no storage device found anymore by installation guest os in vm

[Elburg25]

Hello,

I try to install a guest operating system on a new virtual machine, but I can't proceed.

I use a Dell PowerEdge 2850 server, VMware ESXi 3.5 update 3 hypervisor and VMware Infrastructure Client on my computer with Windows XP host operating system.

I am able to create a new virtual machine and also to boot from a cd for the installation of a guest operating system, which is (again) Windows XP. When the installation-setup asks me to press enter for a new installation, the next thing is a screen with the message that the setup can't find any storage device! This is weird, because I use the same datastore as other created vm's are placed on and those other vm's still work. I created the new vm several times and deleted them, this is no problem. I rebooted the server, but this didn't help.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[mvoss18 · Accepted solution]

I've also ran into this issue with a new XP VM install. Windows XP lacks a driver for either the BusLogic or LSILogic storage controller... without the driver the virtual controller is not

recognised and the disks are not found.

http://knmi.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/vmware-installing-windows-xp-on-esx-using-lsi-logic-driver/

[malaysiavm]

are you using the XP sp2 or XP sp3 CD in your case?

Craig

vExpert 2009

Malaysia VMware Communities -

[DSTAVERT]

You need to add the scsi drivers during the install. You can download the driver floppy image http://download3.vmware.com/software/vmscsi-1.2.0.4.flp and copy it to your datastore. Edit the settings for your XP VM and point the floppy to the floppy image in the datastore. Now start the install. As the install disk is starting press the F6 key. That will prompt you to insert a floppy into drive A. You can now click the connect floppy button in the VI client. XP will read the disk and select the SCSI driver.

[Elburg25]

Thank you very much, I will try all this immediately monday at work. Looks like this is the solution. I wouldn't have thought the problem could be windows xp as a guest os that quickly. I will let you know how it worked out.

The service pack I want to use is sp3.

greets

[Elburg25]

Hey, today I walked through the steps and it worked. Thanks again!