Installing vSphere ESXi 5 Hypervisor from a USB Drive

  1. Download vSphere ESXi ISO from here: https://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxi
  2. Download UNetbootin (Linux, Windows, Mac OS) or Rufus (Windows).
  3. Start UNetbootin and choose:
    • Diskimage
    • ISO
    • Select the downloaded ESXi ISO
    • Type: USB Drive
    • Drive: Select your USB drive
    • Select OK
  4. Boot your host off of this USB drive.

References