You can no longer register on the VMware/Broadcom website to generate a new, perpetual free license key.
Once you have your ISO on a USB drive (using tools like Rufus or BalenaEtcher) or burned to a disk, follow these steps to get the system running.
An enterprise-ready turn-key hypervisor based on the Xen Project.
Understanding how to navigate these changes is crucial if you need to run, patch, or maintain an ESXi 6.5 infrastructure. The Reality of Downloading ESXi 6.5 Free
When first installed, VMware ESXi 6.5 runs on a . During this evaluation period, all enterprise features are fully unlocked. However, when the 60 days expire, your ability to manage power states or modify virtual machines becomes completely locked. To run the host indefinitely for free, you must apply the permanent Free Evaluation License Key. Applying the Free License
: Enforce encrypted VPN access protocols (such as WireGuard or OpenVPN) for administrators trying to manage the hypervisor from remote locations. Share public link
vSphere 6.5 reached End of General Support (EoGS) in November 2022. This means:
Before you fire up that old ISO, consider this:
VMware ESXi 6.5 runs well on Xeon D Supermicro ... - TinkerTry
: Virtual machines built under the free license can have a maximum of 8 virtual CPUs (vCPUs) assigned per individual VM.
Plug the bootable USB into the physical server (or mount it as a virtual ISO if you are using a tool like iLO, iDRAC, or VMware Workstation). Power on the machine and press the appropriate boot menu key (usually F11, F12, or F8 depending on your motherboard). Select your USB drive to start the ESXi installer. Step 3: Run the Installer