The USB stick won't start

The stick doesn’t appear in the boot menu

• Write it again in DD mode. If you used Rufus, choose Write in DD image mode when it asks. See make a USB stick.
• Try another USB port, ideally one directly on the computer rather than a hub. On some PCs the blue USB 3 ports aren’t offered at start-up, so try a black one.
• Check the download. A damaged ISO makes a stick that won’t start. Check it against SHA256SUMS.
• Use the right key. Each make of PC has its own boot menu key. See start your PC from the stick.
• Turn off Fast Startup in Windows. With it on, some PCs skip the boot menu entirely. Or, from Windows, hold Shift while you click Restart, then Use a device.

The PC says the stick isn’t trusted, or Secure Boot blocks it

Wild OS starts with Secure Boot on. If your PC still refuses it, its firmware may only trust Windows. In the firmware settings, look for a Secure Boot option such as Allow Microsoft third-party UEFI CA (often on Lenovo and Microsoft Surface) and turn it on. If there isn’t one, turning Secure Boot off works too. Wild OS works either way.

The screen goes black or garbled

Restart, open Advanced on the Wild OS start menu and choose Try with safe graphics or Install with safe graphics. That uses simpler graphics that work on almost any screen.

It stops partway through starting

Choose Check this USB stick from the start menu to find damaged files. If it reports a problem, write the stick again.

To see where it’s stopping, choose Advanced, then Show start-up messages, and take a photo of the screen when it stops. Please send it to us.