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stargazer7
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Installing ESXi on a EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 System

Hello everyone,

I am trying to get my first ESXi System up and running and I am running into problems, When I load the ISO from my CD Rom, I get an error saying it was unable to find a valid storage device.

Below is a list of my computer hardware.

  • Motherboard: EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 Bios Rev P06

  • CPU: Intel Q6600 (Quad Core)

  • Memory: 8GB G-Skill

  • Hard Drive: Samsung 1 TB SATA

  • Alt Hard Drive: Maxtor 1.6GB ATA

  • Alt Hard Drive: Pny 8GB Thumb Drive USB

  • Keybord & Mouse: Generic USB

  • Video Card: ATI 7000 (PCI)

  • DVD Rom: Sony 52x ATA

  • DVD Rom: Samsung SATA

I have tryed the following drive configurations:

  • SATA Channel 1 Hard Drive - SATA DVD Rom

  • SATA Hard Dive - ATA DVD Rom

  • SATA Channel 5 - ATA DVD Rom

  • SATA Channel 5 - SATA DVD Rom

  • SATA Channel 1 - SATA DVD Rom - USB Drive

  • ATA Master - SATA DVD

  • ATA Master - ATA DVD Slave

  • ATA Master - SATA DVD - USB Drive

So.... what am I missing? Please help me.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Sorry - I thought you were booting for the USB flash drive. When you get to the point of getting the 'can't find support hardware' try this install method - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive.php.

View solution in original post

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26 Replies
nick_couchman
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What's the chipset of your storage controller?

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stargazer7
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Im not sure that is part of my problem, from what I have been able to find out... it sounds like it comes right off the MCP

  • NVIDIA MediaShield Storage

  • nForce 780i SLI MCP

  • NVIDA Raid

  • nVidia Corporation MCP55 IDE

  • Bios Info: 10DE 036E 0101

  • nVidia Corporation MCP55 SATA Controller

  • Bios Info: 10DE 037F 0101

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nick_couchman
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The message you're getting indicates that ESXi is not recognizing your storage controller and the drives attached to them correctly. Is the MCP on the HCL?

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stargazer7
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According to the MCP55 Sata Controler should work with ESXi 3.5 Update 2 and newer, I have been trying to install ESXi update 3. So I am downloading Update 2 right now and I will see if I have better luck with it... I will update this once I have attempted to install update 2.

nVidia Corporation

10de

0036

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

MCP04 Serial ATA Controller

10de

003e

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

MCP04 Serial ATA Controller

10de

0053

0000

0000

storage

ide

nForce4 Parallel ATA Controller

10de

0054

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

CK804 Serial ATA Controller

10de

0055

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

CK804 Serial ATA Controller

10de

0056

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

0057

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

0065

0000

0000

storage

ide

nForce2 IDE

10de

0085

0000

0000

storage

ide

MCP2A IDE

10de

008e

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

nForce2 Serial ATA Controller

10de

00d5

0000

0000

storage

ide

nForce3 IDE

10de

00e3

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

CK8S Serial ATA Controller (v2.5)

10de

00e5

0000

0000

storage

ide

CK8S Parallel ATA Controller (v2.5)

10de

00ee

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

CK8S Serial ATA Controller (v2.5)

10de

01bc

0000

0000

storage

ide

nForce IDE

10de

0266

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

MCP51 Serial ATA Controller

10de

0267

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

MCP51 Serial ATA Controller

10de

0268

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

0269

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

036e

0000

0000

storage

ide

MCP55 IDE Controller

10de

0372

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

0373

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

037e

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

MCP55 SATA Controller

10de

037f

0000

0000

storage

ide

MCP55 SATA Controller

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Dave_Mishchenko
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If you query the PCI id for your controller is it coming up with the ID of 036e or 037e?

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stargazer7
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ESXi Update 2: Failed as well.

According to the bios, I have both one is the ATA controler and one is the SATA controler. Is there a beter way for me to look other than bois and I have tryed install it to ATA and SATA Drives.

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stargazer7
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Here is the info from PCI Database

Device Search Results

Returning 5 matches for: "MCP55"

Sorted by: Device ID

Device Id\

Chip Description\

Vendor Id

Vendor Name

0x036E

MCP55 PATA Controller

0x10DE

NVIDIA\

0x036F

MCP55 SATA/RAID Controller

0x10DE

NVIDIA\

0x0371

MCP55 High Definition Audio

0x10DE

NVIDIA\

0x037E

MCP55 SATA/RAID Controller

0x10DE

NVIDIA\

0x037F

MCP55 SATA/RAID Controller

0x10DE

NVIDIA\

And the data from the Hardware Support Page

10de

036e

0000

0000

storage

ide

MCP55 IDE Controller

10de

0372

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

0373

0000

0000

network

forcedeth

nVidia NForce Network Controller

10de

037e

0000

0000

storage

sata_nv

MCP55 SATA Controller

10de

037f

0000

0000

storage

ide

MCP55 SATA Controller

So it looks to me that it is supported.

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nick_couchman
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The question Dave was asking is what is the PCI ID of YOUR storage controller, and does that PCI ID match the ones listed in the database?

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stargazer7
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Sorry for the misunderstanding I will check tonight when I get back home. Thank you for all of your help so far.

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stargazer7
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Here are the results you are looking for.

00:13.00 IDE Interface Mass storage controller: nVida Corporation MCP55 IDE Controller

Class 0101: 10de:036e

00:14.00 IDE interface Mass storage controller: nVida Corporation MCP55 SATA Controler

Class 0101: 10de:037f

00:14.01 IDE interface Mass storage controller: nVida Corporation MCP55 SATA Controler

Class 0101: 10de:037f

00:14.02 IDE interface Mass storage controller: nVida Corporation MCP55 SATA Controler

Class 0101: 10de:037f

I hope this helps.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Could you also run fdisk -l?

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stargazer7
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Disk /dev/disks/vmbha2:0:0:0: 1000.2 GB 1000204886016 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders

Units = Cylinders of 16065*512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/disks/vmhba2 :0:0:0 dosen't contain a valid partation table

Disk /dev/disks/vmhba32:0:0:0: 8254 MB, 8254390272 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1003 Cylinders

units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks ID System

/dev/disks/vmhba32:0:0:1 * 1 1004 8060896+ b Win95 Fat32

Partition 1 has diffrent physical.logical endings:

phys=(1002,254,63) Logical = 1003,137,30)

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Dave_Mishchenko
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The drive is connected to a port that is being recognized as an IDE controller (i.e. the 037f device - vmhba2). Plug it into the SATA port that is showing up is vmhba0 (036e). That uses a different driver and you should then be able to add it as a datastore.

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stargazer7
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I tryed adding a 1.6 GB ATA IDE Drive to that port and it sill would not see it.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Right now if you go to Configuration \ Storage and then start the Add Storage wizard does it see the 1 TB drive there?

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stargazer7
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I cant get that far, I have not been able to get past trying to load the software onto the server. I get the following error when I try to install

VMWare ESX Server 31 3.5.0 Installer

Installation operation failed!

The installation operation has encountered a fatal error:

Unable to find a supported device to writethe VMware ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 image to.

The following system inforamtion will assist the VMware Support team with your problem. Please record this inforamtion before proceeding

System Information:

Manufacture: EVGA

Model : 132-CK-NF78

Service Tag: 1

Bios Rev: P06

Enter Reboot

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Sorry - I thought you were booting for the USB flash drive. When you get to the point of getting the 'can't find support hardware' 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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stargazer7
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SUCCESS!!!! Its up and loaded and can see the drive in storage!

Thank you everyone for all your help!!!!!

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