This page looks best with JavaScript enabled

PowerCLI one-liner to validate ESXi root passwords.

 ·  β˜• 2 min read  ·  πŸ€– Javy de Koning

Below is a PowerCLI one-liner you can use to validate if all your root passwords are what you expect them to be.

get-vmhost | %{
  $null = connect-viserver $_.name `
  -user root -password "MyFakePassword" -EA 0

  if (-not ($?)) {
    write-warning "Password failed for $($_.name)"
  } else {
    Disconnect-VIServer $_.name -force -confirm:$false
  }
}

Reset a known password over PowerCLI

Below is a short code snippet to help you change your root password on ESXi hosts.

$ESXiServers     = 'esx01.domain','esx02.domain'
$CurrentPassword = 'MyFakePassword'
$NewPassword     = 'F@keNrTwo'
$ESXiServers | ForEach-Object {
  try {
    Connect-VIServer $_ -User root -Password $CurrentPassword
    Set-VMHostAccount -UserAccount root -Password $NewPassword
  } catch {
    throw $_
  } finally {
    Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$False -ea 0
  }
}

Reset a forgotten password

If you have Enterprise Plus licenses for your hosts, your can reset the root passwords using host-profiles.

A step-by-step guide is listed below. If you don’t have this license, the easiest approach is to re-deploy ESXi.

  1. Right-click a host with a known to be correct root password. Select ‘Host Profile’, next ‘Create Profile from host’.
  2. Specify a name for the profile. Click Next, Finish.
  3. Click home at the top navbar, next select Host Profiles.
  4. Right-click the newly created profile and select ‘Edit Profile’.
  5. Right-Click the host profile again, and click ‘Enable/Disable Profile Configuration’. Enable.
  6. Deselect all configuration options, except for ‘Security configuration’” then click β€œOK”’
  7. Now go back to ‘Hosts and Clusters’.
  8. Put your host in maintenance mode, next right-click and select ‘Host Profile’ then ‘Manage Profile’.
  9. Select the profile you’ve just created and click ‘OK’
  10. Finally, right-click the host, select ‘Host Profile’ then ‘Apply Profile’

Javy de Koning
WRITTEN BY
Javy de Koning
Geek πŸ€“, Love sports πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸ‹οΈβ€β™‚οΈ, Food πŸ›, Tech πŸ’», @Amsterdam ❌❌❌.