Computer will not boot OS's on USB Drives

[h(OM)e]

I have prepared over a dozen USB thumb drives with various Linux distros only to have each of them fail to successfully boot.

Some of the techniques I have used:

• I have verified the integrity of the iso images that I have downloaded (pgp signatures, hashes, etc).
• I have used GParted to format with Fat32.
• I have used Unetbootin to "create" the bootable disks from iso images that I already had on hand.
• I have performed "builds" of the OS's onto the USB drives per official OS documentation.

BIOS appears to be able to boot from USB...

When the boot sequence finds the USB device, I receive an error message, something to the tune of "Boot Failed ... name_of_USB_drive "

I'm quite unsure as to why I have such results. Do any of you have input on the matter - if so, what is it? Thank you for your consideration.

[CimmerianX]

Try this tool... it's never failed to create a bootable USB for me.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

[rubberman]

I have also used unetbootin without problems in the past except that some older thumb drives don't seem to want to boot. I haven't had problems with newer drives. So, are your thumb drives just units that have been sitting around and you thought you'd use them? Or are they new?

[h(OM)e]

Oh, I have used three different drives (two different vendors) that were brand new, which then failed.

Some of the others have been around, sure.

• CimmerianX, thanks for the recommendation

[rubberman]

Let us know how the pendrivelinux tool works for you. If it also fails, then there is something else going on. In such a case I would have to ask if this system came with Windows 8 installed on it, and whether or not it is UEFI with Secure Boot enabled?

[Rik_]

What computer are you trying to boot?

[best4earn]

If you check the bious seting which wil set on 1st boot from USB then need to change to your burner to make a bootable USB .