When trying to install Win 2019 server guest, the O/S cannot see the local drives. Requests drivers. Using vSphere iESX 6.5.

[KnightGP]

On vSphere iESX 6.5, When trying to install a Windows 2019 server guest, the O/S cannot see local drives. Requests drivers.

I cannot see any other users with this issue. I've downloaded the ISO three times incase there was corruption, but the results are the same.

Does anyone know why this won't recognize the local disks provided automatically by the new guest wizard?

Note I use the Server 2016 template version as recommended.

I've tried letting it search the VMware tools disk. I've repointed to the 2019 DVD. But it does not see suitable drivers.

Geoff.

[MikeStoica]

You copied the iso on the ESXi 6.5 system datastore or it's  on network share?

[diegodco31]

Hello

Do you use VMware Paravirtual as the default SCSI controller?

[KnightGP]

I copied the ISO to a Datastore.

[KnightGP]

No, I used the default controller setup by the server 2016 template. Which is LSI logic SAS.  Note that I tried adding an IDE controller to test it, and the results were the same.

[ThompsG]

Hi there,

Would you be so kind as to post the vmx file here for us to take a look at the configuration?

Thanks and kind regards.

[KnightGP]

To all, thanks for your help.

In the end after a lot of experimentation, I gave up getting it working as is, and upgraded to the latest 6.5 patches on the Hosts. This worked. The Windows 2019 install routine now sees the local disks.

(To any who felt this should have been the first step, I didn't see any caveats about patch level or similar in VMware's advise. Only Versions  6.5, 6.5U1 and 6.7  as qualifying levels for being compatible with Win 2019.)

And I was trying to avoid these updates because within a week, I will be upgrading to 6.7, and I didn't want to have to run though the hosts twice if I could avoid it.

Again, thanks to all who contributed.

Geoff.

[KnightGP · Accepted solution]

And so to summarize,

The solution was, you must have the latest 6.5 patches for it to work with Win 2019 correctly.

[ThompsG]

Hi Geoff,

Excellent work and glad you were able to resolve it. Have a great day,

ThompsG

[jurek24]

could you tell me if you can add CPUs online to the Windows Server 2019 without crashing the VM?

[ThompsG]

Hi there,

Noticed you started a new thread so will answer or attempt this is that place

Kind regards