Note: The free ESXi 8.0 version (starting from 8.0 U3E) has a baked-in license, meaning it does not require a separate license key for initial activation. 2. Preparing for Installation Before installing, you must prepare the installation media. A USB drive with at least 4GB of capacity.
Register for a free basic account if you do not have one.
https://<your_esxi_ip_address>
Will you be connecting this to a (like a SAN or NAS)? vmware esxi 80 download iso google drive install
Use the arrow keys to select the target hard drive, SSD, or NVMe drive where you want to install the ESXi OS. Press .
Type a secure password for the system account. The password must contain a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Confirm the password and press Enter . Step 5: Finalizing the Installation
The good news is that the is officially available again via the Broadcom Support Portal . 1. Official Download (Recommended) Note: The free ESXi 8
⚠️ A Critical Warning Regarding "Google Drive" Downloads
Note the provided on the site to verify your file integrity after downloading. 2. Hardware Requirements for ESXi 8.0
As of mid-2026, the is available, allowing you to run VMs for free without a license key. A USB drive with at least 4GB of capacity
(Example: https://192.168.1.100 )
Enter the static IP address assigned to your ESXi host (e.g., https://192.168.1.50 ).
| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | “No network adapters found” | Unsupported NIC (Realtek) | Inject community network drivers or switch to Intel NICs. | | “CPU not supported” | CPU lacks IBRS (Pre-Nehalem) | Install ESXi 6.7 or upgrade hardware. | | Google Drive download fails | Quota exceeded | Create a shortcut of the file to your own Drive, then download. | | Installation freezes at 89% | Corrupted ISO | Re-download via Google Drive and verify SHA256 checksum. |
It cannot be added to a vCenter server for centralized management.