VMware ESX4.1官方只支持到Win7和2008R2，想要裝Win8 需要升級到ESX5.1以上。前些天客戶提Case要求用Win8的環境。由於ESX升級可能會有數據丟失和其他的一些情況，而且暫時用Win8的用戶不多，所以我們暫時不會升級。考慮到客戶的需求所以我決定上網搜搜，嘗試在ESX4.1上安裝Win8。最後找到了一片技術文檔，是個外國人寫得：
首先需要上傳bios文件然後修改下配置文件就行了。
1.使用Windows Server 2008 R2模板建立虛擬機；
2.下載BIOS文件並上傳到虛擬機文件夾中；
3.修改虛擬機文件夾中的*.vmx配置文件，添加以下幾行：
bios440.filename = “bios.440.rom”
mce.enable = TRUE
cpuid.hypervisor.v0 = FALSE
vmGenCounter.enable = FALSE
需要上傳的 bios.440.rom 下載地址
http://download.csdn.net/detail/an6097/5251142
原文如下:
Windows Server 2012 (and Windows 8) on VMWare ESXi 4.1
Due to the limitations of ESXi 5.1 i don’t want to install one in my Network. So i’m searched for a solution to run Windows Server 2012 (and Windows 8) on ESXi 4.1. After surfing around on the net i finally found a working solution in the VMWare forum.
The following steps are done on own risk:
So,
Create a new VM over the vSphere Client.
As “Guest Operating System” i used Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)”
If you finished the creation of the VM download the follwing bios file and upload it to your ESXi datastore
Move the bios file to the folder of the new VM
Now open the .vmx file of the new VM and add the follwing lines
bios440.filename = "bios.440.rom"
mce.enable = TRUE
cpuid.hypervisor.v0 = FALSE
vmGenCounter.enable = FALSE
Now start the new VM and install Windows Server 2012 (or Windows 8) 
調試安裝過程
一、首先要關閉調試的VM
二、調試過程
1 上傳bios.440.rom文件，如下圖
2 修改vmx配置文件
三、去裝win8試試吧