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KevinMaire
Contributor
Contributor

Install detects drive, but won't boot

I've installed ESXi 5.5 on a Lenovo RD440 with a software RAID that isn't supported on the HCL.  I just using one drive, and have tried installing without any software controller configuration and after configuring an "array" of 1 drive.

In both causes, the installed detects the lone drive as just that, and installs the OS.  When I boot it won't detect it.

It works fine if I install to an external USB drive.

I've tried disabling the software RAID, but that didn't work either. 

Lenovo support hasn't been much help, other than to say the 300 controller isn't supported by VMware which I already knew.  Just want to address the drive directly.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Kevin Maire

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kiraa
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Are the boot priorities set correctly in the BIOS?

Jake

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kmaire3
Contributor
Contributor

They are set however the BIOS doesn't give the option to address the drive alone - just the RAID controller.  I spoke with Lenovo again yesterday and they said the only way for the internal drives to be addressed is through the controller, which isn't support by VMware.  So I'm going to use USB flash drive to boot from. 

It's curious though that VMware can install to the drive,  and can see the drive as having a VMFS partition on it when I boot with the installer, but can't boot to it.

Thanks - on to USB flash.

Kevin

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