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14 Replies Last post: Apr 27, 2009 6:52 AM by BrennanB
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How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271?

Sep 23, 2008 10:19 PM

Click to view EdwinVoskamp's profile Novice EdwinVoskamp 5 posts since
Sep 23, 2008
I installed ESXi on a Dell PowerEdge SC1420, but don't have access to the limit CPUID value in the BIOS. I installed by hitting tab on booting from CD and entering nocheckCPUIDLimit.

After the installation complete, and removing the CD, then rebooting, I am unable to get to entering the options: neither Shift+o nor tab do anything.

So, how do I get to where I can enter the advanced options?
Tags: esxi, nocheckcpuidlimit, 3.5i
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Sep 23, 2008 10:36 PM
Click to view Dave.Mishchenko's profile Guru Dave.Mishchenko 8,867 posts since
Nov 15, 2005 Moderator
Shift - O should work for you - are you trying it when the screen is at the "Loading VMware Hypervisor stage? You should then get the prompt as shown in the first attached image. Once you have the host booted, you can set the option permanently (see 2nd image).
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Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Sep 23, 2008 10:41 PM
Click to view Dave.Mishchenko's profile Guru Dave.Mishchenko 8,867 posts since
Nov 15, 2005 Moderator
PS - disregard the option name I used in the one image - the correct option is nocheckCPUIDLimit.
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Sep 23, 2008 11:19 PM
in response to: Dave.Mishchenko
Click to view EdwinVoskamp's profile Novice EdwinVoskamp 5 posts since
Sep 23, 2008
Yeah, I know it should work for me. It doesn't though. :-(

I replaced the keyboard with another, checked the shift key works and that shift+o works.

I get a split-second a screen that may at the top left say something like 'Multi-boot ...' but it is gone too fast to even read, then immediately goes to the "Loading VMware Hypervisor" screen. Except for the "Loading VMware Hypervisor" title, the underline, all that is showing is the white progress bar at the bottom. Shift+o does not work. I checked the Caps Lock key isn't on, tried holding down shift and not. Nothing.
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Sep 23, 2008 11:20 PM
in response to: Dave.Mishchenko
Click to view EdwinVoskamp's profile Novice EdwinVoskamp 5 posts since
Sep 23, 2008
And your "Shift - o" means depress the Shift key and hold it, then, at the same time hit the o (as in Oscar) key, right?
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Sep 23, 2008 11:50 PM
in response to: EdwinVoskamp
Click to view Dave.Mishchenko's profile Guru Dave.Mishchenko 8,867 posts since
Nov 15, 2005 Moderator
If you try Shift+R, at the loading screen do you get an error message about there not being a backup image?

As an alternative, you could boot the host with a Linux live CD, then edit the boot.cfg file on the Hypervisor0 partition. You would basically just add the same option in that file.
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Sep 24, 2008 12:58 AM
in response to: Dave.Mishchenko
Click to view EdwinVoskamp's profile Novice EdwinVoskamp 5 posts since
Sep 23, 2008
Yup, Shift+R got me the error message about there not being a backup image, enter continued booting, and Shift+O worked on that boot.

Edited config file to put in checkCPUIDLimit = "FALSE" and she's happy now.
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Oct 25, 2008 11:37 PM
in response to: EdwinVoskamp
Click to view a13x212's profile Novice a13x212 7 posts since
Oct 25, 2008
Can someone confirm whether the option nocheckCPUIDLimit works with ESXI (the free version).

When I hit tab, I see a line like:

vmkernel.gz --- binmod.tgz --- ienviron.tgz --- cim.tgz --- oem.tgz --- license.tgz --- install.tgz
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Oct 27, 2008 7:26 AM
in response to: a13x212
Click to view J_Jab's profile Lurker J_Jab 2 posts since
Oct 24, 2008
I'm getting that aswell....once I type the command nocheckCPUIDLimit in the Boot menu it starts loading the ISO. Right after it's done laoding I get another error message, 'could not find kernel nocheckCPUIDLimit'
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Dec 29, 2008 4:20 AM
in response to: J_Jab
Click to view avninder's profile Novice avninder 23 posts since
Dec 16, 2008

Give the space between kernel.gz and no check like "mboot.c32 Vmkernel.gz nocheckCPUIDLimit ----"

and try to boot now. hopefully u'll not get error this time.

Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Jan 5, 2009 12:55 PM
in response to: avninder
Click to view BrennanB's profile Enthusiast BrennanB 59 posts since
Feb 14, 2008
Worked like a champ for me on a GX280. Used Shift O and then entered in adjustments to the string. Once it was loaded I was able to make the change permennant via VI client. Thanks for the info guys!!!
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Mar 9, 2009 11:45 AM
in response to: BrennanB
Click to view hotwings's profile Lurker hotwings 4 posts since
Oct 19, 2007
I want to load esx server 3i on my Dell gx280 but am unsuccessful. Can you elaborate more with the steps? I entered the the nocheck option on the boot menu but still getting the "cpuid is limited". error. Thanks.
Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Apr 7, 2009 11:38 AM
in response to: Dave.Mishchenko
Click to view iben's profile Novice iben 8 posts since
Oct 6, 2005

confirming this worked for me with latest ESXi 3.5.0 update 4 - also note that Hard Drive SATA Operation setting needs to be "Normal" not "combination" for ESXi to detect and install correctly. This box only has 2 x 512KB DIMMs but we will try to put 4 x 1 GB or maybe 4 x 2 GB chips to upgrade RAM. Anyone know max memory config?


Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Apr 26, 2009 4:13 AM
in response to: iben
Click to view sipero's profile Lurker sipero 1 posts since
Apr 26, 2009

Hi,

On the Desktop or Tower machines the lomit is 4 x 1Gb and you have to be careful with your selection of memory as not all DDR2 1Gb modules will work from other postings I've seen.

Jonathan Hamon


Reply Re: How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 build-110271? Apr 27, 2009 6:52 AM
in response to: hotwings
Click to view BrennanB's profile Enthusiast BrennanB 59 posts since
Feb 14, 2008

  1. At the initial bootloader screen (when booting from the ISO), press TAB to edit the boot options
  2. add "nocheckCPUIDLimit" right after
    "vmkernel.gz", so that the first part of the boot options BEFORE the
    first "---" reads: "mboot.c32 vmkernel.gz nocheckCPUIDLimit ---"
  3. Press enter to finish

Now that it will load make sure to login to the machine using VI Client and set the NoCheckCPUIDLimit in the advanced settings.

1.Open the ‘Configuration’ tab of the ESXi host

2. Click on ‘Advanced *Settings*’

3. Open the VMkernel variable and then the Boot list and there will be a checkCPUIDLimit box, make sure this is unchecked.


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