To find the HPE Customized ESXi 8.0 U3 Image or the HPE Custom AddOn on the Broadcom Support Portal, you must navigate to a paid or full entitlement folder rather than the "Free" version area. The "Custom ISOs" tab is typically not visible under the free version download section.
How to Enable the "Custom ISOs" Tab
The visibility of the "Custom ISOs" and "OEM Addons" tabs depends on the entitlement folder you select in the portal.
- Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal.
- Go to My Downloads on the left-hand menu.
- Search for VMware vSphere.
- Instead of selecting the "Free" version or a generic result, choose a paid entitlement folder such as VMware vSphere - Enterprise or VMware vSphere - Standard.
- Select version 8.0.
- Find VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) in the list and click View Group.
- In the resulting window, look for the Custom ISOs and OEM Addons tabs next to the "Primary Downloads" tab [366685].
Important Notes on Availability
- Most Recent Version Only: Broadcom generally only hosts the single, most recent certified OEM Custom ISO and Add-on for each version of vSphere (e.g., 8.0 U3). If a newer version (like 8.0 U3g or U3h) has been released and certified, older versions like 8.0 U3e are removed from the portal [416934].
- HPE Support Site Redirects: Because Broadcom now hosts these files, HPE's site will redirect you to the Broadcom portal. If the specific "April 2026" (likely a future-dated or very recent certification date) or U3e version is no longer listed, it means it has been superseded by a more recent certified build.
Critical Warnings for HPE Gen10 Upgrades
As you are moving from ESXi 6.7 to 8.0 on an HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10, please review these critical caveats:
- Irreversible Operation: Upgrading the host's boot partition to the 8.0 layout is generally irreversible. Ensure you have a full configuration backup and have verified hardware compatibility for all PCIe cards and controllers.
- PSOD Risk (HPE ProLiant): There is a known issue on HPE ProLiant servers where upgrading to ESXi 8.0 U3 can cause a Purple Screen of Death (PSOD) with the error
GP Exception 13: MemHwCounter. Ensure you are using the latest HPE custom image or have applied the necessary firmware updates to mitigate this [375179].
- Incompatible VIBs: Certain legacy HPE VIBs (such as the
HTI bootbank VIB) included in older HPE images are incompatible with 8.0 U3g and later, causing remediation failures. If you use a custom image, verify that legacy VIBs are removed or updated [414706].
- Deprecation for Synergy: If your environment includes HPE Synergy modules, note that Broadcom has deprecated the delivery of new HPE Synergy custom images; these users must now use the base ESXi ISO combined with the HPE Synergy Service Pack (SSP) [436480]. (Note: This does not apply to your ML350 Gen10).
Recommendation: If the "Custom ISOs" tab still does not appear after selecting the Enterprise entitlement, you may need to download the HPE Custom AddOn (if available) or create a custom image using PowerCLI by combining the standard ESXi 8.0 U3e offline bundle with the HPE driver packages [426367].