Note: Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 is not supported on ESXi/ESX 4.0 or 4.1.
Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 is fully supported for ESXi 5.5, ESXi 5.1, ESXi 5.0 Update 1 and above.
Note: For Windows Server 2012 and ESXi 5.0 Update 1, you must install ESXi 5.0 Patch 04. After applying this patch, the ESXi build should display as 821926.
Note: The information below relates only to pre-release versions of Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012. For complete support, install the GA version.
Consider this guidance, which is based on testing Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 up to build 8224:
- Windows 8 Developer Preview / Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate does not boot on ESXi 5.0. To resolve this issue, you must install patch ESXi500-201112001 (Patch 02):
- Download and install ESXi500-201112001 (Patch 02).
- Create a new virtual machine configured for either Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2.
- Enable 3D graphics or do not install VMware's WDDM video driver.
- Install Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 from Media.
- Install VMware Tools.
Note: VMware does not recommend installing VMware's WDDM video driver. Use the default VESA driver.
- If you experience a black screen after installing VMware's WDDM video driver in a virtual machine with Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012, enable 3D graphics or reinstall the operating system and VMware Tools without VMware's WDDM video driver.
- VMware does not currently recommend using USB xHCI with Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012. To work around this issue, remove the USB xHCI controller or use the USB EHCI+UHCI controller.
Note: Any changes to the virtual hardware must be preceded by a full shutdown on the command line (shutdown /s /t 0). Otherwise, the Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 hibernate-shutdown may not fully detect hardware changes and you may experience a blue diagnostic screen or triple fault during start.
- The vmxnet3 virtual NIC is supported in a Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 virtual machine with ESXi 5.0 Update 1, ESXi 5.0 Update 2 and ESXi 5.1. For more information, see the https://vcg-prod-vip-1.broadcom.com/comp_guide2/search.php?deviceCategory=software&testConfig=16