Your host immediately becomes licensed and full functionality (within free license limits) is restored. There's no need to reinstall ESXi.
Where I say “ESXi host” this refers to VMware ESXi hypervisor versions in active support windows (procedures and UI details may vary by exact version; adapt steps to your version and environment).
esxcli software license install --license-key=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
For enterprise environments, it is more efficient to manage keys through vCenter. Log into the . Menu dropdown: Select Administration . Licensing section: Click on Licenses . Assets tab: Click Add New Licenses . vmware esxi license key fixed
Frustrated but not defeated, Rajesh decided to dig deeper. He discovered that the issue was caused by a mismatch between the ESXi version and the license key. His host was running an older version of ESXi, which was not compatible with the new licensing model.
License: Evaluation Mode Expires: 2025-03-15 Features: Limited to 8 vCPUs per VM
For vCenter servers using a custom port configuration: Licensing section: Click on Licenses
Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$false
Check license consumption and entitlements
For environments with many hosts, PowerCLI automation saves enormous time. Bulk licensing is particularly useful for hosts provisioned with vSphere Auto-Deploy. $licenseDataManager = Get-LicenseDataManager
Before applying the free license as a "fix," understand its constraints:
Connect-VIServer -Server <vCenter_IP> -User <username> -Password <password> $licenseDataManager = Get-LicenseDataManager