I'm trying to install Proxmox VE 8 on a Lenovo M720q with an i3-9100T, 16 GB of RAM, a 256 GB Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe drive (firmware 2B2QEXM7), and a 65 W power adapter. The system reboots unexpectedly during installation, usually while creating logical volumes around 3%, though it has occasionally reached about 45%. The drive reports roughly 94% health.
I created installation USBs with Rufus using the DD method, Ventoy, and Balena Etcher, but the behavior was the same. Ubuntu and Debian installation attempts also showed problems. A Debian live USB crashed during a normal boot but worked with the failsafe option. Debian 13 installed successfully to the NVMe drive, yet booting from that installation reaches the boot menu and then immediately reboots, regardless of whether I select the default entry.
I have tried boot parameters including `nomodeset`, `pcie_aspm=off`, and `nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=0`, as well as several RAM configurations: 2×4 GB, one 4 GB stick, and one 16 GB stick. What could be causing these reboots, and what should I test next?
2 Answers
The M720q platform is generally compatible with Linux and Proxmox, so this sounds more like a hardware, firmware, or storage issue than a broad compatibility problem. Try a different USB drive anyway, verify the ISO checksums, and test the NVMe in another system or replace it temporarily. An SSD can report good health while still having controller or firmware problems that appear during installation.
Since the machine reboots across multiple distributions and USB-writing methods, the installer media is less likely to be the root cause. Try selecting ZFS instead of the default filesystem during the Proxmox installation and see whether the failure still occurs. Also check the BIOS version and update it if one is available.
I’ll try the BIOS update first and test again. If it still fails, I’ll swap the NVMe drive.
I tested Ventoy, Balena Etcher, and Rufus with the same result, so I’m beginning to suspect the NVMe controller or its firmware. I’ll update the BIOS and test with another NVMe if necessary.