Proxmox VE Download and Install: Official ISO, SHA-256 and Setup

Short answer: Download Proxmox VE from proxmox.com/en/downloads. The current x86-64 installer is Proxmox VE 9.2 (version 9.2-1, released May 21, 2026). Proxmox publishes its SHA-256 as 4e88fe416df9b527624a175f24c9aa07c714d3332afb1ee3dbf3879573ef2c6c. Check that hash, write the ISO to a USB drive with dd, balenaEtcher or Rufus in DD mode, and boot from it. After install, open https://your-server-ip:8006. Without a subscription, switch from the enterprise repository to the no-subscription repository to get updates. For Windows guests, get the VirtIO drivers from the Fedora archive that Proxmox’s wiki links to.

Official Proxmox VE downloads and SHA-256 hashes

These are the values on Proxmox’s ISO download page, checked on September 26, 2026. They also match the SHA256SUMS file in Proxmox’s ISO directory at enterprise.proxmox.com/iso/.

The 9.1 ISO isn’t on the download page, but it’s still in Proxmox’s ISO directory and listed in its SHA256SUMS file. It matters because of a 9.2 known issue, covered below. The ISO directory also has a .asc signature and a .sha256 file for each ISO, and a torrent for each one.

Which ISO to use

• Most PCs and servers: the 9.2-1 x86-64 ISO. Proxmox VE 9.2 is based on Debian 13.5 “Trixie” with a 7.0 kernel, QEMU 11.0, LXC 7.0 and ZFS 2.4.
• Servers with a megaraid_sas RAID controller, or certain NVMe drives in JBOD mode: Proxmox’s roadmap lists a known issue with the 9.2 installer’s kernel (7.0.2-6) and these setups. It recommends installing from the 9.1 ISO and upgrading to 9.2 afterwards. The kernel fix is in 7.0.14-15.
• ARM64: only on supported hardware. Proxmox says it fully supports the NVIDIA Grace and NVIDIA Vera platforms, supports other UEFI-based ARMv9-A hardware “on a best-effort basis,” and does not support device-tree-only boards such as the Raspberry Pi.

Hardware requirements

From the Proxmox VE admin guide. The minimums are for evaluation only:

Proxmox VE only runs on 64-bit CPUs. The FAQ says so directly.

Step 1: Verify the ISO

• Linux: sha256sum proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso
• macOS: shasum -a 256 proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso
• Windows (PowerShell): Get-FileHash .\proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso

The output must match 4e88fe416df9b527624a175f24c9aa07c714d3332afb1ee3dbf3879573ef2c6c exactly. If it doesn’t, download again from proxmox.com. Don’t install it.

Step 2: Write the ISO to a USB drive

Proxmox’s “Prepare Installation Media” page says the ISO is a hybrid image that can be written straight to a USB drive, which it recommends because it’s faster than a DVD. It also warns: “Do not use UNetbootin. It does not work with the Proxmox VE installation image.”

• Linux: dd bs=1M conv=fdatasync if=./proxmox-ve_*.iso of=/dev/XYZ. Replace /dev/XYZ with your USB drive. Compare lsblk before and after plugging it in to find the right one.
• macOS: convert with hdiutil convert proxmox-ve_*.iso -format UDRW -o proxmox-ve_*.dmg, then write it with sudo dd if=proxmox-ve_*.dmg bs=1M of=/dev/rdiskX after unmounting the drive.
• Windows with balenaEtcher: Proxmox says “Etcher works out of the box.”
• Windows with Rufus: click No when Rufus offers to download a different version of GRUB, then choose DD mode in the next dialog.

Proxmox’s page doesn’t mention Ventoy. Our Ventoy vs Rufus vs balenaEtcher comparison explains the differences. Get the tools from their own sites: balenaEtcher and Rufus.

Step 3: Install and log in

1. Enable USB boot in the server’s firmware settings and boot from the drive.
2. Choose Install Proxmox VE (Graphical). The installer formats the target disk with ext4, XFS, ZFS or BTRFS (a technology preview) and removes all existing data on the drives you select. It then asks for your location, time zone and keyboard layout, a root password of at least 8 characters, an email address and network settings. Don’t choose ZFS on top of a hardware RAID controller: Proxmox says that isn’t supported and can lose data.
3. After the reboot, open https://your-server-ip:8006 in a browser. Log in as root with the PAM realm and the password you chose.

The admin guide’s next step is: “Upload your subscription key to gain access to the Enterprise repository. Otherwise, you will need to set up one of the public, less tested package repositories.”

Step 4: Repositories without a subscription

A fresh install has the enterprise repository enabled. Proxmox’s documentation says you need “a valid subscription key to access the pve-enterprise repository.” Without one, updates from it fail and the web interface reminds you at login that there’s no valid subscription.

Proxmox’s documented fix is to switch repositories, not to patch the notice:

1. In the web interface, open your node’s Repositories panel and disable the enterprise repository. On the command line, add Enabled: no to its entry in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.sources.
2. Add the no-subscription repository. Proxmox recommends putting it in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/proxmox.sources:

   Types: deb
   URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve
   Suites: trixie
   Components: pve-no-subscription
   Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg

3. Keep the Debian base repositories. Proxmox says you always need them as well.
4. Run apt update, then install updates from the GUI or with apt.

Proxmox describes the no-subscription repository as suitable “for testing and non-production use” and doesn’t recommend it for production servers. The Ceph repositories follow the same enterprise and no-subscription split.

Proxmox’s staff don’t support patching the login notice. On the Proxmox forum, a staff member said any such modification is “not supported and you are on your own.” We don’t cover patches here. The subscription options are explained in is Proxmox free?

Step 5: VirtIO drivers for Windows guests

Windows has no built-in VirtIO drivers. Proxmox’s wiki page “Windows VirtIO Drivers” sends you to the virtio-win project’s archive on fedorapeople.org. It says the drivers “are digitally signed by Red Hat.”

• Version to use: as of September 10, 2026, Proxmox’s wiki says there are “no known issues for version virtio-win 0.1.271.” It was testing 0.1.302 and couldn’t yet recommend it for production.
• Watch the “stable” label: Fedora’s stable-virtio link pointed to 0.1.302 on September 26, 2026, which is newer than the version Proxmox recommends. For production, download 0.1.271 from the archive folder instead.
• Known issues: Proxmox reports read errors and performance problems with 0.1.285 on I/O-heavy Windows Server 2025 VMs, and “Reset to device” events with versions 0.1.215 to 0.1.262.
• Install: attach the ISO to the VM as a CD drive and run virtio-win-gt-x64. Optionally run virtio-win-guest-tools to add the QEMU Guest Agent.

Fedora’s CHECKSUM file lists MD5 hashes for the RPM packages only. We found no published SHA-256 for the virtio-win ISO, so download it only from the fedorapeople.org path that Proxmox links.

Proxmox’s 9.2 notes also list a known issue for Windows 11, 2022 and 2025 VMs on Intel hosts using the host CPU type with Virtualization-based Security. The fix is qemu-server 9.2.0 with machine version 11.0+pve2 or newer, so update the host before creating Windows VMs.

Step 6: Container templates

Proxmox provides Linux container templates for common distributions, plus TurnKey Linux templates. Download them from the GUI (a storage’s CT Templates section) or with the pveam tool:

pveam update
pveam available --section system
pveam download local <template-name>

The list refreshes daily through the pve-daily-update timer. The admin guide suggests the local storage if you’re unsure where to put templates, and shared storage in a cluster. Community helper scripts are another route. Read our guide to Proxmox helper scripts before using them.

Questions

Where do I download Proxmox VE?

From proxmox.com/en/downloads. The files are served from enterprise.proxmox.com/iso/.

What is the SHA-256 of proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso?

4e88fe416df9b527624a175f24c9aa07c714d3332afb1ee3dbf3879573ef2c6c, as published by Proxmox.

What is the latest Proxmox VE version?

9.2. The x86-64 ISO (9.2-1) came out on May 21, 2026, and the ARM64 ISO on August 5, 2026.

Can I install Proxmox VE on a Raspberry Pi?

No. Proxmox says device-tree-only boards such as the Raspberry Pi aren’t supported.

Why does Rufus need DD mode for Proxmox?

Proxmox’s documentation says Rufus only works with its ISO in DD mode, after declining the GRUB download prompt.

Can I use UNetbootin?

No. Proxmox says it doesn’t work with the Proxmox VE installer.

Do I need a subscription to install Proxmox VE?

No. Without one, switch to the no-subscription repository for updates. Proxmox recommends it for testing and non-production use.

Which VirtIO driver version should I use?

Proxmox’s wiki recommends virtio-win 0.1.271 and was still testing 0.1.302 as of September 10, 2026.

Where is the web interface after install?

At https://your-server-ip:8006. Log in as root with the PAM realm.

Should I use the 9.1 ISO instead of 9.2?

Only if your server uses a megaraid_sas RAID controller or affected NVMe drives in JBOD mode. Proxmox recommends installing 9.1 and upgrading to 9.2 in that case.

Sources

• Proxmox VE ISO downloads (versions, sizes, SHA256SUM), Proxmox, checked September 26, 2026
• Proxmox ISO SHA256SUMS, Proxmox
• Proxmox VE Roadmap (9.2 release notes and known issues), Proxmox VE Wiki
• Proxmox VE Administration Guide, Proxmox
• Prepare Installation Media, Proxmox VE Wiki
• Package Repositories, Proxmox VE Wiki
• FAQ, Proxmox VE Wiki
• Windows VirtIO Drivers, Proxmox VE Wiki
• virtio-win archive, fedorapeople.org
• you do not have a valid subscription for this server, Proxmox Support Forum