[RESOLVED] Install menu doesn't work

Hi. I am trying to be a new user but am having trouble installing the OS from a USB key. Linux Mint is already installed on the HD. The system gets stuck at the first screen where I am asked to select amongst the different options. The "TAB" key doesn't get me to the next selection and the timer runs down to 1 second and gets stuck there.

The system is a ASUS P5N32-SL MB, Core Duo E6600 processor, 1TB HD.

Please help.

TIA

Eckhard in Montreal.

Eckhard, are you referring to the boot screen from BIOS?
On my own machine, it is F12, but you immediately hit the appropriate key (the screen usually tells you) from the MotherBoard Boot Screen with the computer makers splash screen.
Then select your USB drive as which to boot from.
If this is what you have been doing already:
Are you seeing the USB listed on that screen?
If so, are you unable to move to select it?

If not, it would be wise to check your installation of the bootable medium and maybe try using a different USB port.

Hi Aravisian, I think he is referring to Zorin 12 where you can select Language, Keyboard Layout etc. It could be a corrupt .iso on the USB - so back to square one - Did you chech the SHA /md5 sum after downloading but before sending to thumb drive?

It is not the boot screen of the BIOS I was refering to. It is the install screen of the OS that doesn't work.

It is Zorin 15.1 I was trying to install. The file name is Zorin-OS-15.1-Core-64-bit-r2.iso.

I didn't check the integrity of the file because I never, in over 30 years of PC use, had a problem based on this and I had already installed Linux Mint the day before using the same method. But I will do as suggested to make sure it is not the cause of my problems.

Thanks for the suggestions

My next question is how old is the USB key? Formatted to FAT32? Whic USB install software did you use?

how old is the USB key?

Don't know but used it to install Linuxmint.

Formatted to FAT32?

yes

Whic USB install software did you use?

Etcher and Rufus.

The last line on menu,

Shut Off

works. The Computer stops running.

How long does it stay stuck?
I have had that happen when it was reading and calculating and from my P.O.V., it seemed stuck. I got up and made a sandwich and by the time I got back, it was finished with its task and I could proceed unward. When doing an installation, the installation software needs to run checks on a LOT of things, and this is especially true if another O.S. is already installed on another partition.
If you waited an hour, however, then something is wrong and will need to examine what that is.

It is working now. I broke a basic rule of trouble shooting and made 2 changes at one time. I tried a different USB key, one with an activity indicator and I waited a longer time. The activity indicator showed something was happening so I waited and eventually and the screen changed and showed some progress. This led to the eventual installation of the system. Now to install my apps.

Thanks for your support.

I like these modern USB flash drives that have a indicator on them, that is very smart. Sometimes thats the only way we know our hard drives are doing anything on our computer's too, by seeing that orange/red indicator flashing away. So glad you were able to figure it out. I still remember the bulky flash drives people used to carry around in the late 90's to 2000's. They sure have come a long way! Now they got flash drives the size of your thumbnail, and when you insert them into your computer, they only stick out 1/16 of an inch!