6.5.1

Table Of Contents
Procedure
1 Download the ESXi installer from the VMware Web site at
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/downloads.
ESXi is listed under Datacenter & Cloud Infrastructure.
2 Confirm that the md5sum is correct.
See the VMware Web site topic Using MD5 Checksums at
http://www.vmware.com/download/md5.html.
Upgrade Hosts Interactively
To upgrade ESXi 5.5 hosts or ESXi 6.0 hosts to ESXi 6.5, you can boot the ESXi installer from a CD,
DVD, or USB flash drive.
Before upgrading, consider disconnecting the network storage. This action decreases the time it takes the
installer to search for available disk drives. When you disconnect network storage, any files on the
disconnected disks are unavailable at installation. Do not disconnect a LUN that contains an existing
ESXi installation.
Prerequisites
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Verify that the ESXi installer ISO in one of the following locations.
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On CD or DVD. If you do not have the installation CD or DVD, you can create one. See Download
and Burn the ESXi Installer ISO Image to a CD or DVD
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On a USB flash drive. See Format a USB Flash Drive to Boot the ESXi Installation or Upgrade
Note You can also use PXE to boot the ESXi installer to run an interactive installation or a scripted
installation. See PXE Booting the ESXi Installer.
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Verify that the server hardware clock is set to UTC. This setting is in the system BIOS.
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ESXi Embedded must not be on the host. ESXi Installable and ESXi Embedded cannot exist on the
same host.
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If you are upgrading an ESXi host, supported custom VIBs that are not included in the ESXi installer
ISO are migrated. See Upgrading Hosts That Have Third-Party Custom VIBs
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See your hardware vendor documentation for information about changing the boot order.
Procedure
1 Insert the ESXi installer CD or DVD in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, or attach the Installer USB
flash drive and restart the machine.
2 Set the BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM device or the USB flash drive.
vSphere Upgrade
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