Installer guide
FallShield Windows Installer Instructions
FallShield installs and updates everything needed to run SafetySense on your Windows computer. For demo testing with 1–2 cameras, an ordinary Windows laptop may be enough; an NVIDIA GPU is recommended for larger camera counts. The installer is designed to make the correct choices automatically. In most cases, you can keep the default options and click Next. The checkboxes and advanced options are mainly for troubleshooting, reinstalling components, or changing camera setup.
Step-by-step guide
1. Download and Start the Installer
The current installer has auto-update functionality, so you do not always need to download it again. You can reopen setup in either of these ways:
- Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find FallShield, and choose Modify
- Open the SafetySense folder and run FallShieldSetup
Download the FallShield Windows installer from the SafetySense website if FallShield is not installed yet.
After the download finishes, open the installer file.
If Windows or your browser asks for confirmation, choose Keep, Open, or Run anyway if needed.
2. Welcome Page
The welcome page starts the installation process.
Click Next to continue. The installer will later check whether a newer installer or updated packages are available.
3. License Agreement
Read the license agreement.
Select I accept the agreement, then click Next. If you already accepted the license in a previous installation, this step may be skipped automatically.
4. System Preparation
FallShield checks whether your computer is ready. CPU-only testing is supported for small camera counts, while GPU acceleration is recommended for several cameras and continuous monitoring.
The installer may help with system settings such as:
- Windows compatibility checks
- Power settings for better long-running operation
- Security software warnings
- Existing FallShield service or process shutdown before update
For most users, the default choices are recommended. Click Next.
5. Download and Update Required Packages
The installer checks and updates required FallShield packages.
This includes:
- FallShield application files
- AI detection package
- Installer updates
- Previously downloaded package checksums
You do not need to manually decide which packages to update. The installer compares installed files with the server and downloads only what is missing or outdated.
Advanced checkboxes are available for users who want to force reinstall or reset specific components. For normal installation, keep the default options and click Next.
6. Installer Auto-Update
Before installing packages, the installer checks whether a newer installer is available. This happens both on a fresh install and when you run setup again from an existing FallShield installation.
If an update is found, you will see a message asking whether to update the installer.
Recommended choice: Yes — update the installer and restart setup. The updated installer will download and restart automatically. If no update is needed, installation continues normally.
7. Camera Credentials
Enter the camera username and password.
For TP-Link Tapo cameras, this is the camera account or device account created inside the Tapo app. It may be different from your TP-Link cloud account.
Use the same camera username and password for all cameras when possible. Click Next.
The installer scans your network and creates or updates the FallShield camera configuration.
The installer can:
- Find available cameras
- Re-scan cameras during reinstall
- Update camera configuration
- Preserve custom camera names when possible
- Preserve enabled or disabled camera selection when possible
For most users, the default camera setup behavior is recommended.
If you previously renamed cameras, the installer tries to keep those names after re-scan when the same camera IP address is found.
8. Review Cameras
Review each detected camera.
You may:
- Rename cameras to friendly names, such as Living Room, Bedroom, or Kitchen
- Disable a camera if you do not want FallShield to use it
- Check camera preview images
- Confirm that cameras are pointed at the correct area
If a camera is disabled, FallShield keeps it in the configuration but marks it as inactive. Click Next when the camera list looks correct.
9. AI Detection Package
FallShield uses a local AI detection package.
The installer checks whether the AI package is already installed and whether it is up to date.
If the package is missing or outdated, the installer downloads and installs it automatically.
This package can be large, so the download may take time. You do not need to check any advanced boxes unless support asks you to reinstall the AI package.
10. Connect Account, Trial, or Subscription
On the final page, you can connect this computer to your SafetySense account.
You may choose:
- Demo mode for local testing
- Trial access with account connection
- Paid subscription for continued monitoring and alerts
Demo mode is useful for testing the local installation, camera setup, and whether your current computer is fast enough for your camera count.
A trial or paid subscription is required for account-connected notification features.
11. Installation Complete
When installation is complete, FallShield is ready to run.
The installer creates shortcuts for launching FallShield.
Depending on Windows version, Start Menu items may appear immediately or after Windows refreshes the Start Menu. On some Windows 11 systems, the Start Menu view may update after restart.
The setup complete page may include a checkbox to run FallShield Control Center. Control Center is mainly for camera placement and camera view control. Fall detection is not related to Control Center. You can close Control Center, and the FallShield service will continue to work.
Recommended User Path
- Download installer.
- Open installer.
- Accept license.
- Keep default options.
- Enter camera credentials.
- Review detected cameras.
- Click Next until installation completes.
- Connect account for trial or paid subscription.
The installer is designed to check, update, and repair the required packages automatically.
Advanced Options
Advanced options are provided for troubleshooting and support. Use them only when needed.
Examples:
- Reinstall FallShield application files
- Reinstall AI detection package
- Reset and re-scan cameras
- Clear temporary download and cache files
- Re-run setup after a failed or interrupted installation
Most users should leave these options unchanged.
Troubleshooting Notes
Windows or your browser may ask for confirmation before running a newly downloaded installer. Choose Keep, Open, or Run anyway if needed.
Some antivirus tools may temporarily quarantine new installer files. If this happens, restore the installer from quarantine or temporarily disable real-time scanning during installation. SafetySense is working to improve installer recognition by security vendors.
Check that:
- Camera is powered on
- Camera is connected to the same network
- Camera username and password are correct
- Firewall allows camera discovery and FallShield communication
Then run camera scan again.
The installer tries to preserve custom camera names by matching camera IP addresses. If the camera IP changed, you may need to rename the camera again.
Windows 11 may cache Start Menu entries. The installer creates the correct shortcuts, but the visible Start Menu may refresh later or after restart.