Posted in vCenter

VMware vCenter 7 Appliance root password reset

   28 May 2021

I have done an error coping a password during vCenter upgrade process and after successful installation, I ended up with no access to VAMI.

Nothing helped, I tried to add space before and after the password, I tried a few other password, no luck. The only option was to break in to my system and change root password.

Here is a run list how to do it:

  1. You need to know on which host your vCenter is located
  2. You need to check if host is NOT in the Lockdown mode
  3. Login to the host
  4. Launch KVM
  5. Reboot you vCenter
  6. After the VCSA Photon OS starts, press the e key to enter the GNU GRUB Edit Menu
  1. Locate the line that begins with the word Linux
  2. Append these entries to the end of the line: rw init=/bin/bash
  1. Press F10 to continue booting.
  2. On the root prompt, run the command:
mount -o remount,rw /
  1. Next change root password by running the command:
passwd
  1. Unmount the filesystem by running this command:
umount /
  1. Reboot the vCenter Server Appliance by running this command:
reboot -f
  1. Confirm that you can access the vCenter Server Appliance using the new root password

Here is a step-bystep video if you want to see this in action:

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