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- Navigate to https://vmware.com
- Click "Login" in the top right hand corner.
- Click "Sign up now"
- Fill out the personal information neededrequired. You will be emailed a link to confirm your email address.
- Once you have clicked the link and activated your account, go back to vmware.com and sign in with the email and password you just set up in step 4.
- Hover over the Downloads tab and click on "Free Product Downloads → Vsphere Hypervisor"
- Fill out the required fields (again, yes).
- Once the fields are filled out, you will be taken to to your homepage. Hover over the "Downloads" tab, select "Free Product Downloads" and "vSphere Hypervisor"
- On the next page, click "Register Now" and fill out the required fields (yes, again).
- Repeat step 8.
- You will now see a 25-digit license key on the page:
- Log in to your ESXi server and click Host - Manage - Licensing.
- Click the gear and select "Assign License".
- Paste the 25-digit key and select "Save."
Your ESXi server is now licensed.