Minimum requirements for laptop

[candabi]

I'm trying to develope a lab enviroment into a new laptop for 2 two machines testing only.

Is a Core2 duo 1,8 Ghz (T7100) , 1024 Mb RAM

When I run the 3.5 (update3) ESXi setup, I receive after reading the agreement the following error:

"Unable to find a supported device to write the VMware ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 image to"

I have tried to disable the 'sata native mode' in the BIOS to off with the same result.

any idea? (I can install, for example, Windows XP without any trouble, the HDD is ok)

[khughes]

You're getting that message most likely because ESXi isn't built to run on the SATA controller being used in your laptop. ESX and SATA controllers have been hit or miss on a lot of them.

• Kyle

[djciaro]

For lab purposes a workstation is more likely to work than a laptop.

You might find it easier to install VMware workstation and Install ESX as a VM

Should you wish to continue installing ESXi directly on the laptop the following site might help you:

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

[candabi]

Thanks, djciaro

The second link might help me. And that link too:

The controller is an Intel ICH8,

I've wasted all day trying to install it !! How can it be? What am I doing bad? I have follow all steps in the above link with no results

Anybody have got the same issue?

[khughes]

I've wasted all day trying to install it !! How can it be? What am I doing bad? I have follow all steps in the above link with no results

Anybody have got the same issue?

You're not the only one trying to try out ESXi on non-supported hardware --

• Kyle

[Jackobli]

I've wasted all day trying to install it !! How can it be?

Could it be, that this product is not intended to be installed on a laptop?

What am I doing bad? I have follow all steps in the above link with no results

Could it be, that you did not read the requirements written in the official hcl of VMWare?

So one could be lucky and successfully run ESXi on a unsupported machine, others may not be lucky.

If you really have to run ESXi for testing, try VMWare Workstation. There is an eval, so you can try free.

Or better, use a Desktop with components from the vm-help.com - whitelist.