How to change root password on ESX server. What to do if you forgot (or misstype) your administrator password? You have to have an access directly to the ESX server with a monitor. Then if you want to change the password, you can follow this procedure:
1. Hard reboot ESX server.
So first shutdown all your VMs running, if you can (if you can rdp to them for example)
2. Boot ESX server
When you see the first black screen with the 3 menus:
- Vmware ESX SErver
- WMWare Esx Server (debug mode)
- Service Console only (troubleshooting mode)
3. Press the “a” key (as it says “to change ESX kernel boot parameters” ).
4. Now, type a space and word “single“, then press Enter.
5. Then your ESX server will boot and give you a command line prompt.
6. Change the root password – type “passwd” and give your new password twice
Changing password for user root. New UNIX password: Retype new UNIX password: passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
That's it! You saved your job….. -:)
7. Reboot ESX server and your are back in business… Type “reboot” and wait for the ESX server to come back online in a few minutes.
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If you have forgotten or do not know the password for the root user on an ESX host, you cannot recover the original password. You can, however, change the root password. For more information, see Changing a forgotten root password on an ESX/ESXi host (1317898).
