The Windows folder shown is something I created. Step 2 – Type in a name for the virtual machine (1) and select a location (2), such as a datacenter, where you want it installed. Select Create a new virtual machine (2) from the wizard. Step 1 – Right-click on a cluster, or host, and select New Virtual Machine (1). I’ll be using the new vSphere client (HTML5) to create the base VM. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) capabilities to enable encryption features such as BitLocker.UEFI firmware to support secure boot where applicable.With that in mind, consider increasing the resources allocated in accordance with the role(s) assigned to the server and its anticipated workload. 800 MB is the required minimum when installing Windows Server 2016 as a VM.Īs often is the case, the minimum hardware requirements quoted by Microsoft rarely come close to mirror what’s actually needed to run production boxes. RAM: 512MB or 2GB for a Desktop Experience installation.The CPU must support NX, DEP, CMPXCHG16b, LAHF/SAHF, PrefetchW and second-level address translation. Have a look at this link to learn how each edition differs from the rest.Īs far as hardware requirements go, Microsoft’s documentation suggests the following. Windows Server 2016 also comes in 3 editions Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter. Nano server has recently been refactored to primarily support and run containers. The latter is Microsoft’s headless server, one that is completely managed remotely with no local logon capabilities making it a perfect solution cloud deployments. Windows Server 2016 comes in 3 flavors Server Core (no GUI), Server with Desktop Experience (with GUI) and Nano Server. For something a little bit more advanced in relation to installing Windows Server on VMware, you can take your pick from the complete list of published posts to date. This step-by-step how-to install Windows Server 2016 on VMware vSphere guide is aimed at readers who have yet to install a Windows OS on a VMware hypervisor.

In today’s post, I’ll be showing you how to install Windows Server 2016 on VMware ESXi with Desktop Experience on an ESXi 6.5 U1 host managed by a vCSA 6.5 U1 instance.

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