How to Install Windows 10 on VMware ESXi 8.0

In this article, we will examine how to set up and use the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system in a new virtual machine using the VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 8.0 virtualization infrastructure on a physical server.

How to Run Windows 10 in a Virtual Machine on VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 8.0

By using vSphere ESXi, a great virtualization technology developed by VMware, you can use a powerful physical server with multiple virtual systems instead of using a single operating system. The benefit of this is to obtain maximum efficiency from a physical server and to minimize the company’s IT costs.

A company may have more than one server or computer in IT coordination. It can make a physical server more efficient with ESXi by using DHCP service to assign automatic IP addresses, managing all computers used by users from a single server, or performing remote management control with Active Directory service. You can also run services such as DHCP and Active Directory on different systems by installing the Windows Server system on separate VMs.

One of the widely used end-user operating systems today is Windows 10. Due to licensing costs, in some cases, you can transfer one of the Windows Server services to Windows 10 and run it.

VMware ESXi is installed on a physical server in the real world, but if you have budget problems or want to gain experience, you can test it by installing it on a virtualization program. We recommend you buy a secondhand server and install ESXi on it.

How to Create a New VM for Windows 10

First, type your server’s IP address in the URL address line of the Google Chrome or Opera web browser and connect. Upload the Windows 10 ISO file to the Datastore section, and then proceed to the steps to create a virtual machine.

Step 1

After connecting to ESXi Host Client, click Virtual Machines on the left panel.

Step 2

Click on Create / Register VM as in the image below to start the new virtual machine wizard on the Virtual Machines screen.

Step 3

When the New Virtual Machine wizard opens, you need to continue by creating a new disk to prepare a new virtual computer. Therefore, select Create a New Virtual Machine on the Creation Type screen and click Next.

Step 4

Since you will be running Windows 10 on the virtual server, type the name of the relevant system or a different name in the Name field. Next, configure the Compatibility setting to 8.0, the Guest OS Family setting to Windows, and finally, the Guest OS Version to Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) and continue.

• Compatibility: ESXi 8.0 Virtual Machine
• Guest OS Family: Windows
• Guest OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

Step 5

On the Select Storage screen, select the Datastore where you will install the virtual PC and click Next.

Step 6

On the Virtual Hardware screen, configure the CPU number to 1 or the desired amount for Windows 10. Also, if you want to use the virtualization feature of the host machine on the guest machine, check the Hardware Virtualization option and enable the IOMMU feature for better memory management in the VM. Finally, you can use the Performance Counters feature to view information about the VM’s processor performance.

• Hardware Virtualization: Expose Hardware-Assisted Virtualization to the Guest OS
• IOMMU: Expose IOMMU to the Guest OS
• Performance Counters: Enable Virtualized CPU Performance Counters

Step 7

Before you can run Windows 10 on an NVMe virtual disk, you must remove the default SCSI Controller and the disk attached to it. Click X to remove the SCSI Controller and Hard Disk 1 from the VM, as in the image below.

Step 8

To add a new disk controller, click Add Other Device and then NVMe Controller.

Step 9

After adding the disk controller, expand the Add Hard Disk option and click New Standard Hard Disk.

Step 10

To mount the ISO file, you add Datastore to the VM, expand the CD/DVD Drive 1 device option, and click Datastore ISO File.

Step 11

When Datastore Browser opens, open the location where you downloaded the ISO file and click SELECT after marking the file.

Step 12

To better adapt the screen resolution of the Windows 10 guest machine, expand the settings of the Video Card device and enable the Total Video Memory size of 256 MB, allow the 3D Graphics, and configure the 3D Memory size to 1024 MB. Depending on the graphics card of your host server, you can set the video memory sizes here to a higher value.

Step 13

After configuring the Windows 10 hardware settings in the vSphere virtual machine well, continue.

Step 14

Finally, check the hardware settings of the virtual operating system again and click FINISH to close the wizard.

Step 15

Click Power on to start installing the operating system on the virtual computer you have prepared.

How to Install Windows 10

When you run the Windows 10 VM, it will boot with the installation media, and press any key on your keyboard to start the setup wizard on this screen.

Step 1

After starting the installation wizard, select the system display language you want to use for Win10, choose the language you use in the same way for the time and region settings to work correctly, and finally, select the keyboard layout you will use on the guest machine and click Next.

Step 2

After adjusting the critical system settings, click the Install Now button in the wizard and continue.

Step 3

If you are going to use a licensed Win10 system on your virtual computer, enter the product key you purchased on this screen and then click Next. If you only want to test the system, continue with the “I don’t have a product key” option.

Step 4

Choose the Home, Home N, Home Single Language, Education, Education N, Pro, or Pro N versions of Windows 10 that suit you and your infrastructure. Usually, Windows 10 Pro has advanced features compared to others, so you can choose it and continue.

Step 5

If you accept the Windows Operating System license terms, which were finally updated in June 2021, select the relevant option and click Next.

Step 6

If you want to install a Windows 10 from scratch in the window containing the installation type options, select Custom: Install Windows Only (Advanced).

Step 7

If you have specified the size of the virtual disk in a larger size, you can create a partition according to your needs on the partition screen. If you want to copy the system files directly without configuring the disk, you can click Next.

To edit the unallocated disk space, click New and activate the Size section. Then click the Apply button to confirm using the automatically determined size. Finally, additional partitions should be created so that all Windows features can work correctly and continue.

Step 8

After configuring the disk, select Drive 0 Partition 3 logically and click Next.

Step 9

Wait while the wizard copies all the Windows 10 system files to the partition you selected.

Step 10

After the copying process of the necessary files is finished, you can wait for the specified time or restart your virtual system directly.

Step 11

At the first startup of Windows, wait for a while at the “Getting devices ready” screen.

Step 12

When you reach the personalization screen, first select the location you live in from the list and continue.

Step 13

If you want to change your keyboard layout at this stage, select the design that suits you from the list and click Yes.

Step 14

If you don’t need a second keyboard layout, you can skip this step.

Step 15

From this screen, you can choose the purpose for which you will use your guest machine. If your current network environment has Active Directory, we recommend continuing with Set Up for an Organization. Otherwise, continue with Set Up for Personal Use for a typical setup.

Step 16

Using a Microsoft account, you can back up your files online and work in sync across your devices. However, you can choose to continue with the Offline Account.

Step 17

Microsoft again emphasizes the importance of using an online account, but click Limited Experience to confirm using an offline account.

Step 18

For example, if you only want to provide DHCP server service with a Win10 guest machine, you can create a user named Win10DHCP.

Step 19

Create a strong password for your user name in accordance with your company policies.

Step 20

Adjust the privacy settings of your device in accordance with your company policy and continue.

Step 21

You can choose the purpose for which you will use your virtual guest operating system on the personalization screen.

Step 22

After a short time, after making system settings and personal features, Windows 10’s desktop screen will welcome you.

How to Install VMware Tools

After installing Windows 10 with VMware vSphere ESXi, you need to install VMware Tools to install the drivers for a Windows, Linux, or macOS virtual system you run on the virtual server.

Step 1

Click Actions / Guest OS / Install VMware Tools from the tool panel to install the drivers for any operating system you have installed.

Step 2

When the image file of VMware Tools is mounted on your virtual system, click the Autoplay window and click Run setup64.exe in the disk content window that opens.

Step 3

When the driver installation wizard opens, click Next after reading the information provided.

Step 4

If you want to use the virtual machine running in vSphere in other virtualization platforms developed by VMware, check Complete and click Next.

Step 5

After editing the installation options, click Install to start the installation.

Step 6

Wait while the video drivers and other virtual hardware drivers of the Win10 system are installed.

Step 7

After installing the necessary drivers of the guest operating system, click Finish to close the wizard and restart your system for the changes to take effect.

Step 8

You can see that the VMware SVGA 3D device has been successfully installed under Display Adapters in the device manager of your Windows 10 virtual system, and you can also use your VM in full-screen resolution.

Video

Installing Old Versions

Conclusion

As a result, using Windows 10 on VMware ESXi 8.0 increases productivity. Additionally, it reduces IT costs. In short, server virtualization improves resource utilization. Additionally, it increases efficient business processes by providing centralized management.

By following the steps in this article, you can create a virtual machine for Windows 10 on your ESXi host. Then, you can configure it professionally and enjoy the benefits of this setup.

For testing or production purposes, virtualization with VMware ESXi 8.0 is ideal. It also optimizes the IT infrastructure and gives you a lot of options.