First, the most important part: the set of PowerShell commands which allowed me to make a custom VMware ESXi 7.0.2 (ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-standard):
# Do this once: install VMware PowerCLI from the PowerShell Gallery Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser # Do this once Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope LocalMachine # Check that it worked Get-ExecutionPolicy -List # Change the path to your working folder (e.g. c:\esxi) cd "c:\change\this\to\your\working\folder\name" Add-EsxSoftwareDepot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml Get-EsxImageProfile # Use the following image: ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-standard Export-ESXImageProfile -ImageProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-standard" -ExportToBundle -filepath ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-standard.zip Remove-EsxSoftwareDepot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml # If you mess up anything after pulling the ESXi image you need you can restart at this point once you drop into the working directory Add-EsxSoftwareDepot .\ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-standard.zip Add-EsxSoftwareDepot .\Net-Community-Driver_1.2.7.0-1vmw.700.1.0.15843807_19480755.zip Add-EsxSoftwareDepot .\ESXi702-VMKUSB-NIC-FLING-47140841-component-18150468.zip New-EsxImageProfile -CloneProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-standard" -name "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC" -Vendor "VMW" Remove-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC" -SoftwarePackage "ne1000" Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC" -SoftwarePackage "net-community" Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC" -SoftwarePackage "vmkusb-nic-fling" Export-ESXImageProfile -ImageProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC" -ExportToIso -Force -filepath ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC.iso Export-ESXImageProfile -ImageProfile "ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC" -ExportToBundle -Force -filepath ESXi-7.0U2e-19290878-USBNIC.zip # Set your local machine execution policy back to the way it was Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Restricted -Scope LocalMachine #Check that it worked Get-ExecutionPolicy -List