ESXi Upgrade stuck with "Jumpstart plugin late-filesystem activation failed" Due to EULA Acceptance Issue

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to upgrade ESXi from version 7.x  to 8.x, the installation process fails at an early stage with the following error:

Jumpstart plugin late-filesystem activation failed

Users may observe that the upgrade process halts and they are unable to proceed beyond the EULA (End User License Agreement) screen.

Environment

^{VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x}

Cause

This issue occurs when the keyboard input required to accept the EULA is not recognized correctly due to platform-specific shortcut behavior. On certain systems, particularly macOS and Windows, the keyboard shortcuts needed to progress through the EULA screen during an ESXi upgrade may not register as expected in the remote console.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, ensure that you are using the appropriate keyboard shortcut combination for your operating system to accept the EULA during the ESXi upgrade:

For macOS users:

• Press Alt + F2

• Then press Function (fn) + Command (⌘) + F11

For Windows users:

• Press Alt + F2

• Then press Alt + F11

These key combinations will allow you to accept the EULA and continue with the ESXi upgrade process.

Additional Information

 

• Ensure your remote console session (iLO, iDRAC, etc.) is in focus and accepting keyboard input.

• If the issue persists after using the correct shortcuts, consider using a local KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) connection for installation.