1. When you boot the server for the first time, enter into the BIOS settings by pressing F10.
2. From the menus at to top, select "Advanced" and then "Advanced Chipset Control"
3. Change the "Native Mode Operation" from "Auto" to "Serail ATA"
4. From the "Advanced" menu, select "Advanced Processor Options"
5. Change "Intel Virtualization technology (VT)" to "Enable"
6. Save the settings and exit the BIOS.
7. Make sure the ESXi 3.5 CD is in the CD/DVD drive for when the server boots up.
8. Once the server boots off the ESXi 3.5 CDROM, you will be presented with a black and yellow loader screen.
9. Once the installer has loaded, you will be presented with a Welcome Screen. Press [ENTER] to start the installation.
10. Agree to the EULA (End User License Agreement) by pressing [F11].
11. You will be presented with a screen that will allow you to select a disk. Press [Enter] to continue.
12. At the next screen, press [F11] to confirm the installation.
13. Once you are presented with the "Installation Complete" screen, press [Enter] to reboot the server.
14. Once rebooted, ESXi 3.5 will be up and running on your server.
15. Press [F2] to configure the network with static IP, DNS and routing settings.
16. Once this is completed, you should be able to connect to the server with the VI Cient.
I hope this article was of good use. I will be blogging and giving tips on advanced administration of ESX 3i soon. Any problems or errors with this article, please contact me via the contact form on the website.