No Joy Connecting to ISO or CD Media

[AustinPowers]

Working on new Dell 2950 host, installed ESX3.5 from the internal CD. Now trying to install OS on first VM. I configured the VM for CD/DVD Drive 1 at host device /dev/scd0, connect at power on. Power up the VM, returns "Operatingn System not found". Changed config to Datastore ISO file, pointed it to a W2K3R2 ISO on an iSCSI datastore. Same result. Reconfigured to point to the same file on a local datastore. Ditto. Switched to point to the FreeBSD ISO provided under /tools/images on ESX. Ditto. It's like no matter which media or ISO I try to boot from, it fails. And I've checked the VM's BIOS to ensure that boot order is CD first.

Hair is in clumps around the keyboard. If I'm missing something simple I'm really gonna be pissed. Any ideas?

[jayolsen]

In your settings for the VM where you change the CD device type, what is checked under Device Status? Try checking the box for Connect at power on and/or connected.

[AustinPowers]

Connect at power on is checked. After I power on, Connected is checked.

[glucot]

I have always had the most success by configuring the CD as a client device and then connecting to either an ISO image or a CD drive on the same box where I run VC Manager.

Greg

[kjb007]

Are you sure your media is good? I would download a new ISO and then retry the boot.

-KjB

[AustinPowers]

Tried configuring as client device, to drive E: on VC. Connected to E: successfully, as toolbar now shows an option for Disconnect CD/DVD 1. However, same result: Operating System not found.

[AustinPowers]

Media is definitely good. It's the same CD I used when I originally installed Win on VC. And when I inserted it into VC just now, the autorun popped up with install options.

And remember I also have the same problem trying to boot from FreeBSD or any of the other factory-supplied ISO files in Tools-Images on ESX.

[kjb007]

Hit 'Esc' during the vm boot/bios screen to get the boot media selection window. Select cd rom. See if you can boot that way. If it goes by too quickly. Use ctrl-alt-ins to reboot, and you should see the bios screen.

-KjB

[glucot]

My ESX servers are running on HP Proliant ML350G5s. The VMs on these boxes try to but from the network when the OS isn't installed. Are your Dells doing the same thing?

Greg

[AustinPowers]

Yes, Intel PXE ROM tries to get a DHCP address, unsuccessfully, then I get the OS not found error/

[glucot]

Great! That's what my boxes do, too. Once I get the OS not found error, I connect the VM to the client CD drive. Next I click the mouse inside the VM console window, hit the escape key and the VM boots from the CD drive.

[AustinPowers]

Son of *****! You had me all excited thinking we were getting somewhere. Did exactly as you described. Same result.

[AustinPowers]

I have also created a completely new VM on a different (identical) host. Pointed it to 3 or 4 diferent ISO files in /tools-isoimages; same results.

I have to break off for a separate client visit. Will likely submit a case when I get back & update w/ results.

Thanks for trying.

[glucot]

OK. One other thing I wrote down in my notes when I encountered this problem was to uncheck the box to connect the network adapter at power on prior to powering up the VM. Next, I followed the steps I gave in my prior reply, installed the OS and then checked the box. I later noted that checking/unchecking the box were unnecessary steps in my case. Maybe it will make a difference in your case.

Greg

[NTurnbull]

Hi, just to make sure the changes are getting to your vm, if you browse the datastore and pull up the .vmx file for the vm you'll see 4 lines,

ide0:0.present = "true"

ide0:0.filename = "path_to_iso"

ide0:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"

ide0:0.startConnected = "true"

Do you get the same in the vmx as thevm properties in VC?

Thanks,

Neil

[HoosierCAB]

You can also for the VM to go directly to the BIOS setup by checking the box in Virtual Machine Properties, Options tab, Boot Options. This helps with ISO images that give you a less than 10 sec countdown before going on to boot off the hard drives.

[NTurnbull]

Oh, BTW, the factory supplied iso's in vmimages/tools-isoimages are the install iso's for VMware Tools - they aren't bootable.

Thanks,

Neil

[kjb007]

Did you try selecting 'Esc' during the boot screen and selec cdrom from the boot menu? If you did, and the cd did not boot, then burn a new CD or try a new ISO.

-KjB

[AustinPowers]

Neil -

I checked the vm's vmx, and config changes coming from VC do make it to the vmx file. I changed options several times and then reviewed vmx after each one, and each one showed correctly. Still no luck booting.

[NTurnbull · Accepted solution]

hmm.. if you go into the vm's BIOS when its booting, just check that the CD-ROM is first in the boot order (I know you've already checked but I was told never assume anything :smileyblush: ) Oh and do you have something like a manufacturers original install CD, Win 2003 for example? You could try that to confirm/deny if its a problem with the vm booting or the ISO image.

Thanks,

Neil