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How To Upgrade the BIOS of a VMware Virtual Machine?

waltforbes
waltforbes asked
Points of My Scenario
1. I am admin for our VMware infrastructure: vCenter Server 5.5 on ESXi 5.5 cluster
2. Microsoft has asked me to update the BIOS for one of the Windows VMs - not the ESXi host
3. I upgraded the hardware version of the VM (from version 8 to version 9)
4. This hardware version upgrade did not change the BIOS version of the VM (Note: I used Windows' built-in msinfo32 to get BIOS version).
5. Info: The VM's "BIOS version/Date" - as reported by msinfo32.exe - is "Phoenix Technologies LTD 6.00 9/17/2015"

QUESTION: How do I upgrade the BIOS of a Windows VM (Server 2012 R2) hosted by an ESXi 5.5 server?
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VMware and Virtualization Consultant
Fellow 2018
Expert of the Year 2017
Commented:
QUESTION: How do I upgrade the BIOS of a Windows VM (Server 2012 R2) hosted by an ESXi 5.5 server?

You don't it's virtual!

Upgrading the virtual machine hardware version just adds different features, is does not change the BIOS.

What do Microsoft believe is wrong with the VM ?

fyi the BIOS in a VM under the latest version 6.5 is Phoenix Technologies LTD 6.00 05/04/2016, that is 6.5 (latest).

I'll check 6.7u3 tomorrow.

5.5 is end of life, maybe time to update to ESXi 6.7.
waltforbesSenior IT Specialist

Author

Commented:
Many thanks....This is excellent information, Andrew!

Microsoft believes that regular OS crashes on the VM are due to either the VM's BIOS or VMware drivers needing upgrade.
We already upgraded the VMware Tools to handle the drivers issue. But it was to no avail.

I'll wait to hear from you about 6.7u3.
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
Fellow 2018
Expert of the Year 2017

Commented:
I can appreciate Microsoft's position, you are very out of date, in terms of host and ESXi 6.0 goes out of support this year in March, so that will just leave 6.5 and 6.7 in support.

Until the next version......(very soon!)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
Fellow 2018
Expert of the Year 2017

Commented:
bios.jpg
6.7U3 - quite an update!
waltforbesSenior IT Specialist

Author

Commented:
Oh man! Many thanks for all the insights, Andrew. I shall now close this case.
waltforbesSenior IT Specialist

Author

Commented:
This is exactly what I need to know!
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
Fellow 2018
Expert of the Year 2017

Commented:
No problems. You could build an ESXi 6.7 server for FREE, to prove a point to Microsoft..... if it still crashes its not the BIOS!