Help! Host will not boot into esxi 5.5 after installation?

[djordan2]

Trying to set up "whitebox" esxi host for light development use:

Mainboard:      Asus Z87-A (Z87 chipset)

CPU:               Core i7 4770 (supports Intel Virtualization - NOT the 4770K with unlocked core)

Network Card: Dell Broadcom 5709 (expressly listed in HCL as compatible)

Hard Disk:        Western Digital "Green" 1TB hard disk

System boots from Esxi installation CD, recognizes disk, and installs onto disk with NO errors or issues whatsoever.

After that (removing CD of course) system will NOT boot to disk.

(Notes:

Host system had Win 7 installed and was running perfectly.

Motherboard has setting to enable Intel Virtualization - it's been set to "enable"

I had first attempted the esxi install onto a Seagate hybrid SSD drive - with the exact same behavior (system not booting into esxi)

Tried all kinds of boot setting (UEFI and Legacy modes)

Tried various Sata mode settings (SATA, IDE, Native, Legacy)

???

What am I doing wrong here?

Is this mainboard simply not compatible somehow?

Thanks!

[OscarDavey]

Please validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. Each step will provide instructions or a link to a document, to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Please do not skip a step.

1. Ensure that your system meets the requirements for installing or upgrading your ESX/ESXi environment. For more information, seeMinimum system requirements for installing ESX/ESXi (1003661) .
2. Ensure that your hardware is on the hardware compatibility list (HCL) for the version of ESX/ESXi you are installing. See the theVMware Compatibility Guides for more information.
   
   Note: Hardware certified for one version of ESX/ESXi may not always be certified for a later version. Ensure to check the HCL and verify that the hardware is certified. For more information, see Verifying that your ESX/ESXi host hardware (System, Storage, and I/O) devices are supported (1003916....
   
   
3. Verify the issue is not hardware related. For more information, see Verifying your hardware is functioning correctly (1003690)
4. Verify the your firmware and BIOS levels are at the latest revision that is compatible with the ESX/ESXi host. For more information, seeChecking your firmware and BIOS levels to ensure compatibility with ESX/ESXi (1037257).
   
   
5. If you intended to install or upgrade ESX/ESXi host to local storage, verify that the ESX/ESXi installer has not written to your storage area network (SAN). For more information, see After an ESX/ESXi installation, upgrade, or reinstall, SAN LUNs are damaged (1003881) .
6. If you received an error 15 after installation on your Service Console screen, or your ESX host fails to boot see ESX fails to boot after applying patches with the error: Error 15: Could not find file (1004574).

Note: If your problem is not related to any of the issues discussed in this article:

• Gather the VMware Support Script Data. For more information, see Collecting Diagnostic Information in a VMware Virtual Infrastructure Environment (1003689) .
• If possible take a screen-shot of your ESX host console to indicate where the boot process has failed.
• File a support request with VMware Support and note this KB Article ID in the problem description. For more information, see How to Submit a Support Request .

Hope this will help , let me know if you need anything

Best regards

Yours, Oscar

[a_p_]

@OscarDavey

Rather than copying a complete KB article (VMware KB: ESX/ESXi host fails to boot after installation or upgrade), please consider to post a link or at least provide the link to the source. Providing a link ensures that people will find up-to-date information in case the KB article is updated at some time.

André

[tomtom901]

Could you try installing it on an USB stick without any local storage? Be sure to set your boot method accordingly.