title: VMware vCenter Server 6.5 Failed Install: An error occurred while starting service 'vpxd'
body: <p>This is on my nerves for days now after I have tried to deploy latest vCenter Server to Windows Server 2008 R2 and 2012 R2. Both fresh installations with nothing more than just the vCenter Server requirements installed.
  Info:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Firewall disabled</li>
  <li>UAC disabled</li>
  <li>Administrator used for installation</li>
  <li>1 NIC</li>
  <li>NSLOOKUP working OK (forward/reverse)</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Things I've tried:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Windows Server 2008 R2 / 2012 R2</li>
  <li>PostgreSQL (embedded) / MsSQL 2012 Express</li>
  <li>Short file name creation enabled (NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation to 0)</li>
  <li>In and out of C:\Program Files\</li>
  <li>With and without computer being added to AD domain</li>
  <li>Clean up all %TMP% / %TEMP% traces of vCenter install then try again</li>
  <li>With and without VMware Tools</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>All the different combinations from above give the same result, error code 1603. This is obviously a generic OS error code when something goes wrong with the MSI installation package and gives 0 meaningful information.</p>
  
  <p>Further drilling down into vCenter installation log files all I see is this:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>2017-03-29 16:24:35.932+01:00| vcsInstUtil-4602587| I: Leaving
    function: ParseStatusFile 2017-03-29 16:30:47.722+01:00|
    vcsInstUtil-4602587| I: Entering function: ParseStatusFile 2017-03-29
    16:30:47.758+01:00| vcsInstUtil-4602587| I: ParseStatusFile: curr
    error msg: "VMware VirtualCenter failed firstboot." 2017-03-29
    16:30:47.758+01:00| vcsInstUtil-4602587| I: ParseStatusFile: curr
    error msg: "An error occurred while starting service 'vpxd'"
    2017-03-29 16:30:47.758+01:00| vcsInstUtil-4602587| E:
    ParseStatusFile: Displaying error message for
    "install.vpxd.action.failed": "VMware VirtualCenter failed firstboot.</p>
    
    <p>An error occurred while starting service 'vpxd'</p>
    
    <p>Please refer to vSphere documentation to troubleshoot or Please
    contact VMware Support."</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I have looked everywhere but for some reason in this version of vCenter the vpxd.log file is not created.
  Nothing meaningful in Event Viewer (Application) either.</p>
  
  <p>I was exploring the capabilities of the tool for our lab environment but this is just ridiculous.</p>
  
  <p>Any hint you can throw at me is greatly appreciated as I am out of ideas guys..</p>
  
  <p>Cheers!</p>