# Installation failed



## jdias (Sep 18, 2020)

When installing FreeBSD 12.1 (i386), the installer couldn't find /boot/loader/loader.lua and gave error, going to the OK prompt. The ls command showed a empty directory...

I was installing it in an old PC with Pentium M and Windows XP, and also a very basic BIOS...


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## a6h (Sep 18, 2020)

Checksum (sha256) the ISO. If it's correct, go to the BIOS and set SATA HDD to AHCI and Native (instead of IDE), if those are applicable.


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## jdias (Sep 18, 2020)

My BIOS is too basic. The laptop is from 2006. The BIOS only gives the option to select boot media...


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## Mjölnir (Sep 19, 2020)

After you checked the install medium (md5sum or sha256), you can try one or all of the following:

Safe boot & disable acpi(4) for the installer
put `echo debug.acpi.max_threads=\"1\" >>/boot/loader.conf`
Boot with `hw.acpi.verbose="1"`
Put `hint.acpi.0.disabled="1"` into loader.conf(5) to disable ACPI completely
Maybe try GhostBSD or NomadBSD?
Good luck!


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## George (Sep 19, 2020)

Not finding a file (in this case boot/loader/loader.lua) has little to do with acpi, right?

It would be nice to have a screenshot (maybe with a smartphone) to see the exact error message. ;D

What's the Installation media? A CD?


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## dieselriot (Sep 19, 2020)

I came across this same problem, though on amd64, a couple weeks ago when installing to my "new" build, on an ECS/Nvidia AM2+ motherboard with BIOS. At first I thought it was USB related so I burnt a CD with 12.1-RELEASE. Same thing. Then I burned another one with 11.2-RELEASE. It worked, installation was smooth. Afterwards I upgraded straight to 12.1. No problems this far.


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