and editing the TargetFilter.py and conntinuing the procedure, gives the same error.

please also note that fdisk -l gives no results, just a carriage return with again the prompt.

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Corsari
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Thank you Dave for the suggestion.

My BIOS IDE settings was still in Enhanced mode - SATA + PATA

I changed it to Compatible - SATA Only , that has been foundammental for the solution!

I had the idea because of the fdisk blank result. Well, setting the BIOS in Compatible with SATA only option set, the first main result (se previous post) is that lspci now lists _only _the 8086:27C0 82801GB/GR/GH ICH7 FAMILY (Serial ATA Storage Controller IDE) and now is reported as wmhba0.

It is working!!!! Finally I had the installer finding the 250GB SATA drive, so now I goto sleep :smileygrin:

Tomorrow I'll continue and I'll post the installation result.

P.S. What about finding and downloading the needed windows client to create/manage VMs?

Thank you again.

Robert@FAsTec

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Glad to hear you got it working. If you have DHCP on your network, you host will pick up an IP and you can then go to http://<ip_address/ and you'll see a link to down the VI client. If you have have DHCP, you can set an IP address at the console and then connect with a web browser.

wizard948
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Hi

i've been tryin to install VMware ESXi on dual core 3.20 system

The main board is an BIOSTAR TFORCE 945P with intell chipset ICH7

The pc has a SATA HDD.

right after bootin from CD i get a message sayin

"NO HARD DRIVERS HAVE BEEN FOUND YOU PROBABLY NEED TO MANUALLY CHOOSE DEVICE DRIVERS FOR INSTALLATION TO SUCCEED.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELECT DRIVERS NOW "

I select YES and a list of drivers came up but none doesn't work on my pc

The issue is:

kervin
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Dave_Mishchenko
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VMware made some changes to the way ICH7 controllers are used in Update 3, so I would suggest starting with the ESXi 3.5 Update 2 install CD - http://www.vmware.com/download/download.do?downloadGroup=ESX_3I_INSTALLABLEU2. If you still get the error with that install, trying changing the mode of the controller in the BIOS to IDE or legacy.

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Corsari
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@ Dave: strange answer you gave to Wizard948.

Dear Wizard,

I noticed that on my mainboard the SATA connectors are 4. Connector 1 and 3 are colored RED while 2 and 4 are colored BLACK.

Well, beware on where you connect your HDD. Check out your main board manual too.

Please also read my previous post in this thread. I got the installer recognizing the SATA HDD only after choosing Compatible SATA (for the IDE controller).

Last, in the previous posts of this thread is also linked the page with instructions on how to make the installer correctly recognize the controller

Ciao

Robert@FAsTec

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wizard948
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@Corsari,Dave

thanks for the tip i did all those stuff but vmware just will not fine my drive....

kervin
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wizard948
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thanks guys i got it workin.......

now i can take a deep breath.....

kervin
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sojic
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Wait.... How you did ti?

I have:

Gigabyte 945GCM-S2C MB

Chipset ICH7

Celeron 2.6

2x80G sata

Tomorow I will get Core2Duo processor with 2x2G Ram

I try to install ESXi, but I get error "Unable to find supported device to write....".

I find tutorial, but it was unsuccessful.

Also I try to install trial version of ESX Infrastructure, but then I

get error for unsupported network interface. (this was only for test).

Then I install Centos 5.2 (32 bit) and try to install VMWare Server 2, but it is for 64 bit processor.

Is it possbile to install ESXi on this configuration ?

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sojic
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I just download UPDATE2 and it work... but...

I have 2 sata discs... how to use them both?

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