VMware Esxi 4.1.0 Problem

hellarda · 24 Jan 2011 at 20:16

hi again, Sorry for the second thread but i though the last one was getting too confusing so here is a nice new easy thread

what i want to do:

Install VMware Esxi 4.1.0 on a Dell poweredge 2850 via a USB stick (as it has no CD ROM drive) the specs are:

2x 3.2Ghz Xeon (800Mhz FSB and 64 bit support)
4gb RAM
1x 72GB SCSI 80 Pin drive

I have created the bootable USB using http://www.ivobeerens.nl/?p=699 that guide.

The problem I am having is, after the yellow and grey half and half screen, after it loads cbt? i think a quick error message flashes up with no chance of me being able to read it, all i can see is that the message is red and then i get a message saying 'Rescanning in 10 seconds, press enter to rescan immediately'

it then proceeds to rescan (something :confused:

) every 10 seconds... :/

i cannot find anything about this on google..... so any help will be greatly appriciated

once again sorry for the second thread....

cheers

ali

madman045 · 24 Jan 2011 at 20:43

What SCSI controller is the HDD attached to?

Also what Bios version is the server currently at?

hellarda · 24 Jan 2011 at 21:08

attached to a PERC 4e and it is on A06 revision

droyden · 24 Jan 2011 at 21:43

Photograph? Or video it on your phone and flick through it frame by frame. As I asked in one of your other 3 threads, are you using the Dell VMware iso or the vmware one?

hellarda · 24 Jan 2011 at 21:55

I have tried videoing it and all of the error i can make out is something about system configuration

sorry didnt see it, im using the vmware one

droyden · 24 Jan 2011 at 21:59

try the dell one instead, put your service tag into the driver part (on http://support.dell.com) and download it

hellarda · 24 Jan 2011 at 22:24

the only ones i could find were: ESXi 4.0 Update 1 (and 2)

these any good?

will download anyway

hellarda · 25 Jan 2011 at 17:48

right have downloaded 'VMware-VMvisor-Installer-4.0_Update2-261974-x86_64-Dell-Customized_A01' which was the only one on their website and now when i try and boot it, the server comes up with error:

remove disks or other media.
press any key to restart

i have no idea what to do?

thanks again

zetec452 · 25 Jan 2011 at 19:59

Is your media bootable? Stick it in a PC or laptop and see if it works (providing it won't format the machine automatcially).

hellarda · 25 Jan 2011 at 21:30

well it is active in disk management, i don't think that the image is right though as it says 'update' in the name, but i cant seem to find a custom dell on that is the 4.1.0 non update

droyden · 25 Jan 2011 at 23:25

ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/esg solutions...llerCD-4.1-260247.i386_DellCustomized_A00.iso

hellarda · 26 Jan 2011 at 09:02

thanks for that, at school at the moment but will download when i get home.

where did you find that?

hellarda · 26 Jan 2011 at 19:01

i downloaded the file, made the USB stick bootable using this http://www.intowindows.com/bootable-usb/ (up to step 4) and then copied the contents over.... however i now still get the error

remove disks or other media
press any key to restart

i assume this means that the stick is not bootable? even thought doing those steps in diskpart should make it bootable?

cheers

droyden · 27 Jan 2011 at 08:09

I found it on the drivers page. Do you have a picture of the error? is it a vmware error or a server error?

hellarda · 27 Jan 2011 at 15:34

i can get one.... its definately a server error, when i press a key to restart, the USB stick LED flashes and then the same error occurs again

LizardKing · 27 Jan 2011 at 15:43

I think your method of creating the USB stick wont work with a Linux distro,
try the following app
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-multiple-iso-from-usb-multiboot-usb/

I'm not sure how much luck you will get though as sometimes linux just refuses to work when loaded from the memory. (with the exception of live distros as this is just how they work

)

hellarda · 27 Jan 2011 at 18:10

right tried it with that program and it booted to the multiboot bit, but then when i selected the image to boot it sed 'Error 60: File for drive emulation must be in one continuous disk area' :confused:

i know that the image can be booted from USB because i managed to do it earlier, but couldnt get past a vmware error, but i cant remember how i did that

Mr Plow · 27 Jan 2011 at 20:25

Have you tried Unetbootin?

install-esx-4-from-usb-using-unetbootin/

The guide's a couple of years old but will work with 4.1 according to comments posted.

hellarda · 27 Jan 2011 at 21:39

thanks for that link, ive just tried it and it did enable me to boot into the vmware installer, but now after i select the disk to install to and hit F11 to install, i get an immediate error saying

The installation operation has encountered a fatal error:

Unable to fins the system image to install. This is due to the image not being mounted correctly or the CD-ROM not being supported.

again, any more ideas?

cheers

Mr Plow · 28 Jan 2011 at 12:42

Did you change the syslinux.cfg file as the guide says?

I had a read through this thread on the VMware forums -

Cannot install VMware ESXi 4.1 "Unable to find the system image to install"

Some people got it working by installing 4.0 and upgrading it via the CLI or using an iso image on an external dvd/cd drive.