I'm trying to install Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon on a 256 GB SATA SSD connected through a 2.5-inch SATA-to-USB adapter. The ThinkPad T570 has Windows installed on a separate 512 GB Samsung NVMe drive, which I want to leave unchanged. Secure Boot is disabled.
The installation completes successfully, but booting the external SSD from the F12 menu results in a "Reset System" message, followed by a reboot and then Windows starting. During an earlier installation, GRUB opened to a prompt, but I could manually boot Mint with `set root=(hd0,gpt2)`, setting the GRUB prefix to `/boot/grub`, loading the `normal` module, and running `normal`.
I also discovered that the installer had placed `/boot/efi` on the internal NVMe. I corrected `fstab`, reinstalled GRUB, and created EFI boot entries. After that produced the reset loop, I wiped the external SSD and performed another clean installation while hiding the internal NVMe from the live environment so the installer could only access the external SSD and installer USB. The same "Reset System" behavior remains.
The external drive is detected as `/dev/sda` in the live session, USB is first in the firmware boot order, and the internal Windows drive is still present. Could the SATA-to-USB adapter, insufficient USB power, the SSD, outdated ThinkPad UEFI firmware, or Lenovo's boot process be preventing Mint from starting? Would physically removing the NVMe during installation or booting make a difference compared with hiding it from Linux?
3 Answers
The USB-to-SATA bridge is worth testing directly. Some bridges work fine for reading and installing an operating system but do not handle UEFI booting consistently, especially on older firmware. Try another enclosure or adapter, another USB port, and, if available, a powered USB setup. Testing the SSD internally or from a different computer would also separate an SSD problem from a ThinkPad firmware or adapter problem.
If the drive boots when connected through different hardware, the Mint installation is probably fine and the original adapter is the likely culprit.
Check the firmware’s USB boot settings and confirm that USB or external-device boot is enabled, not just listed first in the order. If possible, set the external disk’s EFI boot entry as the first specific entry rather than relying on a generic USB option.
You can also boot a live environment and verify the partition layout and EFI files on the external SSD. The disk should use GPT, have an EFI System Partition formatted as FAT32, and contain the Mint or GRUB files on that partition. If the EFI files are present but selecting the disk still immediately resets the machine, the problem is more likely firmware, the USB bridge, or the drive than the GRUB configuration itself.
It could be a firmware or hardware compatibility issue, so updating the ThinkPad’s UEFI and checking its release notes would be a good next step. Make sure the external drive is first in the firmware boot order, although you’ve already tried that.
Physically removing the NVMe can sometimes behave differently from merely hiding it in the live environment. Some installers or firmware still detect the internal disk and may create or prioritize boot information there. If you temporarily remove it, reinstall Mint with only the external SSD connected, and the external drive then boots normally, that would point to an EFI-entry or firmware-selection problem.
The adapter or SSD could also be involved. A USB port may not provide enough power for some SATA SSD and adapter combinations, so trying another port, a powered adapter, or a different enclosure would help rule that out. Since Mint installs successfully, the adapter is probably communicating correctly, but that does not guarantee it can boot reliably.
I haven’t updated the UEFI yet, so I’ll check that. The external drive is already first in the boot order, and I performed a clean installation while hiding the NVMe from the installer. I haven’t physically removed it, though, so I’ll consider testing that as well.
The live session identifies the external SSD as `/dev/sda`, and the first installation could see it as `hd0,gpt2` in GRUB. The reset happens before I get a GRUB prompt after the clean reinstall, so it seems different from the original manual-GRUB issue.