Tag Archives: Edit Settings

vSphere ESX – Server 2012 – 3D Graphics Option ‘Greyed Out’

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KB ID 0000909 

Problem

Whilst attempting to add 3D graphic support to a Windows Server 2012 guest VM, the option was greyed out.

Solution

1. Locate the .vmx file for this virtual machine and download it so you can edit it (Select a Host > Configuration > Storage > {Storage the guest is on} > Right Click > Browse Data Store > {Guest VM Name}) > Download.

2. Edit the file, and add the following to the end of the vmx file;

[box]

mks.enable3d = TRUE

[/box]

3. Upload the file back to your storage, at this point I checked and it was still greyed out. I had to remove the VM from the inventory* then add it back to the inventory.

*WARNING: Remove it from the inventory by right clicking the VM in the VI Client. DO NOT Delete it from Disk!

 

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vSphere – Floppy Drive ‘Won’t Appear’

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KB ID 0001020

Problem

“It’s 2015 why are you messing around with floppy drives?” I hear you ask! Well for importing certificate requests, and issued certificates from an offline root CA server, it’s still considered best practice to use a virtual floppy drive rather than connect the offline root server to the production network.

So today while deploying a PKI infrastructure, I needed to present a floppy drive to a Windows Server 2012 R2 Issuing (subordinate CA). Despite me adding the hardware, presenting a floppy image and ticking ‘connected’ the floppy drive refused to ‘appear’ in Windows.

Solution

The problem was the client had a ‘Pre-hardened’ Server 2012 R2 template, that I had used to deploy the server, and in the BIOS of the template the floppy drive was disabled.

1. Set the VM to boot into BIOS next time it starts (you can reboot and keep pressing F2).

2. Main > Legacy Diskette A: > Set to [1.44/1.25 MB 3 1/2].

3. At this point I hit F10 (Save and Exit), booted up the VM, and it was still missing!

4. Turns out (after some more BIOS digging) that the controller was also disabled! Advanced > I/O Device Configuration.

5. Set Floppy disk controller to ‘Enabled’ > F10 > Boot the VM. Problem solved!

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MAC OSX – Managing ESXi Hosts

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KB ID 0001054 

Problem

I have made the transition to a MAC laptop pretty easily, but theres one thing thats still a pain, VMware ESXi servers! I know these days vCenter has a nice shiny web management portal, but ESXi does not. When I’m working on the test bench I usually connect using the VI client from a virtual machine running inside VMware fusion. Which works, but the performance is not brilliant, things wont move where I want them, and for some reason copy and cut will work, but paste does not (I have no idea either).

So when I’d spend half an hour trying to move some certificates from one VM to another, I lost my temper, and made a monumental discovery. VMware fusion can connect straight to an ESXi host, (why did I not know this!)

Solution

1. With Fusion running > File > Connect to Server (or command+K).

2. Enter the details as if you were using the VI client > Connect.

3. If you are using self signed certificates accept the warning and continue.

4. OK it looks a bit mickey mouse but from here you can open a console, and provided the VMware tools are installed in the VM it performs quite well.

5. Console Session.

6. And you can even change the VM settings, including browsing data stores on the ESXi server for ISO files etc.

 

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