The expiration date will change to . The product name will display as VMware vSphere 6 Hypervisor .
This guide covers the legal status, alternative download methods, installation steps, and licensing options for VMware ESXi 6.5. ⚠️ Important Update: The Status of Free ESXi
Open any modern web browser and type in the IP address you assigned to the ESXi host during setup (e.g., https://192.168.1.50 ).
Because it is no longer a supported version, you cannot typically find a "Download" button on the standard public VMware/Broadcom site without an existing paid license. However, there are two primary legal ways to still find it: Broadcom Community Broadcom Support Portal: vmware esxi 6.5 download iso free
Once you've downloaded the ISO file, you can install ESXi 6.5 on your server. Here's a brief overview of the installation process:
Enter a secure for your hypervisor administrative account and confirm it. Press F11 to confirm the final installation.
: Introduced a modern, responsive web interface to replace the old Windows-based C# client, making management possible from any browser. The expiration date will change to
Official downloads are typically restricted to customers with existing paid licenses or entitlements. Broadcom has officially marked the older "Free Edition" of ESXi as End of General Availability. Security Risk:
SCSI disk or a local, RAID LUN with unallocated space. How to Create a Bootable ESXi 6.5 USB Drive
with username root and the password created during installation. ⚠️ Important Update: The Status of Free ESXi
Remove the USB drive and press to reboot when finished. Post-Installation Access
Software versions prior to End of General Support (EoS) often have critical security vulnerabilities. VMware ended support for ESXi 6.5 on November 15, 2022 . You should only install this version for legacy hardware compatibility, offline lab environments, or specific air-gapped testing.