Boot looping... Trying to install Ubuntu

So I am trying to install Ubuntu on a secondary PC.

PC turns on, I can access bios. There is no OS on it. I wish to try Ubuntu... I use a USB 8GB memory stick. Used some software recommended on Ubuntu pages to create a boot-able USB drive for both trying Ubuntu without installing and for installing Ubuntu.

I get a few options when the computer boots from the USB.

• Try Ubuntu without installing
• Install Ubuntu
• Memory test
• Advanced settings
• Help

The first two settings results in rebooting and returning to this menu. Memory test tests memory I assume. It starts up something at least. Advanced settings doesn't really do anything. There are no advanced settings so it leads to a new menu where the only option is "back". Help leads me to the help option but I find nothing of use there.

This is tested both with 14.04.4 LTS and 15.10. Any ideas what might be wrong?

Seriously no one?

Windows was easy to install on it...

i have never tried to install ubuntu.

but i have tried to install steam os, via usb it took a few tries before i finally got it installed. the only advice that i can offer is, format the main drive where the os is to be installed, format the usb in fat 32 before downloading ubuntu installer to it, try a different usb drive, make sure that the usb is at least 2.0, disable secure boot feature if your bios supports it, set sata in bios to ide compatibility mode.

other than that i honestly don't know what the issue could be.

Never played with Linux outside of a couple systems already setup with it.

Perhaps drop your post in the PC/MAC/Linux Society - more people read that forum and since it's Linux based question, it would probably be seen by more folks that utilize Linux.

This hardware forum is kind of dead.

Good idea, why didn't I think of that...

In my experience ubuntu is a cinch... except when it's not. In this case, I would guess that it's a graphics driver problem. I recently had some issues with AMD drivers that got me caught in a reboot loop like this, and once I fixed them (which I honestly can't even remember how - it was basically experimentation with forum post suggestions I found on the web), when I switched to the GTX970 I wound up right back with this problem (the newest Nvidia cards have spotty support right now in linux, although my issues have all gone away for the most part using 352.63.

I'm using 15.10 x64 right now

For comparison, when I recently gutted my system from AMD to Intel MOBO ubuntu didn't bat an eye, while windows absolutely could NOT handle it and I had to do a fresh reinstall. So neither one likes to play well all the time when hardware is involved

@xantufrog: Well the computer is Intel i3 and a GTX780Ti.. 8GB RAM.

I want something stable on it that doesn't require a re-start more than once a year. It will be used for folding at home.

How is Linux with different USB connected Wifi antennas? You got any experience there?

@horgen: hm. I might suggest the following (grasping at straws): make a liveCD instead of a bootable USB. It seems plausible that the support is more rocky with the boot USB (but I don't know). I've always used liveCDs (well, DVDs in truth) when installing/demoing Ubuntu so I can't offer any experience with the bootusb approach.

I use a PCI wifi card, I haven't tried a USB wifi adapter.

Generally speaking, my Ubuntu is faster, more reliable, and doesn't bat an eye at hardware changes compared to my windows 7 partition (aforementioned growing pains with the latest GPU drivers that appear to have been resolved aside). But I sympathize because I do know that issues like this exist and are hard to deal with. In other words, I'd totally recommend Ubuntu for the purpose you described... assuming the issue can be resolved.

DVD drive is not an option... Well I got one, but it would require mounting it in my main computer, install drivers for it, DL the iso and burn it to a dvd, move the dvd drive to second computer...

I haven't had any issues with my main Win 10 computer the last 5 months or more though... So I might leave it as it is, however I do want try Ubuntu and not worry about what Windows might do.

@horgen: Does the computer have windows installed in it already? How's the partition on the the drive you are trying to install ubuntu on? My friend had a similar issue with 14.xx Ubuntu install, had to redo the partition with windows Diskpart

You could try reinstalling the USB with unetbootin, I've had good luck with it. Make sure the USB is formatted to FAT32 and not NTFS.

When I made this topic, I had no OS installed. Later I installed Win 10.

Edit: I don't need Win 10 on this computer.

I had it as NTFS... I'll try this later this week.

@horgen: how did you create the bootable ubuntu USB? i've always used universal USB installer from pendrivelinux. It has never given my any trouble at all with ubuntu desktop, ubuntu server, or linux mint. it has given my trouble with fedora but that has given my trouble with or without bootable USBs.

perhaps you could give that a go? i'm thinking it could be a boot thing problem.

a couple of other things that my help.

1) try and download the ISO again. the original download may have gotten corrupted (16.04LTS was also released a couple of day ago).

2) try a different memory stick. the one you are using could be a problem (the fact that it gets to the boot menu doesnt really give the memory stick a pass).

Unfortunately my only foray into Linux-related things was in a Linux class that used Fedora and focused entirely on teaching us to use the command line (and the teacher blatantly didn't know what he was doing and just had us follow the book, needing to check it himself whenever he was asked a question...), so I can't help with Ubuntu specifically. But it shouldn't be too hard to find a tutorial on installing Ubuntu? You might consider trying to install it on a virtual machine to make sure you understand the process, before installing it on a real device.

That's the one I used. I am going to try it again tomorrow.

I used unetbootin.

Tried two different ones. I could use the USB to install Win 10 so I think that gives it a pass.

Try installing different type of Linux OS based like Kali

Try using different usb ports.