Can't boot off CD/DVD

[NateH]

Hi all,

Newbie to VM and ESX.

I downloaded the newest version and installed on host machine. Configured everything that seemed to go well. I then connected to the host via web URL and am able to see and manipulate the host. However, when I attempt to load an actual OS, the boot is not going to the CD. It is attempting to boot from the network.

The host machine is a Dell PE 860 and I went through and applied and connected the CD at the startup. So the host machine seems to recognize the CD. I even went into the virtual machine and asked that it boot to the BIOS. I then went in there and set the boot process to put the CD drive as first item. But nothing seems to make it want to boot from there.

Advice?

[aguacero]

I would recommend you use the VI Client for administration. You can get the VI client from the http://IP_OF_ESX_HOST. You can then use the "Console" of your new VM and hit the ESC key to change the boot process to point to the CDROM. Also you may want to verify that the CDROM within the VM is CONNECTED.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

[NateH]

Thanks, but that is how I access the host machine. I tried the ESC but the device does not even attempt to boot from CD, like in an actual hardware. When I power up the VM, it gives me a selection and I choose to connect the CD/DVD, but it seems to ignore it.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Did you check the "connect at power on " option when you selected the host CD rom? What options display when you select host CD-ROM? Have you also tried this using an ISO file or CD-ROM in your PC's drive (i.e. where the VI client is running)?

[NateH]

I did not see an option for connect on power on.

Are you saying that I can put the boot disk in the PC to boot from it? I thought it had to be in the host server?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

You have 3 options for a CD-ROM

1) Host device - i.e. physical CD-ROM in the host

2) Datastore ISO file - this is my favorite - just copy an ISO image to the host. To copy a file to the server, select the summary view for the host, right click on the datastore and select Browse (see 1st image). Then you'll have icon to upload / download / copy files. Once you've copied the file to the server, edit the CD-ROM, choose browse datastore and find the ISO file.

When you do either of these options, above the Device Type section is Device Status - you'll want to check connect at power on.

3) Client Device - the is a CD-ROM or ISO file on your PC (or ISO file that your PC can access on the network). I do the following for this option

a) Boot options (2nd image) and set a delay of 10000 to 15000 ms (10 to 15 seconds).

b) open a console session for the VM (right click on the VM and select Open Console) and then power it on. Once you have it powered on you can select to connect your client device (3rd image).

[NateH]

David, That did it. Your hint helped me figure it out.

thank you

[nmaterna]

Thank you so much. I started the evaluation of this product and just can't believe how many issues came up. I could not get any of my cd's to boot an operating system. Changing the Boot options/delay did the trick. I have setup 2 MS 2008 servers with Hypervisor and it is working really well. I wanted to try VMWare because of all the good things I had been reading. But their website is awfull, way to hard to find stuff much less understand what they are doing. How do you like using it?

Thanks again