Important safety update (August 25, 2026): Do not manually remove NSX VIBs with
esxcli software vib remove. Broadcom documents that this method is unsupported and can cause loss of management or workload networking. The executable removal guidance previously shown on this page has been removed.
Use the current follow-up instead: Safely Removing Stale NSX VIBs from an ESXi Host. It starts with the NSX Manager removal workflow and covers the narrower stale-package condition where Broadcom directs administrators to use nsxcli -c del nsx while the host is in maintenance mode.
Why This Page Changed
This 2023 post described a host on which NSX reported that its packages were already installed. The original workaround removed individual packages directly with ESXCLI. Broadcom has since published explicit guidance that individual NSX VIB removal through ESXCLI is not a supported cleanup method. Depending on the host networking layout, it can leave the distributed-switch state inconsistent, disconnect the management interface, and require recovery or reimaging.
The historical URL remains available so existing bookmarks do not lead readers back to an unsafe procedure. Follow the linked replacement article for the supported sequence and current Broadcom references.
If you are cleaning up other stuck NSX objects, I also covered how to forcibly delete an NSX-T 3 segment. That article applies to an older NSX-T release; verify the procedure against the documentation for your installed version.