Esxi 7.0 Fatal Error 15 -not Found- //free\\ Jun 2026
Upgrading from ESXi 6.x to 7.0 might fail if the target image lacks compatible drivers for hardware like iSCSI adapters (e.g., bnx2i, be2iscsi).
Before reaching for the installation ISO, try to identify why the error occurred.
esxcli system bootdevice get vsish -e get /hardware/bootDevice/bankStatus
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fastest Fix | |---------|--------------|--------------| | Error 15 after upgrade | Corrupt altbootbank | Boot with boot bank=0 | | Error 15 after power loss | Filesystem corruption | Reinstall ESXi, preserve VMFS | | Error 15 on SD card | Device wear | Migrate to persistent disk + reinstall | | Error 15 with Secure Boot | Missing signatures | Disable Secure Boot or re-sign VIBs |
ESXi 7.0 installation media (USB or iDRAC/ILO mounted ISO).
Once you recover, take these steps to ensure the error never returns.
Upgrading from ESXi 6.x to 7.0 might fail if the target image lacks compatible drivers for hardware like iSCSI adapters (e.g., bnx2i, be2iscsi).
Before reaching for the installation ISO, try to identify why the error occurred.
esxcli system bootdevice get vsish -e get /hardware/bootDevice/bankStatus
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fastest Fix | |---------|--------------|--------------| | Error 15 after upgrade | Corrupt altbootbank | Boot with boot bank=0 | | Error 15 after power loss | Filesystem corruption | Reinstall ESXi, preserve VMFS | | Error 15 on SD card | Device wear | Migrate to persistent disk + reinstall | | Error 15 with Secure Boot | Missing signatures | Disable Secure Boot or re-sign VIBs |
ESXi 7.0 installation media (USB or iDRAC/ILO mounted ISO).
Once you recover, take these steps to ensure the error never returns.
