Trouble Booting Kali From USB - Computer completely ignores the USB

[velocioraptor]

Hello. First of all, I want to apologize in case I posted this thread in the wrong section.. I was going to post it on the "installation" section, but since I'm not really trying to install anything I decided to post this on general, as it seemed the most appropriate section to this problem...

Secondly, and as I said in the title, I am having trouble to boot Kali-linux directly from my usb. I downloaded an ISO of kali's 1.0.7 version, used USB Universal Installer 1.9.5.3 to put kali on the usb, rebooted the system, placed the usb as top priority on the boot order of my bios, and nothing.. My computer just boots normally into Windows 8 completely ignoring the usb... I don't even get an error message or anything like that. I know that the problem isn't my USB because I've used it before to boot Ubuntu, and it worked fine.. However, neither backtrack nor kali boot from it. I've also tried it with two different computers, and it didn't work with neither of them. I've done some research online, but the only suggestion I got was to check my boot order on the BIOS, which was indeed the correct one..

My computer is a Compaq CQ58 with Windows 8.1 installed, the kali ISO's version is 1.0.7, my USB has 16 GBs of memory.. And that's all the info I can think of at the moment.. I hope someone can help me with this, and thanks in advance :/

[slim76]

If you already successfully booted ubuntu from the same usb-device on the same computer then I suggest the following:

1) Double check the iso file to make sure it isn't corrupted.
2) Try using a different tool/application to create the kali-usb, I've listed a few below.

Universal-USB-Installer (Worked for me with kali-107-64bit but not kali-107-32bit)
Yumi (Both kali-107-64bit and kali-107-32bit worked for me, but they were both missing some boot menu options)
UNetbootin (kali-107-32bit didn't work for me and I haven't tried kali-107-64bit)

Hope you solve your problem.

[svidlak]

sounds kinda stupid, but in the BIOS boot setup have you put the USB on top priority or HDD-*usbname* (for example HDD-SanDisk)?

[Nick_the_Greek]

You can use GParted.
Use gparted to remove existing partitions from USB, create a new one, Right-click on new partition> Manage flags > Select lba and boot, click Apply. Format it (It doesn't matter but set it to FAT32) and then you can follow slim76 directions.
LBA and BOOT flags was the key at least for my usb stick - mobo combination.

Good luck.

[mmusket33]

If you have correctly set up your BIOS, your computer should look for an operating system on the usb at start. If no operating system but a pendrive is in the usb slot the computer should freeze. So just stick a blank formated usb in the slot and boot the computer. If the computer freezes, you have just proved the computer is actually looking at the usb for an operating system. You can then focus on the pendrive you set up with kali-linix. It may not have been installed properly.

MTB