Overview

This article discusses installing FTK Enterprise 7.6.  For FTK and FTK Lab 7.6, see this article.  For assistance with licensing or installing Forensic Tools, please contact sales@exterro.com.

Prerequisites

• Install all current Windows updates.
• Disable any antivirus/malware scanning software.
• A physical or virtual dongle with an FTK Enterprise license
  Note: Refer to this article for help activating a virtual dongle.

Notes

• If any part of the installation prompts to reboot the computer, you must reboot and start over from step 1 to ensure all components are installed.
• Since 7.x, multiple versions of FTK on the same system are no longer supported.
• The database upgrade process only works with 7.x databases. If you are upgrading from 6.x, you will need to backup the cases you want to retain and uninstall all 6.x versions prior to installing 7.x

Forensic Tools Installation

1. Insert or mount the Forensic Tools 7.6 installation media and launch the autorun by right clicking and choosing "Run as Administrator".
2. At the autorun menu, click Install Forensic Tools 64 Bit.

3. At the AccessData Forensic Tools Suite installer Welcome dialog, click Next.

4. At the License Agreement dialog, accept the License Agreement and click Next.

5. At the Setup Type dialog, select Enterprise from the dropdown menu.

6. If you chose Lab/Enterprise and have a FTK Central server installed on a remote machine that you'd like this installation to connect to, check Use remote Exterro Server and enter the name/IP of your Exterro server.

6. Select whether you would like to perform a Default or Advanced installation.
   Note: Default installations should only be done in single-box, single-drive environments.
    

“Default” Installation

1. At the PostgreSQL License Agreement dialog, accept the license agreement and click Install.
   Note: PostgreSQL will only be installed if it is not already on your system from a previous installation.
2. Python 3.7 will automatically be installed.
3. CodeMeter 7.3 will automatically be installed                                     
4. The Evidence Processor will automatically be installed.
5. The select FTK application will automatically be installed.
6. At the final dialog, click Finish and continue to the Database Configuration section below.

“Advanced” Installation

1. At the Custom Setup dialog, check which components to install and click Install.

2. If you chose to install PostgreSQL, do the following during the AccessData PostgreSQL Setup:
   1. At the Destination Folder dialog, select the desired installation folder.
      

2. At the Data Folder dialog, select the desired database storage folder. It's recommended to put the database Data Folder on its own drive, if possible.
   

3. At the PostgreSQL Port dialog, choose the port that PostgreSQL should use.
   
4. At the PostgreSQL User Create dialog, create a password for the PostgreSQL database administrator account.
   

3. If you chose to install the Evidence Processor, do the following during the AccessData Evidence Processing Engine Setup:
    
   1. At the Destination Folder dialog, select the desired installation folder.
      

2. At the Processing Temp Folder and State Folder dialog, choose the folders where you’d like the temporary file stored. It's recommended to put the Processing Temporary Folder on its own drive, if possible.
   

4. If you chose to install the Forensic Tools, do the following during the AccessData Forensic Tools Setup:
   1. At the Configuration dialog, select the desired installation folder, database host, and Exterro Server host.
      

2. At the User Credentials dialog, enter the credentials for an account to run the Exterro service (This account should be a member of the local administrators group, and be a domain-level account in a multi-box environment. The "Local System" account should only be used if all components, as well as case and evidence storage, will be on one single machine.)
    
4. At the final dialog, click Finish, then reboot if prompted.
5. Proceed to the correct Database Configuration section below.

Database Configuration

If this is the first Forensic Tools installation on this machine, or there's no existing database or cases, please follow the New Install section. 

New Install

1. If the AccessData Database Configuration Tool window isn't already open, open DBConfig.exe as Administrator (typically located in "[drive]:\Program Files\AccessData\Forensic Tools\[version]\bin").
   Note: If you did a New Default install, and there's already an existing "Default" entry listed in DBConfig, you should be able to skip to step 5.  Your Application Administrator Username should be Administrator and the password should be abc123.

2. Click Add Configuration.

3. Complete the following, then click Create:
   Database Type: MSSQL or Postgres (This should be Postgres if you did a Default installation.)
   Server Name : Port: Database location in the format host:port (Port is only needed when using a non-default port. This should be localhost if you did a Default installation.)
   Create Database: True
   Authentication Mode: Mode to authenticate to your database (This should be Database Authentication if you did a Default installation.)
   System User: When using Database Authentication, this is the database user to use when authenticating (This should be postgres if you did a Default installation.)
   System Password: When using Database Authentication, this is the database password to use when authenticating (This should be AD@Password if you did a Default installation.)
   Application Admin: The desired username for your first FTK Enterprise administrator.
   Admin Password: The desired password for your first FTK Enterprise administrator.

4. After the database is created, confirm the Default box is checked next to the entry for your new database.

5. Close the AccessData Database Configuration Tool window and reboot your computer.

Upgrade

Before attempting any validations and upgrades, it is important to ensure the Exterro Self Host Service has been stopped. This can be done using Windows Services. Once validations and the upgrade have completed, users can start the service again.    

There is no direct upgrade path from older versions of PostgreSQL to PostgreSQL 14. If you would like to move from an older version of PostgreSQL to the new version of PostgreSQL, you will need to back up all existing cases with DBConfig, connect Forensic Tools 7.6 to the new version of PostgreSQL, and restore the case backups with DBConfig (View this article for more help).

1. If the AccessData Database Configuration Tool window isn't already open, open DBConfig.exe as Administrator (typically located in "[drive]:\Program Files\AccessData\Forensic Tools\[version]\bin").

2. If your desired database is not already listed, click Add Configuration.

3. Complete the following, then click Connect:
   Database Type: MSSQL or Postgres
   Server Name : Port: Database location in the format host:port (Port is only needed when using a non-default port.)

4. Click to highlight the existing database that is being used.

5. Click Validate.
6. Click Check Common Options.
7. Select an Authentication Mode.
8. Click Validate.
   • Database Validate Successful should appear. Do not proceed if this does not, please send any messages that accompany an unsuccessful validation to support@exterro.com.

9. Highlight your desired database, and click Update Database.

10. Select a backup path, set your authentication mode, and click Update.

11. After the update completes, confirm the Default box is checked next to the entry for your desired database.

12. After the update completes, confirm the Default box is checked next to the entry for your desired database.

13. Click Migrate Data. This will migrate the AppDB to the ADG database.
14. Enter the Authentication Mode and required credentials. Click Start Data Migration.
15. (Optional) Click Create Master Proc. This option will allow the server selected to be used as the master server in a MSSQL multi-database environment.
16. Close the AccessData Database Configuration Tool window and reboot your computer.