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My computer will not boot from an Ubuntu USB stick (12.04.3 64-bit). It goes straight from the motherboard splash screen to Windows 7's "Starting Windows" screen. Then to Windows 7.

I've tried seemingly everything. Tweaking nearly every setting in the BIOS (boot order, USB-related-anything). Holding F8, F11 or F12 while booting. Trying different USB ports. Unplugging all other USB devices. Even attempting it with a second USB drive. I've read all of the articles and forum posts online. Nothing is working.

I didn't have this problem before. It was on this machine that I first replaced Windows with Ubuntu. And without any substantial hurdles.

Now, I'm on a fresh install of Windows 7 (work-related). It is on its own partition -- 250 GB of 500 GB. I left the remaining 250 GB unallocated, so that I could install Ubuntu there.

One thought I originally had was to buy a second hard drive (500 GB) on which to install Windows. Except as it is, I don't even know how I'll be able to format the existing one for Ubuntu use, without being able to boot from a USB stick.

And, when I open Wubi, I notice that it can only install Ubuntu on a partition of my Windows partition. Not what I'm looking to do.

My motherboard is an Asus M4A78LT-M LE (http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M4A78LTM_LE/). However, I don't see how it could be the culprit, considering I previously installed Ubuntu on it successfully. It seems like it's something Windows 7-related.

Is there a certain key that can be held down that will make a motherboard force-boot from a USB drive? Any other help? What can I do?

Thank you.

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  • see the problem is not related to your MB, just change boot priorities and press F10 to save it , if that too did not work , try to make bootable disk again as explained in the official website from where you would have downloaded you .iso with the use of Universal-USB, and instead of using WUBI make normall installation on other partition.
    – Sukupa91
    Dec 1, 2013 at 15:24

2 Answers 2

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I don't think it's related to Windows 7. Windows doesn't have control over your boot process.

Wubi is meant for installing Ubuntu within the Windows partition, and as you said, this is not what you are looking for.

In what way did you create this USB stick with Ubuntu? It sounds like it might not be bootable.

The manual for your motherboard says to press F8 when the Asus logo is showing, to display a menu of bootable devices. Do not hold down the button, but rather press it repeatedly.

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  • Thank you!!! Pressing F8 repeatedly instead of holding it down solved the problem! Ubuntu loaded from the USB stick, and is now successfully installed on my system's other partition. Very grateful! Dec 2, 2013 at 10:50
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Do you have a drive which has a SATA connection that you could possibly test something on?

I had the exact same problem as you and could never find the solution, it seemed that I couldn't boot from any USBs no matter what I did. Install Ubuntu on a drive which connects to your motherboard through SATA and see if it boots then. It'll help you factor out various possibilities.

Hope I could help, s1mple

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