Loading

×Sorry to interrupt
CSS Error

Refresh

Cookie Preference Center

General Information on cookies

When you visit our website, we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience. This information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies by clicking on the different category headings to find out more and change your settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on the site and the services we are able to offer. Further information can be found in our

Cookie Policy.

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary

Always Active

Strictly Necessary

Strictly necessary cookies are always enabled since they are essential for our website to function. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and website accessibility. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but this may affect how the website functions. For more information please visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

Cookie Details‎

Performance

Performance

Performance

Performance cookies are used to analyze the user experience to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. They allow us to know which pages are the most and least popular, see how visitors move around the site, optimize our website and make it easier to navigate.

Cookie Details‎

Please confirm your settings by refreshing the page.

Functional

Functional

Functional

Functional cookies help us keep track of your past browsing choices so we can improve usability and customize your experience. These cookies enable the website to remember your preferred settings, language preferences, location and other customizable elements such as font or text size. If you do not allow these cookies, then some or all of these services may not function properly.

Cookie Details‎

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising cookies are used to send you relevant advertising and promotional information. They may be set through our site by third parties to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites. These cookies do not directly store personal information, but their function is based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device.

Cookie Details‎

Advertising Cookies

Consent Leg.Interest

Select All Vendors

Select All Vendors

Select All Hosts

Select All

Clear Filters

Information storage and access

Apply

Confirm My Choices Reject All Allow All

Skip to main content

My Subscriptions

Loading

Knowledge Base

Changing an ESXi/ESX host root password (1004659)

Last Updated: 2/26/2024Categories: How toTotal Views: 151055Language:
Chinese (Simplified)JapaneseSpanishEnglishGerman

49 like this article

Subscribe to get an email
newsletter with new updates

49 people found this helpful Please provide article feedback:

Learn how VMware Skyline Advisor and Skyline Health Diagnostics work together to provide proactive intelligence and self-service log analysis.

Use Skyline Advisor to avoid issues before they occur across VCF, vSphere, vSAN, NSX, vROps & Horizon. Skyline Findings are based on top KBs, VMSAs/CVEs and design best practices.

Use Skyline Health Diagnostics to root cause vSphere & vSAN logs when an issue occurs. Skyline Health Diagnostic Findings are based on top KBs and VMSA/CVEs. You can use the Skyline Health Diagnostics tool in online or offline mode.

If you require additional help from technical support, please use Skyline Advisor to initiate a Log Assist to reduce time to upload logs. TSEs can also initiate logs to reduce effort.

Purpose

This article provides steps to change the root password.

 For security reasons, it may be necessary to change the password for the root user on an ESXi/ESX host after installation.

Resolution

Caution: Do not change the ESXi/ESX password when the ESXi/ESX host is connected to a Lab Manager Environment. For more information, see An ESX host is unavailable after its password is changed (1011209).

Log in to the ESXi/ESX host service console, either via SSH or the physical console.

If you did not log in as root, you must acquire root privileges by running the command:

su -

Enter the current root password when prompted.

Change the root password by executing:

passwd root

Enter the new root password, and press Enter. Enter the password a second time to verify. You are warned about, but not prevented from using, bad passwords.

If you make a mistake when typing or retyping the new root password, you must start over. For example:

# passwd root
Changing password for user root.
New UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
Sorry, passwords do not match
New UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
#

Notes:

In ESXi 3.5 and later versions, reinstalling the ESXi software is the only supported way to reset a password if the root password is forgotten. Any other method may lead to a host failure or an unsupported configuration due to the complex nature of the ESXi architecture. ESXi does not have a service console, and the traditional Linux methods of resetting a password, such as single-user mode, do not apply.

If you have forgotten or do not know the password for the root user on an ESX host, you cannot recover the original password. However, you can change the root password. For more information, see Changing a forgotten root password on an ESXi/ESX host (1317898).

Related Information

For more information on security best practices, see the VMware Technical Paper, VMware Infrastructure 3 Security Hardening.

For translated versions of this article, see:

Español: Cambiar la contraseña raíz del host ESX (2035081)

Português: Como alterar uma senha raiz do host ESX (2037191)

For related information, see:

Using Tech Support Mode in ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.x (1017910).An ESX host is unavailable after its password is changed
Using Tech Support Mode in ESXi 4.1, ESXi 5.x, and ESXi 6.x
Changing a forgotten root password on an ESX/ESXi host
Cambiar la contraseña raíz del host ESX
Como alterar uma senha raiz do host ESX
ESXi/ESX ホストの root パスワードの変更
更改 ESXi/ESX 主机 root 密码
Ändern des root-Kennworts für einen ESXi/ESX-Host

Detectable by VMware SkylineTM

Actions

Copy

link to clipboard
copied!

Print

Language:
Chinese (Simplified)JapaneseSpanishEnglishGerman

Attachments

Additional Resources

KB
•
End Of General Availability of the Free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x) (2107518)

Result 1 of 1

Ask The Community

Get answers quickly from VMware experts in the community

Post Subject

CONTINUE IN COMMUNITIES

Related Products:

VMware vSphere ESXi

VMware ESX Server

Related Versions:

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.0

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded

VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable

VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded

VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable

VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded

VMware ESX Server 3.5.x

VMware ESX Server 3.0.x

VMware ESX Server 2.5.x

VMware ESX 4.1.x

VMware ESX 4.0.x

view all

Take Our Survey

Was this article helpful?

YES

NO

Copyright © 2005-2024 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term “Broadcom” refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Terms of Use

Your California Privacy Rights

Privacy

Accessibility

Cookie Settings

Support Assistant