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mzbb
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How to register ESXi 4.0 and vSphere Client free of charge properly?

Hello everybody.

Can someone help me with registration

of free VMware ESXi 4.0? I'm totally confused with the process which I

certainly don't understand.

My aim is to install and use ESXi

4.0 and manage it via vSphere client with free licenses at no charge for

more than 60 dayes. It's possible?

Installation of this products

gone without problems, but registration failed. I've found some

suggestion on other threads, but nothing helped. Give me a hand please,

I will be grateful.

I'll write what I've done:

  1. I went to the website.

  2. I've read that I can get free license for VMware ESXi 4 and VMware vSphere Client.

  3. Decided to download this software, registered and was redirected to
    the site, where I could download ESXi 4 iso and vSphere Client .exe

  4. Installation and basic configuration of ESXi on bare-metal and vSphere Client on Windows XP gone without problems.

  5. I am able to create VMs and use it - it's OK, but vSphere Client sais that I have 60 day for evaluation.

  6. In the meantime I've recieved e-mail with "Activate your VMware ESXi License".

  7. I
    click on the www link from the e-mail and was redirected to the same
    site, where I can download software, but on the top of web page I can
    find "Licensing ESXI" and information "This license key is only valid
    for VMware ESXi 3.5 Update 2 and later". So I suppose it's also valid
    for ESXI 4.0. I'm I right?

  8. I would like to register my ESXi 4 installed software and vSphere Client. From
    the vSphere Client Menu I chose: Help -> VMware on the web ->
    Register Now. The site ask me for "Serial Number/License Activation
    Code" so i typed license key. Iassume, that this license key should not be passed here, because web site replay that: "Serial Number/License Activation Code has already been registered". So how to do it?

As I've wrote I'm confused. How to register ESXi 4.0 and vSphere Client properly? What I've done wrong and how to correct it?

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1 Solution

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maishsk
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In order to enter the serial number in your ESX4i host

Home -> Inventory -> top level (your ESXi Host)

Configuration Tab

Left-hand side - Licensed features

Edit -> Assign new key to this host -> Enter Key

Paste your key

Confirm all the rest

Your ESXi Server is now fully licensed

Please note - you will only have the basic functionality and all the enterprise features that came with the Evaluation License are no longer valid

Maish

Virtualization Architect & Systems Administrator

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design

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12 Replies
AntonVZhbankov
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Yes, your license key is still valid for ESXi 4.0.

You already registered this serial number when system generated it and sticked to your account. That's all.


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maishsk
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In order to enter the serial number in your ESX4i host

Home -> Inventory -> top level (your ESXi Host)

Configuration Tab

Left-hand side - Licensed features

Edit -> Assign new key to this host -> Enter Key

Paste your key

Confirm all the rest

Your ESXi Server is now fully licensed

Please note - you will only have the basic functionality and all the enterprise features that came with the Evaluation License are no longer valid

Maish

Virtualization Architect & Systems Administrator

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design
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mzbb
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Thank you. That's what I suppose to do.

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tranvanbruce
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Wow, thanks for the help. VM licensing are confusing.

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Schnizzle
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I'm having a similar issue only i'm getting this AFTER a successful upgrade from ESXi 3.5 to ESXi 4.0. Prior to the upgrade i was NOT in evaluation mode, I had already entered the license key for the basic version of 'esxi 3.5' several months ago and things have been just fine. Now, after the 4.0 upgrade, I am back in evaluation mode only now I am unable to enter a license key anywhere. If I go to Configuration tab > Licensed Features, it says: Evaluation Mode and then if i click on Edit - my options are: Rename, Remove and Client Settings, with the first two options being greyed out and unavailable. I have the ESXi 4.0 key that I received when I downloaded 4.0 but I just can't enter it anywhere to get out of evaluation mode!

Any ideas?

Thanks,

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mzbb
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I don't know how to delete post.

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dwittenberg2008
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Ok, I'm having this same issue, except I'm not seeing the options in the vsphere client to install the new license. I had no problems with 3.x installs, but this one has me confused. Why do they make it so tough just to enter a license code. Geesh.

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kevintang
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Thanks, the way of ESXi registration is a little hard to figure out without some help.

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Paulo_souza
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Thanks .... worked for me.

Peace, Health and Love

Paulo Roberto

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laz54
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Thank you for your explanation. Maybe VMWare should write this on the download page of ESXi...

Cheers.

Erion

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liptonnc
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Thanks a lot.

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DSTAVERT
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Moving to the Hypervisor free forums






Forum Upgrade Notice - the VMware Communities forums will be upgraded the weekend of December 12th. The forum will be in read-only mode from Friday, December 10th 6 PM PST until Sunday, December 12th 2 AM PST.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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