How to Create Bootable vSphere 6.7 Installer USB Flash Drive

VMware released their latest version vSphere 6.7 on April 2018 and I have shared the details on one of my blog post. As we know there are multiple options like remote management console (KVM, ILO, iDRAC), CD Drive to install the ESXi to Physical Server. However, some cases due to a firmware issue, a limited number of ports on switch remote console license unavailability or CD ROM unavailability we will have challenges to install ESXi, in that case, bootable USB with ESXi installer will help to install the hypervisor.

In this post, I will explain how to create a bootable ESXi 6.7 Installer USB Drive using a free tool called Rufus. Following this method, you can create a bootable USB with vSphere 6.7 installer in less than two minutes.

Before starting the installation, you have to verify that all the prerequisites are met to install vSphere 6.7 , you can validate that requirement from the below checklist

vSphere 6.7 Installation Checklist

• Hardware Compatibility with vSphere 6.7 from VMware HCL website
• Virtualization Technology Intel VT or AMD-V available and enabled
• Hardware Firmware and Driver version from VMware and Vendor Website
• Vendor specified Custom ISO availability

Note:- You may create a Custom ISO by referring  VMware Docs

Prerequisite

• vSphere 6.7 standard or Custom ISO image download from VMware or Vendor Website

For Free vSphere 6.7 License refer How to Obtain Free Version Of vSphere (ESXi) 6.7

• Free Software – A free software capable to make USB bootable, we are using Rufus free tool and you can download that from here
• USB Drive– A USB Drive with minimum capacity 4 GB or USB devices with 8 / 16 GB.

 Create Bootable USB Installer

Navigate to the Rufus and vSphere 6.7 ISO Location and you can identify them  as like below

Start Rufus Application

Verify the UDB Drive, here we are using  ” VMARENA-USB “ with Capacity of 4 GB and Browse and map the downloaded ESXi ISO ” VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.7.0-8169922.x86_64.iso ”  and Click on Start 

Note:- Leave the partition Scheme as default “MBR” or if it is shown as GPT please change to MBR  and If required you  may modify the Volume Label or leave it as default one

You will get a Popup message asking to replace menu.c32  , Select Yes to continue

A warning message will Popup  All Data on the Device will be Destroyed, continue to Click OK 

Note:-you can notice the device shows ready state ob this window

USB drive will be formatted and copying of installation files to USB device will start and it will take less than 2 Minute.

Once it is completed in application window you can see status hows READY and  vSphere 6.7 UBN installer media is ready

Next Connect the USB drive to the server , power on and select the first boot device as USB and server will booted to Installation of vSphere 6.7

Note :- Boot order  has to be configured in the server BIOS .

Refer vSphere 6.7 Installation and Setup Guide for more features like image builder

More vSphere 6.7 Posts

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