Wont boot from USB, stops at SYSLINUX copyright

Question

Created bootable 11.10 in Windows from Universal USB Installer 1.8.6.8, upon boot in my HP Mini Netbook it displays only this:

SYSLINUX 4.04 EDD 2011-04-18 Copyright (C) 1994-2011 H. Peter Anvin et al
_(Blinky Cursor)

I tried removing "ui" from syslinux.cfg, no change... (Re: can't install with usb pen drive, SYSLINUX problem)

I also tried creating a bootable USB using unetbootin-windows-563, no change.

Does anybody have any other ideas?

Solution 1

I was having this same issue trying to install Ubuntu on my 2008 HP laptop. Make sure USB is formatted FAT32 or NTFS first. I actually tried both with no success. I also tried a few different Linux distros and multiple Linux USB creators. All gave me the same message on boot. After tinkering with the BIOS and boot order, I finally gave up and decided to blame HP, since all the boot USBs I made worked fine on my desktop pc.

I finally decided to burn the ISO to a DVD and try to boot from my external USB cd/DVD drive and everything worked fine!

Solution 2

I was having the same issue and I just had to change the syslinux.cfg by replacing this line (usually, line 2) to the default instruction:

prompt 1

Then on the boot just prompt the menu label you want to launch, in my case it was :

ubnentry1

Solution 3

I know this is an old question, but I banged my head against a wall for almost a full day.

I tried editing boot files, learning about the Linux boot process, reformatting and re-reformatting my usb boot drive.

Ultimately, all I had to do was change the USB stick I was using to boot / install Gnome. It should have been one of the first things I tried, and it can be for you!

Solution 4

Go to the isolinux folder on your usb stick, open isolinux.cfg with notepad and replace everything with

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect` 

It is from Windows XP and it worked for me.

Solution 5

If you are using a Sandisc USB stick, the problem often is the U3 partition.

use http://u3.sandisk.com/launchpadremoval.htm to remove it (from windows)

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Comments

[Admin]

I'm sorry maybe this isn't the place to post this but I've tried everything that I've found on the subject (from using unetbootin, then using unetbootin 494, then pasting some lines into isolinux.cfg, then trying lili) nothing has worked so far and I still get the syslinux message. Please help.

[Admin]

possible duplicate of Not booting from USB or CD (SYSLINUX Message)

[Admin]

@EliahKagan this question came 4 years ago, the one your link points to 3 years ago. so unless Steve built a time machine, i'd hardly consider this a duplicate

[Admin]

Same here in 2017... :D So what's the recipe for a time machine? :D

[pinkpanther]

For any future visitors I used, Rufus and selected the DD option then it worked.

[QwertyChouskie]

Huh??? Completely different bootloaders...