User Guide

Installation Tips and Troubleshooting

Check our webpages on Hardware Recommendations and Known Hardware Compatibility Issues Under Investigation

How do I create a EFI boot stick?

There are two methods for creating a boot stick to install LAD on your hardware. The primary way to do this is to generate and download an EFI file image from the configurator page for the installation module on lateralaccessdevice.com and place it on a USB stick (this is the same process you would use to create any other EFI-type bootable stick for most modern operating systems):

1. Download the installation module and save it as "bootx64.efi".
2. On a blank USB stick with FAT formatting (most USB sticks have FAT formatting), create the following file structure: EFI/BOOT/.
• Please note that if you are re-using a USB stick you must remove all pre-existing files from it.
3. Copy the bootx64.efi file into the BOOT folder.

Most modern operating systems recognize EFI/UEFI files, but if yours does not, you can create a boot stick using an alternative method. Please see below.

My system doesn't work with EFI / UEFI. What can I do?

If your hardware system does not correctly boot EFI or UEFI, you will need to use an alternate process to generate a boot file image and "burn" it to a USB stick. For this you will need to download a differently formatted installation module from lateralaccessdevice.com.

For more information on how to burn a file image to a USB stick, go to http://www.lateralaccessdevice.com/win32_disk_imager.htm.

My hardware won't boot up from the USB stick.

Check whether the computer you are using for LAD is set to boot up from the USB stick. Most systems have that as their default boot setting, however, there are always exceptions. To check your boot order you need to access the boot order in the BIOS (aka CMOS, Setup Utility or similar). To do this you will need to connect both a monitor and a keyboard to the computer.

1. With most machines you access the BIOS/CMOS by pressing either DEL, F1, F9 or ESC keys when it is booting up, though it is possible your particular computer may use a different key (check the documentation that came with your hardware).
2. Navigate to the Boot Order or Boot Preferences (the setting may be named slightly differently, depending on your system)
3. Set the primary boot selection to USB.
4. Save settings and restart the machine.

When you restart the machine, in order to proceed with installation you must have the boot USB stick inserted in one of the computer's USB ports and a live connection to the Internet.

I can't access the BIOS.

First, check your hardware's documentation for the correct way to access the BIOS (aka CMOS, Setup Utility and other similar names), as different systems use different keys (DEL, F1, F9 or ESC are some of the most commonly used keys). If you still are unable to access the BIOS and you are comfortable opening up computers and working with the hardware, you can try temporarily removing the motherboard's coin cell battery to reset the BIOS to the factory default settings (and most modern systems' factory defaults have USB as the primary boot option).

I set my primary boot source to USB, but the installer isn't launching.

• It is possible for USB ports to go bad or malfunction, so the first thing to try is connecting the boot stick to a different USB port.
• We have also come across some systems that do not always preserve changes to the boot order, particularly if the system is started up without a USB stick present. In fact, we have come across some systems in our testing that would change the primary boot selection to the hard drive if you booted up without the USB stick inserted, even if you had previously changed the boot order.
• Some motherboards have BIOSes with so-called "secure boot" functionality that make it more difficult to set USB as the first boot device, in fact, ignoring and discarding attempts to change the first boot device to USB. They may give you a "secure boot violation" or "invalid signature detected" message when you attempt to put USB as the primary boot device.
• To address this, go to the security section and disable secure boot. Save changes and exit.
• With some systems you may not be able to disable secure boot without making some changes in Windows, if certain versions of Windows are pre-loaded on the device you are using.
1. After Windows has launched, press CTL-ALT-DEL.
2. Go to Power options (usually in the top right corner of the screen).
3. Hold down the shift key and select "Restart."
4. A new Windows menu will appear. Go to Troubleshooting.
5. Select Advanced Options.
6. Select UEFI Firmware Settings.
7. Make sure the USB stick on which you have the LAD installer is already inserted in the USB port and select Restart to change UEFI settings.
8. The BIOS menu will open. Go to the security section and disable secure boot.
9. Go the the Boot section and set the Fixed Boot Order Priorities to USB first and HDD second.
10. Save changes and exit.
• Please note that some systems may have slightly different terminology than described in the sequence above.

How do I know which port on the computer is the first, so I can connect it to the Internet?

• There is no hard and fast rule, but motherboards with built-in Ethernet ports often have them labeled numerically. If no separate NICs are connected, the sequence of the ports will typically follow the numerical labelling on the motherboard or the outside of the chassis itself.
• If you have separate network interface cards connected to the motherboard, it varies from motherboard to motherboard whether the motherboard's built-in ports take numbering precedence or the NICs do. Probably more often the motherboard gives precedence to its own ports, but not always.
• You may simply have to go through some trial and error to find the correct port to which to connect the Internet. If you connect a monitor to the chassis on which you are installing LAD, the installer module will instruct you to connect the Internet source if it is not correctly connected. If you do not get this message and installation proceeds, then you have connected to the correct port.
• After you have completed installation, you can discover the numbering of the rest of your ports, if you wish, using the NET logs (under Sys Info). Simply plug a cable into one of the ports and see what number it reports as connecting in the NET logs.

How can I tell if installation was successful?

• The easiest way to monitor the progress and success of the installation module is to watch its progress by connecting a monitor to the computer chassis during installation. This would allow you to see if there were any incompatibility or other error messages, as well as see when installation is complete.
• You may attempt to access LAD using the web-based user interface. Attempts to access the web-based user interface prior to completion of installation will fail, so if it doesn't work at first, try again in a few minutes. See Logging Into LAD.

What do I do if I get a "Fail!" message?

The "Fail!" message indicates that the installer module ran into some sort of error (other than an issue with incompatible hardware). This is a rare occurrence and is only of concern if you get the fail message at the end of the installation process repeatedly. If it gets a FAIL error during the installation process, the LAD installer will attempt to correct it by restarting the installation process.

If it happens to you, we would appreciate the feedback but may not be able to address it right away. Make note of the error code given and email it to support@lateralaccessdevice.com along with information about your system's hardware.

I am setting up LAD behind my old firewall/router. The installer seems to boot up and start installation, but after connecting to the Internet it times out and restarts.

In some circumstances, if LAD is located behind a firewall, it is possible that the firewall is preventing LAD from completing installation.

• If the firewall is preventing LAD from accessing the Internet during installation, the installer may not be able to complete installation. When this happens the LAD installation module will usually reboot and try again.
• Make sure that the firewall is not blocking or altering LAD's connection or communications.

• Though the standard operation for a firewall is not to alter the packets that pass through it, some firewalls do. When the firewall alters the packets that LAD sends to our servers to complete installation, the packets that arrive at our servers would be unrecognizable. To address this, the firewall settings need to be adjusted to allow LAD unimpeded and unaltered access to the Internet. In the alternative, LAD may be connected directly to the Internet without an intervening firewall (either during the installation process or permanently), or you may connect it through a different firewall that does not block or alter its packets.

LAD seems to have installed, but when I reboot or power-cycle it, it starts reformatting again and all the old data is gone.

Check to see if the USB stick you used for installation is still in the machine. If it is, the machine would reboot from the USB stick and go through the installation process again. Once you have installed LAD on your machine, you should remove the installation USB stick, label it and keep it in a safe place.

If LAD is located behind a firewall, in some circumstances it is possible that the firewall is preventing LAD from completing installation. See "I am setting up LAD behind my old firewall/router. It seems to boot up and start installation, but after connecting to the Internet it times out and restarts" above.

I want to connect LAD to my Internet source. What do I keep? What do I replace?

Whether or not you have a modem on site or just an Ethernet cable coming out of the wall, there is modem somewhere from which the Ethernet cable that is your Ethernet sources connects from. Most likely you already have a router in place behind the modem, between the modem and the rest of your equipment. It is this router that LAD would replace, if you wish it to connect directly to your Internet connection.

• In some cases you may have a modem/router combination. If you wish to use LAD instead of the routing features of the modem/router (and get the full benefit of LAD's functionalities), you can switch the modem into bridge mode and program the internet connectivity settings (if other than DHCP) into LAD.

You do not have to replace your current router (or router/firewall as it may be) with LAD, but there are advantages to be gained in speed, functionality and security.

	The graphic at left illustrates a configuration where the modem is on site. LAD would be placed where the router is pictured.
The graphic at right illustrates a configuration where the modem is located outside the premises and on-site an Ethernet cable comes out of the wall (or maybe plugged into the wall) for Internet connectivity.

Why am I getting a "Memory Map Failed" error?

You are getting this error because the BIOS or motherboard settings are interfering with LAD's ability to map the memory, which prevents it from running. This is typically caused by Legacy CSM support in older motherboards. Since the early 2010s BIOS / CMOS have been migrating away from this toward UEFI-only, which typically does not interfere with memory mapping structures. Since 2020 UEFI-only has been pretty much standard to unify the booting process (and avoid issues like memory map errors).

• Some motherboards have the ability to switch between UEFI and Legacy CSM. Try switching to UEFI-only boot mode, if possible. Check your motherboard's documentation to see how to do this.
• If you cannot disable Legacy CSM on your motherboard and switch to the UEFI boot process, it may be necessary to use a different motherboard that does support UEFI.

Why do I get "secure boot violation" or "invalid signature detected" error messages when I try to change the boot device to USB?

On some motherboards you have to jump through a few hoops to change the boot order, ostensibly as a security measure. If you get error messages concerning "secure boot" or "invalid signature" or something similar when you attempt to change the boot order or UEFI settings, the motherboard of your machine may be one of them.

There will be variations from motherboard to motherboard, but generally you may disable secure boot with something like the following:

1. Enter the BIOS/CMOS and go to the security tab / section.
2. Find the secure boot setting and disable it.
3. Save changes and exit, then press the appropriate key to get back into the BIOS / CMOS.
• With some motherboards you might only be able to enter the BIOS / CMOS from powering up, but not from a reboot.
4. Confirm that the BIOS / CMOS has retained your changes to the secure boot setting.

If the machine you onto which you are installing LAD already has an operating system installed on it, in some cases you may find that Windows may change your BIOS / CMOS settings to always enable secure boot. If that is the case with your motherboard, you will need to follow a different sequence, like the following:

1. While in Windows, press CTL-ALT-DEL.

2. Sign out.
3. Find and select Power Options (usually in the top corner of the screen).
4. Hold down the SHIFT key and click on restart. This will open a new menu.
5. Go to "Troubleshoot."
6. Go to "Advanced Options."
7. Go to "UEFI Firmware Settings."
8. Select "Restart to change UEFI settings." This will open the BIOS / CMOS.
• Make sure the LAD installation USB is already inserted.
9. Go to the Security tab or section.
10. Disable secure boot.
11. Go to the Boot tab or section.
12. Change the fixed boot order priorities to USB first and HDD second.
13. Save changes and exit.

Please note that some systems may have slightly different terminology than described in the sequence above.

<< Installation | Logging Into LAD >>