Bug in ESXi Web Client- Unable to Add New Disk; Also a Tutorial on "How to Add a Hard Disk to an ESXi Virtual Machine via the Command Line"

[torquewrench]

tl;dr: I was able to work around this by using the command line to create a disk on the datastore and then adding it as an existing disk to the VM. I've described the problem and workaround more thoroughly in my blog post: How to Add a Hard Disk to an ESXi Virtual Machine, but I just wanted to report it since I do believe this behavior is unintended.

Hi everyone,

I recently deployed a new ESXi host (running 6.7.0 Update 2 (Build 13006603) ) to my homelab and I believe I discovered a bug in the ESXi web client. When you try to add a hard disk (new standard hard disk) to the VM via the web client, if the default datastore is near capacity, the save button grays out. That part is expected, but what isn't expected is that when you switch the disk to a datastore that has room, the save button stays grayed-out never to re-enable. Heck, even if you delete the new disk altogether, the button stays grayed out. You have to close the entire edit modal and reopen it to regain the ability to save. It's as if the web client only evaluates the conditions once and, once it fails that initial check, disables the save button permanently, never to re-evaluate the save conditions again.

Thanks in advance!

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Community,

yes, you are right, this seems to be a bug.

Anyway, to work around this - after selecting a datastore with free disk space - either toggle thick/thin provisioning, or temporarily specify a thick disk size that's larger than the free disk space (e.g. make GB -> TB). One of these options should enable the Save button again. Then configure the settings as needed, and save the settings.

André

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[torquewrench]

Hi Andre,

Thanks for the welcome and response. I tried all of that (those were actually the first things I tried). I could never get the "Save" button to re-enable again after it disabled initially. Additionally, even deleting the new disk altogether from the VM configuration (again, in "Edit" of the web client), the "Save" would never re-enable.

I'm guessing this hasn't been found sooner since any enterprise customer would be using vSphere and this problem is unique to the ESXi host's own web client.

[a_p_]

I actually just tried these workaround before responding, and it worked for me.

Client version: 1.30.0

Client build number: 9946814

ESXi version: 6.7.0

ESXi build number: 10302608

André

[torquewrench]

Interesting, I had done the provision changes and had even tried changing the size of the partition (but all within the available space on the datastore) and "Save" never re-enabled- it still doesn't. However, when I add a new disk (from scratch) and select a size over what's available and then drop it back down to what I actually want, "Save" re-enables just like you said! So definitely a bug, but another viable workaround.

I understand VMware probably has bigger problems on their hands right now with the recent release of 6.7U3, but is there anything else I need to do from here to more formally report it to them?

[a_p_]

To report issues officially, you'll need to open a support case with VMware.

However,for the Embedded Host client there's another option. You can report a bug at the ESXi Embedded Host Client's Flings page.

André

[baizidSPL]

Thanks...

This bug is still there with esxi 7.0

Regards,

Baizid

[depping]

Hmmm, that is annoying indeed. I will file a bug for it.

[User47111]

This bug ist still not fixed after more than two years. vmware is just farting right into all our faces ... on purpose!

[GeraldVM]

Still not fixed in ESXi 6.7.0 Patch from 2022-01-04. Workaround works, you need to set the size to something small while still having the initial disk with little free space selected. Then, when the save button is active change to the real intended disk with lots of free space. After that, increase size again. This workaround... works.

I continue to be amazed how buggy and ill maintained ESXi is.