Post date: Jul 29, 2014 9:41:15 AM
Windows 8 and Windows 2012 will not install/boot on ESXi 4.1. The minimum version is ESX5.0 (plus updates) or 5.1 onwards.
To get new versions on Windows to run on 4.1 you need to copy a new bios file to the datastore on the VM and then modify the vmware configuration file.
Create your VM. It will not boot, but the datastore structure and config files etc will be created.
Download the Bios ROM file from below - bios.440.rom
Upload to the VM datastore. Keep in the same location of the VMX config file
Download the VMX file, append the 4 lines of code below to the end of the file, upload back to the datastore.
Try to start the server. IT should now boot.
bios440.filename = bios.440.rom
mce.enable = TRUE
cpuid.hypervisor.v0 = FALSE
vmGenCounter.enable = FALSE