Create a bootable VMware ESXi5 and ESXi6 USB-stick for installation

Sometimes its useful to have a usb-stick (or disk) which can be used to install a new host from, for ESXi 5 and ESXi 6 the easiest way (imho) on windows, is as follows:

1. Start a command prompt (run as administrator)

2. Use the following commands:

diskpart
list disk (find the number of your usb-stick)
select disk <number>
clean
create partition primary
active
format fs=fat32 quick label="ESXi5"
assign
exit

3. Download syslinux from here: Syslinux 3.86 and unpack it to a folder

4. In the command prompt, change to the unpacked folder of syslinux and go to the win32 folder; then write:

syslinux.exe –mfa <letter to the USB-stick>

5. Copy the contents of the ISO file to the root of the USB-stick

6. Rename ISOLINUX.CFG to SYSLINUX.CFG

7. Delete ISOLINUX.BIN

That should be it, and you have a bootable USB-stick which you can use to install ESXi5 to wherever you want 🙂