Cannot Boot into Linux from USB drive -Taichi z270

I am trying to run linux (lubuntu) from a SanDisk 64GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive. I can successfully select the USB drive from the boot order list and get to the boot option screen where I select "Try Lubuntu without installing", but the screen goes black and then this error message is displayed:

ata10.00: exception Emask 0x52 SAct 0x0 SErr 0xffffffff action 0xe frozen
ata10: SError: { RecovData RecovComm UndercovData Persist Proto HostInt PHYRdyChg PHYInt CommWake 10B8B Dispar BadCRC Handshk LinkSeq TrStaTrns UnrecFIS DevExch }
ata10.00: failed command: IDENTIFY PACKET DEVICE
ata10.00: cmd a1/00:01:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/00 tag 21 pio 512 in
res 40/00:00:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/00 Emask 0x56 (ATA bus error)
ata10.00: status: { DRDY }

Where it stays frozen until I shutdown the system.  The same thing happens with other versions of linux. (tested with bunsenlabs)  I am able to successfully boot into linux through my USB drive on other computer systems, so it is not an issue with the USB drive.

I have read on random forum posts across the WWW that it might be caused by a conflict with the SATA devices I have plugged in.  Some forum posts suggest removing all SATA devices in order to boot into linux from USB drive.  I tried this, and I get a different response:  after selecting "Try lubuntu without installing", I actually see the Lubuntu splash screen with the "loading" dots beneath it, but then it goes black and freezes with a single underscore in the top left corner of the screen.  No error message prints and it does nothing until I shutdown the system.  So removing SATA devices does not help.

Here are my system's current specs:
CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor 
Motherboard: ASRock Z270 Taichi ATX LGA1151
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory 
Storage: Crucial 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive, WD 1TB Caviar Black
Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 470 4GB STRIX Video Card 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750W
Misc: ASUS optical drive


Anybody have any ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks in advance.


Edited by ejkite - 20 Mar 2017 at 9:45am