Cannot complete login due to an incorrect user name or password.

[woodygram]

when i try to log into my host vmware i get this error "Cannot complete login due to an incorrect user name or password." the "root" username and password is very correct. how do i solve this kind of issue. it keeps reoccurring. 

[jsm79]

Are you logging into the host console? Or host client? If client, have you tried clearing cache? different browsers? I've had the best luck with Firefox for using the host client. Are you navigating to it by name or IP?

[Patrik Kernstock]

Adding to what  said: ESXi does temporarily block your access for the given account if you're failing to authenticate too often. I believe after 3 or 5 attempts it will block the account for 15 minutes or so.

I've seen it more than once that there're monitoring systems or other automated solutions doing automated logins via API/SSH with wrong passwords, essentially repeatedly causing the account to be blocked.

If that's not the case here, I'd say the credentials are indeed wrong and you might need to either use vCenter to reset the password or to re-install ESXi to set up a new password.

[Lalegre]

,

Gonna add what the guys mentioned here, you can still connect with root by using the ESXi Console and the DCUI, once inside there, review this log: /var/log/auth.log

It will show you from which IPs are the root logins coming.