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totalstu1
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ESXi embedded, can't boot new virtual machine

We just installed a Dell PowerEdge 2950 with ESXi embedded. That part went well. I am able to connect to it via the client. I can create a new virtual machine. This is where I run into problems. No matter what i've tried the machine will not boot. I'v tried the Host Device as the CDROM, the Client Device as the CDROM, and even created ISO's of the W2003 cd's and uploaded them. I can't figure out why it won't boot. Each time it tried to boot from the network and when it fails it just states "operating system not found" and stays like that. I've booted into the bios of the VM and made sure the boot options are correct, etc. I am lost.

I've been reading this forum for like a day and while I see some who have had similiar issues I haven't seen this exact issue or an issue with an answer that applies to my issue. It could be the pre holiday drinking Smiley Happy

Hopefully someone can advise.

Thanks

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Take a look at this post and try the instructions for booting from a client side ISO image - http://communities.vmware.com/message/1106573#1106573.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Welcome to the VMware Community forums. Have you updated to the lastest build of ESXi? For the host cd-rom, there's been a issue with some SATA based devices which prevent them from being used in a VM. Do you know what kind of controller the host CD/DVD-ROm is attached to? When you're using the datastore ISO image option, are you checking the connect at power on option?

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totalstu1
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THe build of ESXi is as it was when we got the server. It is imbedded. It is at version 3.5.0 build 82664. How would we go about updating it?

The machine is using SAS drives, in a raid 5 config. I'm not sure what kind of controller the host DVD-Rom is attached to. Would that be easy to discover and if som how? I did check the connect at power on option when tryig to use the datastore image option.

We used to use the server version of vmware on older computers. We decided to consolidate, mainly to get rid of those old PC's, and decided to go ESXi on a powerful machine so we could have one dedicated box for our VM's. Server was easy in getting vm's to boot, etc. Who'd have thought ESXi not so easy Smiley Happy

Thanks

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NTurnbull
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Hi, have you checked the vm boot order to make sure its hitting CD-ROM before HD? Easiest way is edit the settings for the vm, goto options tab and under boot options you can force the vm to boot into its BIOS on next boot. Either that or have you tested the ISO? Did get someone that had the .ISO suffix in CAPS and it didn't work for some reason while in lowercase it was fine

Thanks,

Neil

Thanks, Neil
totalstu1
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I have checked to make sure the boot order is correct. The .iso suffix on the ones I created are in lower case. I have attached some screen caps. Maybe i am missing something.

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totalstu1
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One more pic.

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totalstu1
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Bump!

Back from the holidays, hope you all had a good one, and still looking for assistance.

So close, but yet so far ?:|

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Dave_Mishchenko
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See this page regarding applying patches - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/Patch_3i_without_VC.php.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Have you tried a different ISO or verified that the currenty own will boot properly?

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totalstu1
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I stumbled across that page just prior to your posting. I did the update using the vmware infrastructure utility. I was hoping that would solve the problem but it didn't. The ISO dis definately bootable as I tried it using a different computer.

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Take a look at this post and try the instructions for booting from a client side ISO image - http://communities.vmware.com/message/1106573#1106573.

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totalstu1
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Score!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure why or how but Dave's last posting with the link did the trick. Now I can create the VM using the client side CDROM. Now I can at least have VM up and running and still try to figure out the boot from datastore ISO.

Thanks

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