Locate the entry titled (or the latest available update roll-up, such as Update 3).

The process for downloading ESXi has changed significantly since Broadcom acquired VMware. Free access was temporarily removed in early 2024 but has since been reinstated in a new form as of 2025. You can now legally download and use a free version of ESXi 8.0, and the same portal logic applies for accessing ESXi 7 images.

: Expand the version you are entitled to (e.g., vSphere 7.0 ) and click the Custom ISOs tab.

Installing vanilla ESXi on HPE hardware is a recipe for missing logs and strange hardware behavior. Get the official HPE Custom Image—it takes five extra minutes and saves five hours of debugging.

Press during the POST boot screen to enter the Boot Menu. Select iLO Virtual CD-ROM as the temporary boot device.

Step-by-Step: How to Download the HPE Custom Image for ESXi 7.0

Use a tool like Rufus to burn the downloaded ISO onto a USB drive to install it on your server.

In the upper toolbar of the remote console window, click the icon.

You can download VMware ESXi 7 ISO images and HPE-customized ESXi 7 images for HPE servers; HPE provides a customized offline bundle/ISO that adds drivers and hardware management agents. VMware’s standard ESXi 7.0 ISO is freely downloadable for evaluation (requires VMware account); HPE custom images are available from HPE’s support/download site (requires HPE account). Licensing: ESXi can be installed and used without a paid license for basic functionality for a limited time, but to remove feature limits or for production support you need a VMware license and/or HPE support agreement.

Click on the tab (instead of the Core Packages tab).

: Use the dropdown menu next to your username to select VMware Cloud Foundation .

Corrupted ISO or bad USB writing method. Fix:

Select the product you are entitled to (e.g., Enterprise Plus). Choose version 7.0 from the list of major versions. Locate Custom ISO : Click the Custom ISOs tab at the top of the downloads page.