Can't run/install Ubuntu from USB: "Error setting up gfxboot"

Question

My installation of Kubuntu 16.04 has become unusable after trying to plug in an external monitor - it now renders a black screen every time I log in - so I've decided to just reformat and install Ubuntu (laptop is a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 carbon).

I am trying to install Ubuntu from a usb drive, and after trying 3 different USB drives, 3 separate downloads of Ubuntu (2 of 16.04 and 1 of 14.04), and 3 different USB creators, I always get error messages when I try to boot from the drives like this:

Loading Bootlogo
bootlogo: invalid file format
Error setting up gfxboot
boot:

And this error screen:

I tried a solution from another question that said to type 'help' at the boot prompt and then press enter, and this either gives me the message "uncompression error --system halted" or "could not allocate memory" and I have to hold the power button to switch the laptop off.

I am able to get into the root shell by holding down shift during boot up and entering the GRUB options, but I have no idea what to try. At this point I just want the laptop to work, I don't care about losing all my data.

Solution

I solved this issue by actually changing the boot order in the BIOS rather than just trying to temporarily boot from the USB. I now have Ubuntu 16.04 successfully installed.

Comments

[David Foerster]

If you solved your problem yourself, please answer your own question and accept it. Don’t put the answer in your question or the comments! Send me a message in the comments if you want my up-vote. :-)

[anonymous2]

Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Would you please expand this answer a bit? How did you go about undocking, and what were the results exactly?

[leevanoetz]

I've tried changing the boot order in BIOS as suggested in the accepted answer. That did not work for me. After I removed my laptop from the docking station and tried again, the installation went through without issues.