How to Reset your VMware ESX Server root password

[The-Antonio]

I am working on VMware ESX Server 3i. I found this as a very powerful and free virtualization platform. I need some help here to fix the root password for this. I does not found any settings in the configuration panel. Only at the network configuration settings I was able to provide IP address of the server for the Web Access screen. I need procedure to change the root password.

[Visala28]

I am too facing a similar issue. I have forgotten my password and some how it seems that there is no settings available here to change the password. I have now tried - shift + o and then passwdRESET = "TRUE". But this does not work and I tried with an user account also to spend some time in the settings. But there are not much option provided.

[teenQ]

The option of passwdRESET only works for the ESXi3.5-beta. For this you might probably need to repair your Inst ESXi3. This is the current ESXi config overwritten and only the VMs will remain in the VMFS. If you have newly set up the entire server then you will need to register all the the inventory of VMs. Try the official site for further much help which can guide for the same.

[Candace]

The only way to reset the root password is pressing Shift + 0 from the boot menu. After that this displays the Advanced option in the prompt and there you have to ensure the setting passwdReset = "TRUE" which must be entered and the same followed by a return. After the boot of ESX 3i, you can now gain full access and also assign the password from the menu by pressing F2 to set again.

[Sabastiaan]

There is way for that. I have a 4.x version of ESX Server. For that reboot and then on the GRUB screen, press the spacebar to stop the booting. Then choose Service Console and a from your keyboard to modify the kernel arguments under boot options. Then type single by giving a space and hit enter. The server boot in single user mode. From the shell prompt type command passwd and hit Enter. Follow the prompts to set a new password for root.

[Snake08]

There is a bit different processor for the older version of VMware ESX Server. Like I had a EXS 2.x server before. The process is not the same. For that reboot and on the LILO screen, press the space-bar to entire the LILO prompt. Then type linux-s and hit enter. Go to single user mode and type passwd. After giving enter it will ask you for the new password. Once you set the password correctly, restart the server with the command reboot.

[Carley]

VMware ESX and VMware ESXi 4.1 are affected by a security issue regarding authentication. Only the first 8 characters of the root password are checked. So if an attacker successfully inserts the eight original characters, regardless of subsequent years, the login is successful. To resolve this problem you can add the control file MD5 authentication.