• Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 fails to start or install on any version of VMware ESXi or VMware ESX
• Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 is not working
• You cannot use Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 in ESXi or ESX

• What’s New in VMware vSphere 5.1
• VMware Blog
• Guest OS customization of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 may not complete (2037366)

• Windows 8 Developer Preview / Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate does not boot on ESXi 5.0. To resolve this issue, you must install patch ESXi500-201112001 (Patch 02):
  
  
  1. Download and install ESXi500-201112001 (Patch 02). For more information, see VMware ESXi 5.0, Patch Release ESXi500-201112001 (2007680).
  2. Create a new virtual machine configured for either Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2.
  3. Enable 3D graphics or do not install VMware's WDDM video driver.
  4. Install Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 from Media.
  5. Install VMware Tools.
     
     Note: VMware does not recommend installing VMware's WDDM video driver. Use the default VESA driver.
     
     
• If you experience a black screen after installing VMware's WDDM video driver in a virtual machine with Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012, enable 3D graphics or reinstall the operating system and VMware Tools without VMware's WDDM video driver.
  
  
• VMware does not currently recommend using USB xHCI with Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012. To work around this issue, remove the USB xHCI controller or use the USB EHCI+UHCI controller.
  
  Note: Any changes to the virtual hardware must be preceded by a full shutdown on the command line (shutdown /s /t 0). Otherwise, the Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 hibernate-shutdown may not fully detect hardware changes and you may experience a blue diagnostic screen or triple fault during start.
  
  
• The vmxnet3 virtual NIC is supported in a Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 virtual machine with ESXi 5.0 Update 1, ESXi 5.0 Update 2 and ESXi 5.1. For more information, see the VMware Guest OS Compatibility List.

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For more information on supported Guest Operating systems, see the Hardware, Host Operating System, and Guest Operating System Compatibility Guides.

For more information, see Windows 8 Release Preview and Windows Server 2012 Release To Manufacturing (RTM) / Release Candidate fail when starting for the first time after the installation (2021887).