I encounter the dreaded "load driver" error message:
"A media driver your computer needs is missing."
While others have encountered this error due to a corrupt image, I can safely exclude that. I downloaded 3 .iso images using the Windows Media Creation Tool - they all pass the tool's validation and have the exact same size. I also uploaded all three of them to the ESXI datastore: exact same size, so they are no imcomplete uploads.
At this stage I should probably install the paravirtual drivers, but the installer does not "see" any other CD drives even though I connect an .iso image containing the vmware tools for Windows (11.3). The installer only sees "Boot" (X:). I also tried changing the Windows setup image for the VMware Tools image - nothing changed. The same thing happens when I mount the VMware Tools using the Actions > Guest OS > Install VMware Tools.
Next try was mounting the floppy disk with paravirtual drivers, albeit they are for Windows 8. The installer "sees" the disk (A:), I can browse it and select the paravirtual driver. Installation of this driver fails though. Progress bar goes up to like 75-80%, then starts again from 0. This goes on for minutes before the blue screen shows up and the vm is rebooted.
Last idea was to put the driver directory from the vmware tools image onto the Windows setup image. While the image manipulation was successful, the result is the very same. When I encounter the error message and try to browse for the driver, the installer doesn't even show the vmware driver directory on the image.
VM Configuration
- Guest OS: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) VBS-enabled
- Compatibility: ESXi 7.0 U2 virtual machine
- VMware Tools: No
- CPU: 8 vCPUs
- Memory: 16 GB
- Hard disk 1: 300 GB
- SCSI Controller 0: VMware Paravirtual
- SATA Controller 0 with 1-3 CD/DVD Drives attached
- USB controller: USB 3.1 (changing to 2.0 or removing altogether - same error)
- Video card: 16 MB (default settings)
- VBS = ON (changing to OFF - same error)
I already dumped countless hours into this and am still out of luck and now also out of ideas.
Maybe one of you can point me in the right direction...