http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2004784
- Acquire and create an installation CD/DVD by downloading ESXi 5.0 from the VMware Download Center and burn the ISO file onto CD/DVD media.
- Insert the ESXi 5.0 Installable CD into the CD/DVD-ROM drive.
- Press the key required to activate your machine's BIOS setup. This key is often a function key or the Delete key. For more information, consult your hardware vendor documentation.
- Ensure that you have set the BIOS to boot from a CD/DVD-ROM device. This varies based on manufacturer.
- Boot off the ESXi 5.0 Installation CD/DVD media.
- Let the Automatic boot countdown and boot as normal. The ESXi 5.0 installation process begins and you see that the kernel modules and drivers are loaded. The installation continues to load at a yellow screen.
- Wait for the installation to load completely.
- After you see the Welcome screen, press Enter to continue with the installation.
- Read the End-User License Agreement (EULA) and press F11 if you accept.
The installer detects the disks available for installation. If it sees the flash drive, it is be presented as USB under type, and the model as flash reader. - Select this device to install ESXi 5.x and press Enter. If the device is not listed, ensure that your machine sees the device and that the device is compatible. For more information, see the vSphere Compatibility Matrix.
- Select the keyboard layout. This is usually Default.
- Enter the root password you want. VMware recommends that you do not leave this blank.
The installation begins and may take up to 15 minutes. - When the installation completes, remove the installation CD/DVD-ROM.
- Press Enter to reboot the host.
- Set the first boot device to be the drive on which you installed ESXi on to the USB flash drive or SD flash card.
