How to install VMWare EXSi 8 on VMware Workstation

Panya Post April 16, 2025

 


Installing VMware ESXi 8 inside VMware Workstation is a great way to build a virtual lab environment for testing and learning. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

🔧 What You Need

  1. VMware Workstation (Pro or Player)
  2. VMware ESXi 8 ISO file (Download from VMware’s official site)
  3. A decent amount of RAM and CPU resources (ESXi is a hypervisor, so it’ll need nested virtualization)

🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Enable Virtualization

Make sure VT-x/AMD-V is enabled in your system BIOS/UEFI.

Step 2: Create a New VM in VMware Workstation

  1. Open VMware Workstation
  2. Click “Create a New Virtual Machine”
  3. Choose “Custom (advanced)”, click Next
  4. Set hardware compatibility (you can use the default or choose the latest)
  5. Select “Installer disc image file (iso)”, and browse to your ESXi 8 ISO
  6. OS: Select “Other” > “VMware ESXi 7” (ESXi 8 may not be listed yet, 7 is fine)
  7. Name the VM (e.g., ESXi-8-Host) and choose a location
  8. Set firmware type: BIOS or UEFI (UEFI is preferred for newer systems)
  9. Set number of processors: 2 cores minimum
  10. Allocate RAM: at least 4 GB, but 8 GB+ recommended
  11. Network: Bridged or NAT (Bridged is better for lab environments)
  12. SCSI controller: LSI Logic (Recommended)
  13. Virtual disk: Create a new virtual disk (at least 10–20 GB)
  14. Disk type: SCSI is fine
  15. Finish setup

Step 3: Enable Nested Virtualization

Before powering on the VM:

  1. Go to the VM settings
  2. Click on Processors
  3. Enable: ✅ “Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI”

Step 4: Power On and Install ESXi 8

  1. Power on the VM
  2. The ESXi installer will boot
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts:
    • Accept license
    • Select disk
    • Set root password
  4. After installation, it will ask you to remove installation media and reboot
  5. Let it boot into ESXi 8

Step 5: Access ESXi Web Interface

Once booted:

  1. The ESXi welcome screen will show an IP address
  2. Open a browser on your host and go to:
    https://[ESXi-IP-Address]
  3. Login with root and the password you set

✅ Tips

  • Performance: Allocate plenty of RAM and CPU to ESXi if you plan to run nested VMs inside it.
  • Networking: For nested VMs in ESXi to access the internet, consider bridging your VMware Workstation network to your actual network.
  • Storage: You can add additional virtual disks to the ESXi VM for extra datastores.

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