How to change the Root (Admin) Password in ESX Server 2.x

Problem: Sometime an administrator can forget the Root (admin) password for VMware ESX server. This post provides a solution to the problem of having a lost password for the root account on an ESX host.

Solution: If you forgot your ESX Server Root Password and try to login through the console, you will get the error message shown in figure below.

1. Reboot the ESX Host.
2. When the LILO screen appears, press the space bar to stop the server from automatically booting into VMware ESX.
3. At the LILO prompt select linux, adding the -s to the end of the line. For example: linux -s.
4. Press Enter. The system begins to boot.  The server continues to boot into single-user mode.
5. When presented with a bash prompt such as sh-2.05b#, type the command passwd and press Enter.
6. Follow the prompts to set a new root user password.
7. When the password is changed successfully, reboot the host using the command reboot and allow VMware ESX to boot normally.

When the system is finished booting up, you can log in as the root user using the new password.

You can consult my post on How to Change the Root (Admin) Password in VMware ESX 3.x & ESX 4.x .