The original ESXi was an HP-specific version of 6.5. To install a newer Windows Server OS vm, an ESXi upgrade is required.
Since ESXi no longer offers a free version, the latest version was downloaded from HP’s official website:
HP ESXi Download.
Upgrade Process:
- Create a bootable USB from the ISO and plug it into the server.
- Reboot the server and boot from the USB.
- In the installation options, select "Upgrade ESXi."
- After installation, reboot the server.
The upgrade is fast, taking less than 15 minutes. However, one important thing to note is that after upgrading, the previous ESXi 6.5 free license will no longer work. When logging into the ESXi web console, it will indicate that the current version is a 60-day trial.
To resolve this, simply enter a free ESXi 7.0 license key to activate it. This key is not brand-specific and works for any ESXi 7.0 installation.