Finding an ISO for VMware ESXi 5.5 today is like looking for a vintage car part—it’s officially "end of life," but for home lab enthusiasts and legacy systems, it's still a classic. Where to Download ESXi 5.5 ISOs
Since VMware is now owned by Broadcom, many old direct links have changed. You generally have three reliable paths: Official Portals (Broadcom/Dell/HPE):
Broadcom Support Portal: You can still find legacy downloads by searching the Broadcom Support Portal under "VMware vSphere".
Vendor-Customized ISOs: If you are running on specific hardware (like a PowerEdge or ProLiant), it is often better to use the vendor's version which includes the right drivers. You can find these on Dell Support or IBM Support.
The "Community" Route: For home labs, sites like TinkerTry and Virtually Fun have spent years documenting how to find and install these specific builds.
Archives: Some users rely on the Internet Archive's VMware Collection for preserved copies of older "vanilla" installers. The "Interesting Story": The Night of the "Expired" ISOs
There is a famous piece of VMware lore involving version 5.5. In 2014, VMware released ESXi 5.5 Update 1. It was supposed to be a standard stability update, but it quickly turned into a nightmare for sysadmins.
Shortly after the release, reports started flooding forums: hosts were crashing with "Purple Screens of Death" (PSOD). The culprit? A bug in the Software iSCSI stack. If you were using iSCSI storage (which almost everyone was), your entire data center could suddenly go dark.
The "interesting" part wasn't just the bug—it was the social scramble. Because ESXi 5.5 was the first version where the "Free" license felt truly robust, it had a massive community of home labbers. For 48 hours, the internet became a frantic swap-meet of people trying to find the previous ISO (Build 1331820) because VMware had temporarily pulled it from the main page to fix the update. It was a rare moment where "new" was definitely worse, and a single ISO file became the most valuable thing in a sysadmin's toolkit.
Are you looking to install this on older server hardware, or are you trying to set up a nested lab on a modern PC?
VMware ESXi 5.5 Update 1 Driver Rollup 2 Released Apr 24 2014
Downloading VMware ESXi 5.5 in 2026 can be challenging because the software is well past its support lifecycle
. Since Broadcom acquired VMware, the download process for older versions has changed significantly. endoflife.date Official Download Methods Broadcom now centralizes all VMware downloads through the Broadcom Support Portal Broadcom Support Portal vmware esxi 5.5 iso download
: You must register for a free account and log in to the portal. Entitlement Requirement
: Access to specific ISOs often requires a valid license entitlement. If your account isn't linked to a vSphere license, the "Download" button may appear as "Not Entitled". OEM Custom Images
: For older versions like 5.5, Broadcom only maintains the most recent certified versions. You may need to look for OEM-specific
versions (e.g., for Dell or HP servers) directly on the hardware manufacturer's site. Broadcom Community Reliable Secondary Sources (OEMs)
Because ESXi 5.5 is legacy software, hardware vendors often still host their custom ISOs: Dell Support
: Dell often provides archived customized images for their servers, such as ESXi 5.5 Update 3 ESXi 5.5 Update 2 HPE Support : Similar to Dell, you can check the HPE Support Center for customized driver CDs or images. HPE Support Center Support Status Warning VMware ESXi - endoflife.date
Searching for VMware ESXi 5.5 ISO can be difficult today because Broadcom (which acquired VMware) has shifted legacy downloads to the Broadcom Support Portal. Since ESXi 5.5 is "End of General Support," it is no longer available via standard public download links.
Subject: Looking for legitimate VMware ESXi 5.5 (vSphere) ISO for Legacy Lab Body:Hi everyone,
I’m currently working on a legacy lab environment that requires VMware ESXi 5.5. I’ve checked the new Broadcom Support Portal, but as this version is long out of support, I’m having trouble locating the original installation ISO (specifically VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.5.0-XXXXXX.x86_64.iso).
Does anyone have a reliable link to the Broadcom archive for this, or know if there is still a way to pull it from an official repository?
Note for others looking: If you are trying to find newer free versions (like ESXi 8.0), they are typically found under the Broadcom My Downloads section, but legacy versions like 5.5 often require specific entitlement or searching through "All Products." Source: YouTube Thanks for any help or pointers! Important Notes for Downloading:
Broadcom Transition: Many legacy guides (like Virten.net) point to the old vmware.com portal, which now redirects. You must now create a Broadcom Support account to access any official binaries. Finding an ISO for VMware ESXi 5
Security Risk: Avoid downloading ISOs from unofficial file-sharing sites (like Mega or MediaFire), as these can be tampered with. Always verify the SHA1/MD5 checksum against official documentation if you find a mirror.
HPE/Dell Variants: If you are using specific hardware, check the HPE Support Center or Dell’s support site, as they often host custom ESXi images that include necessary drivers for older servers.
Do you need the MD5 checksum for a specific 5.5 build to verify a file you already have?
Free ESXi 6.5 - How to Download and get License Keys - virten.net
The search for a VMware ESXi 5.5 ISO download is often a journey into the "archaeology" of enterprise virtualization. Released in September 2013, ESXi 5.5 was a watershed version that introduced massive scalability, such as 62TB virtual disks (VMDKs), a jump from the previous 2TB limit. However, because it reached End of General Support on September 19, 2018, obtaining the ISO today requires navigating legacy portals rather than modern storefronts. Where to Download ESXi 5.5 ISOs
Since VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom, the primary official source for all legacy downloads has migrated. VMware ESXi 5.5 Update 3 | Driver Details | Dell US
* Version. 5.5U3, A12. * Release date. 20 Sep 2018. * Download Type. DVD ISO Images. * Category. Enterprise Solutions. VMware ESXi 5.5 Image | Driver Details | Dell US
ESXi 5.5 is a legacy Type 1 hypervisor that was a major milestone for VMware, though it is now considered
for modern production environments. It reached its end of general support on September 19, 2018, and its technical guidance phase ended in 2020. endoflife.date Review: Performance & Capability
In its prime, ESXi 5.5 was praised for its speed and usability improvements over previous versions. Key Advancements:
It introduced support for 62TB virtual disks (VMDKs), a massive jump from the previous 2TB limit. It also improved CPU power management through deep C-states, saving energy while maintaining performance. Networking:
It added Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) support and improved single-root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV). However, real-world tests showed that certain older virtual drivers (like VMXNET 2) could be unstable. Hardware Compatibility: Why Do People Still Use ESXi 5
ESXi 5.5 introduced virtual hardware version 10 (vmx-10), which allowed for 120 disk devices per VM and new CPU architectures. www.truenas.com Legacy Limitations & Critical Risks Using ESXi 5.5 today comes with significant downsides: Security Hazards:
It does not receive security patches or bug fixes. Using it in 2026 exposes your environment to unpatched vulnerabilities that modern hypervisors have already solved. Management Frustration:
While it supported the legacy C# vSphere Client, many of its best features (like Flash Read Cache) required the vSphere Web Client, which was often described as slow and difficult to use. Modern Compatibility:
It lacks support for newer operating systems and modern hardware features found in ESXi 7.0 or 8.0. www.truenas.com ISO Download & Official Status
Official access to the ESXi 5.5 ISO is now highly restricted following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware.
While outdated, there are specific use cases:
ESXi 5.5 had several updates. Each update includes critical driver fixes and security patches (up to the EOL date). The most stable and final release is ESXi 5.5 Update 3.
| Version | Build Number | Release Date | Key Notes | |---------|--------------|---------------|------------| | ESXi 5.5.0 GA | 1331820 | Sep 2013 | Initial release | | ESXi 5.5 Update 1 | 1623387 | Mar 2014 | Improved Web Client | | ESXi 5.5 Update 2 | 2068190 | Sep 2014 | SSD/HDD detection fixes | | ESXi 5.5 Update 3 | 3116895 | Sep 2015 | Final major update | | ESXi 5.5 Update 3b | 3568722 | Dec 2015 | Security & stability fixes | | ESXi 5.5 Patch 10 (last) | 8294253 | Feb 2020 | Final patch (limited availability) |
Recommendation: Always download the highest build number available (e.g., 3568722 or later patches if accessible). This ensures you have the most up-to-date drivers and fixes within the 5.5 branch.
Despite reaching its End of Life (EOL), VMware ESXi 5.5 remains a topic of interest for many system administrators running legacy hardware or maintaining specific legacy environments. Whether you are performing a re-installation of an older infrastructure or studying for legacy certifications, finding the correct installation media can be a challenge.
In this post, we cover where to find the ISO, the critical status of the 5.5 release, and what you need to know before installing it.