Scripted Time Clock Installations

The Virtual TimeClock installer can be run from a command line and accepts some parameters to assist in scripted installation. This is especially helpful when you need to install a large number of time clock clients. Here are the most common parameters.

/SP-
Disables the This will install... Do you wish to continue? startup prompt at the beginning of installation. The parameter includes the trailing dash ( - ).

/SILENT, /VERYSILENT
Instructs the installation to be silent or very silent. A silent install does not show the wizard or the background window. It does display the installation progress window. A very silent install doesn't show the progress window in addition to the two windows suppressed by the SILENT parameter. In either case, any error messages that occur during installation are displayed. /SILENT and /VERYSILENT do not suppress the startup prompt (above).

/SUPPRESSMSGBOXES
Suppress message boxes during installation. Only has an effect when combined with /SILENT and /VERYSILENT. Any message boxes that would have been displayed are responded to in the following fashion:

• Keep newer file? = yes - newer files are kept
• File exists, confirm overwrite. = no - files are not overwritten
• Abort or Retry? = Abort - process is ended
• Retry/Cancel? = Cancel - process is canceled
• Warnings about low disk space, directories existing (or not), exit the setup program, confirmation of uninstallation, etc. = Yes - continue the operation
• Setup or uninstall completed, and restart needed = Yes - restart the computer

Examples
Here are some examples of these parameters in action that you may find useful. These examples are using the Pro Client installer.

Install the program without displaying any of the standard prompts, i.e. install location, but still show the progress, and verify the user wants to perform the install: TimeClockProClientSetup.exe /silent

To avoid asking the user to confirm, but still show progress: TimeClockProClientSetup.exe /SP- /silent

Confirm that the user wants to perform the install, but show no other progress: TimeClockProClientSetup.exe /verysilent

Skip the confirmation, and don't show any other progress: TimeClockProClientSetup.exe /SP- /verysilent

Jeff
Tier 2 Tech Support
Redcort Software, Inc.

Individual Employee Time Clocks

Over the last several time clock software releases, we've greatly simplified the way individual employee computer workstations get set up as personal time clocks by adding a display group interface that does all the work for you. Here are the steps for setting up an individual time clock:

Create the new display group
With admin turned on, go to Configure then Display Groups. Create a new display group called something like 'Individual', set the interface to Individual - User Status, select the users who will be logging in to the time clock individually, and change any default user action settings. For example, I usually turn off the user password requirement when using the individual interface.

Login to the new display group
You'll need to go to the time clock client on each individual workstation and log off by choosing Logout of Server from the File menu. Once you're at the client login window, you just need to pick the 'Individual' display group from the list, enter the user's password, and login.

Now every time the employee launches their time clock it will open to their individual User Status window.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Silent Uninstalls

We occasionally get asked by our larger clients if there's an easy way to uninstall Virtual TimeClock when upgrading so they don't have to physically touch each computer. Here are some command line parameters that you may find helpful when scripting silent uninstalls.

The uninstaller program (unins000.exe) accepts the following command line parameters.

/SILENT, /VERYSILENT
The uninstaller will not ask the user for startup confirmation or display a message stating that uninstall is complete. Shared files that are no longer in use are deleted automatically without prompting. Any critical error messages will still be shown on the screen. When '/VERYSILENT' is used, the uninstallation progress window is not displayed.

/SUPPRESSMSGBOXES
Instructs the uninstaller to suppress message boxes. Only has an effect when combined with '/SILENT' and '/VERYSILENT'.

/LOG
Causes Uninstall to create a log file in the user's TEMP directory detailing file uninstallation and actions taken during the uninstallation process. The log file is created with a unique name based on the current date. It will not overwrite or append to existing files.


Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Moving Time Clock Clients

When running the Virtual TimeClock Network Edition, there are times when a client time clock may need to be moved to another computer. This could be due to a number of reasons, like the computer crashed or there's been changes in office personnel. Whatever the reason, the goal is to move the client program without disrupting business operations. Here are a few tips to make that happen.

The most common issue customers have is installing the wrong client version. If the current time clock client is still available, you can check this by selecting About Virtual TimeClock from the Help menu on a Windows PC and the Virtual Time Clock menu on Mac. This will also allow you to verify if the client program is a Pro or User Client. Now quit the time clock client and uninstall it.

Launch the Virtual TimeClock Server Manager program and click Licenses. Select and remove the computer name that corresponds to the old time clock client. This will allow the new time clock client to connect to the time clock server.

Download and install the correct Network Edition time clock client. If you need a prior version, select Prior Releases in the upper right corner. Just complete the installer and you'll be prompted to connect to your time clock server.

Follow the above steps and your new time clock client will be up and running before the next punch.

Angie
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Port Forwarding on Netopia

It's easy to set up Virtual TimeClock at multiple office locations or even connect to your time clock from home or when you're on the road. As long as you've got an Internet connection, no problem. We've got instructions for using Virtual TimeClock over the Internet in our Remote Connectivity Guide. We've had some customers who use a Motorola Netopia DSL modem have some trouble setting up remote time clocks. The trouble stems from differences in terminology and a restriction of the Netopia.

First of all, the Netopia doesn't use the common description of 'port forwarding' or 'port mapping' to describe the process of opening up the network communication port that the time clock server needs to communicate with other time clocks over the Internet. The Netopia calls it a 'pinhole'.

Secondly, the Netopia has a limit on the external port number so you won't be able to use the default port of 56777. We've had success setting the external port to 48999. You should still be able to keep the internal port at 56777 to match the default TCP port of your time clock server.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Front Reception Time Clock

Here's a time clock deployment scenario that I came across recently. A customer wanted the front desk receptionist to be able to clock people in and out because sometimes staff would make it all the way to the front door before they realized they hadn't clocked out for lunch. They wanted the receptionist to be able to clock other employees in and out without having to mess around with a password, but they still wanted password protection turned on for the other employee time clocks scattered around the organization.

We created a new display group called 'Reception' that included all of the employees and turned off user passwords for just that display group. Virtual TimeClock '12 has a ton of flexibility when it comes to deploying time clocks so I rarely encounter scenarios that the time clock software is unable to handle.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Silent and Unattended Time Clock Installation

Occasionally we get asked about ways to speed up the installation process on Windows. It's usually when someone has a lot of time clock clients to install because of a new license purchase or upgrade. The standard time clock software Setup Wizard requires a minimal degree of user interaction, but clicking the Next button half a dozen times on 50 computers can certainly add up! I went to one of my engineers and demanded (well, actually I asked quite politely) for some tools to help speed up the installs for our Windows network time clock users. They showed me a couple of ways.

The Virtual TimeClock installer can be run from a command line and accepts some parameters to assist in scripted installation.

Silent Install
A silent install doesn't show the standard Setup Wizard, but it does display the installation progress window. When installing the Pro Client, the command will look something like this:

Very Silent Install
A very silent install doesn't show the standard Setup Wizard or the installation progress window. The command will look something like this:

In either case, any error messages that occur during installation are still displayed.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Setting a Static IP Address on Mac

A couple of weeks ago, I provided you with instructions on how to set a static IP address on Windows computers. This post will show you how to do the same thing on a Mac. You'll want to do this if your time clock clients fail to connect to the time clock server after the computer is rebooted. It's probably getting a dynamic IP address from the router which causes it to sometimes get a different address the next time the computer is turned on. That's why your time clock software works perfectly for months until you get hit with a power outage, or someone turns off the computer.

Here are the instructions for assigning a static IP address on Mac computers.

Go to the Apple menu, choose System Preferences and select Network from the Internet & Wireless row. Select your network interface from the list on the left (probably the one with the green status indicator). Change it from Using DHCP to Using DHCP with manual address so it should still get all the Internet stuff it needs automatically. It'll look something like this when you're all done:

When you give a static IP address to a computer, the router may not know that address is being used so it may try to give it to another computer later. So you'll want to give your computer an IP address that's not likely to be given out to others.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Setting a Static IP Address in Windows

One of the reasons time clock clients fail to connect to the time clock server is because the IP address of the time clock server computer changes. The reason this happens is because the computer running the time clock server is receiving a dynamic IP address from the router. This makes it easy on the end user since no configuration is required to set up your computer and use the Internet, but your computer may get a different address the next time the computer is turned on. That's why your time clock software works perfectly for months until you get hit with a power outage, or someone turns off the computer. When the computer is started again, clients can't connect and you get a message like the following when you launch the Server Manager.

You'll also need to set a static IP address on the time clock server computer if you plan on using Virtual TimeClock over the Internet. Here are some easy instructions for assigning a static IP address on Windows computers.

Setting a Static IP Address on Windows XP

Setting a Static IP Address on Windows Vista

Setting a Static IP Address on Windows 7

When you give a static IP address to a computer, the router may not know that address is being used so it may try to give it to another computer later. So you'll want to give your computer an IP address that's not likely to be given out to others.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Time Clocks At Multiple Locations

There are a couple of options when deciding how to deploy time clock software at multiple business locations. There's really no right or wrong answer, it just depends on your business needs and how you plan on utilizing the time clock.

Networked Time Clocks
The first deployment option is to network time clocks at the two locations together. This option is best if:

• You need to monitor when employees come and go from either location.
• You want 1 time card per employee, even if they work at both locations.
• You need weekly overtime totals to be calculated on the total time worked at both locations.

Stand Alone Time Clocks
The second deployment option is to put two separate time clocks at the two locations. This option is best if:

• You have unreliable Internet service at either location.
• You pay employees from different cost centers so you need 2 separate time cards per employee, even if they work at both locations.

Contact us if you'd like to discuss time clock deployment and licensing options in more detail.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software

Personal Time Clocks

Virtual TimeClock has a number of flexible deployment options depending on your office workflow. You may want to deploy as a stand alone time clock kiosk, or network multiple time clocks together to take advantage of the real-time in/out board. I get asked a lot how to set up a personal time clock for each employee. In other words, management only wants the individual worker name to display on each employee's computer time clock. That's easy to do with display groups.

Setting up display groups for a personal time clock is a two-step process. First, create the new display group. Go to the Lists menu and choose Display Groups. Click the + button in the lower left corner of the window to create the new group. It's probably easiest to name the new group after the employee so it's easy to recognize later, like "Jeff's Time Clock". Make sure that same employee is the only one you have selected in the user list and save. Second, assign the display group to the individual employee's computer time clock. On Mac, go to the Virtual TimeClock Pro Client menu and choose Preferences. On Windows, go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Select the personal display group you created for the employee from the Display Group drop-down list. Now just repeat the process for your other employees.

Jeff

Technical Support Team

Redcort Software

Time Clock System Requirements

If you're looking to purchase new computer equipment before the end of the year then you'll want to make sure your current version of Virtual TimeClock is compatible. System requirements for your version can be found in the user's guide available from the Help menu within your time clock program. If you're thinking about upgrading your time clock software with your current computer configuration, here's a listing of the recommended system requirements for Virtual TimeClock '10.

Stand Alone Time Clocks

Virtual TimeClock Basic

• Mac OS X 10.3 - 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Windows XP, Vista, 7
• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 40 MB free hard disk space
• 32 MB free memory
• 32 bit native / 64 bit compatible

Virtual TimeClock Pro

• Mac OS X 10.3 - 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Windows XP, Vista, 7
• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 60 MB free hard disk space
• 32 MB free memory
• 32 bit native / 64 bit compatible

Network Time Clocks

Virtual TimeClock Server

• Mac OS X 10.4 - 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Windows XP, Vista, 7, Server '03, Server '08
• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 80 MB free hard disk space
• 64 MB free memory
• 32 bit native / 64 bit compatible

Virtual TimeClock Pro Client

• Mac OS X 10.3 - 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Windows XP, Vista, 7
• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 40 MB free hard disk space
• 32 MB free memory
• 32 bit native / 64 bit compatible

If you need to upgrade your time and attendance system in order to be compatible with new computer equipment or just want to take advantage of new time clock software features, then contact us so we can provide you with discounted upgrade pricing.

Maggie Hofer

Customer Service Team

Redcort Software

Mac and PC Time Clocks

Virtual TimeClock is easy to set up on both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh OS X computers. This flexibility allows you to mix and match any combination of computer time clocks on your network. You can install employee time clock software on a single computer as a stand alone time clock which will provide company wide access for all workers. Or you can install time clocks on each computer in your business to provide personal access for each employee, while providing management with full administrative access and the ability to monitor the status of each employee. You can even download a free time clock software trial and try it out with your exact business configuration.

You can check to see if your computers meet our time clock software system requirements by visiting our website. If they don't, contact us and we'll help you figure out exactly what you need.

Maggie Hofer

Customer Service Team

Redcort Software

Network Time Clocks Made Easy

If you're looking into the Network Edition of our employee time clock software, remember that there are 2 separate software downloads that you'll need. The Virtual TimeClock Server is designed to run securely as a background process on a single computer on your computer network. The Virtual TimeClock Pro Client connects to the Virtual TimeClock Server over the network and lets the TimeClock Server handle all the database processing and file management. Install the Network Edition when you need advanced Pro level features and unlimited employee access from multiple computers.

You should only need to access your TimeClock Server program rarely, like to update your license keys or check logs. You'll need a TimeClock Client on every computer that needs a computer time clock for punching in and out, printing timecards, and performing administrative activities like correcting missed punch times or adding employee sick days.

So to recap, the TimeClock Server program gets installed on 1 computer, the TimeClock Pro Client software gets installed on all the other computers (you can even install a Timeclock Client on the same computer as the TimeClock Server). We've got detailed time clock software installation instructions to help you out every step of the way.

Maggie Hofer

Customer Service Team

Redcort Software

More Than One Business Location?

Employee time clock software makes tracking weekly overtime easy, even if employees work at more than one of your business locations. A question we often get asked is, "What's the best Virtual TimeClock solution for my business if I have more than one location?" Well, the answer to that question depends on a couple of factors.

Stand Alone Time Clocks

Placing a stand alone employee time clock at each location makes the most sense if:

• Internet connectivity is unavailable or unreliable.
• Employees don't routinely work at the different locations.
• You don't mind the potential inconvenience of going to each site to edit or collect timecards.
• The locations represent separate business enterprises.

Network Time Clocks

Networking employee time clocks makes the most sense if:

• Internet connectivity is available and reliable.
• Employees routinely work at the different locations so need consolidated timecards to accurately track weekly overtime.
• You want the convenience of editing and viewing timecards for all locations from your own computer.
• You want to be able to monitor employee punch times in real-time from your own computer.
• You want to take advantage of the cost savings of networked time clock software package licensing.

If you want to discuss your computer time clock licensing needs in more detail, please contact a member of our time clock software customer service team. If you need help getting your different locations connected to a networked time clock, check out our time clock software remote connectivity guide.

Maggie Hofer

Customer Service Team

Redcort Software

Time Clock Software Implementation Strategies

New Virtual TimeClock software users often ask us the best way to get their new employee time clock software off the ground and running smoothly. Since we've been helping businesses with their time and attendance needs for over 20 years, we usually have some suggestions! So here are some ideas and strategies for implementing your new employee time tracking system.

Previous Time Tracking Methods

How you were handling employee time tracking before plays a role in how employees, both workers and management, will respond to the new time and attendance system. Generally speaking, if employees were accustomed to going to a central location to punch in, like an employee break room, then they'll have a fairly easy time adapting to time clock software running on a computer in any central and convenient location. In other words, the habit of going to a dedicated place for punching in has already been established.

Companies that have been using paper timesheets to track employee attendance may experience a tougher transition. This is mostly due to the fact that most employees have not been held accountable for their time, and are likely filling out timesheets the day before payroll is due.

Time Clock Software Implementation Strategies

A common scenario, especially for larger businesses, is to go live with the new time and attendance system with only part of the staff. This gives you time to fine tune security settings and processes based on your business workflow and rules before rolling the system out to all of your employees. It also allows you the opportunity to experiment with different time clock station locations while impacting a minimum amount of staff. One of the keys to a successful implementation is making time clock stations easily accessible.

Since the early adopters become familiar with both the software and any new processes, they become excellent trainers for their colleagues that are to follow later. This staged deployment has several practical benefits, especially for larger organizations.

I hope this provides you with some ideas for deploying your new employee time clock software.

Jeff Morrow

Help Desk

Redcort Software

What's the Best Time Clock Software for My Business?

There are lots of options available when it comes to choosing a time and attendance system, but not all of them are created equal. When reviewing time clock software, make sure you consider what features the program has to offer, what reports are available within the program, and how user friendly it is. We've scaled our time clock software to meet just about every business size and need, so the summary below should make it easy for you to compare employee time clock software.

Virtual TimeClock Basic

The Basic Edition is perfect if you need an inexpensive time clock for a few employees. Virtual TimeClock Basic Edition can be setup as a stand alone time clock to provide access for up to 3 employees.

Bottom Line: Install the Basic Edition when you need a simplified feature set and limited employee access from a single computer.

Virtual TimeClock Pro

The Pro Edition allows you to easily track paid an unpaid activities, manage accrued and used leave, and print sophisticated employee time cards for unlimited employees from a single computer. Virtual TimeClock Pro Edition can be setup as a stand alone time clock to provide company wide access for all workers.

Bottom Line: Install the Pro Edition when you need advanced Pro level features and unlimited employee access from a single computer.

Virtual TimeClock Network Edition

The Network Edition makes it easy to centrally manage employee hours and overtime with networked computer time clocks, even at multiple locations. Virtual TimeClock Network Edition is composed of two separate software downloads. The Virtual TimeClock Server is designed to run securely as a background process. The Virtual TimeClock Pro Client connects to the TimeClock Server over the network and lets the TimeClock Server handle all of the database processing and file management.

Bottom Line: Install the Network Edition when you need advanced Pro level features and unlimited employee access from multiple computers.

Maggie Hofer

Time Clock Software Customer Service

Redcort Software

Deploying Computer Time Clock Software

The huge advantage of Virtual TimeClock Network Edition is that it can be deployed on multiple computers. Deciding which computers need time clock software and where to place them can sometimes be a struggle for new Virtual TimeClock software users. Here are a couple of different deployment options to help you configure your time and attendance software to match the work flow of your business.

Computer Time Clock Stations

The first deployment option is to setup time clock stations at strategic locations in your organization, providing company wide access for all workers from several time clocks. You may place a computer time clock at common employee gathering spots like employee entrances or break rooms. Or you may have one time clock on the showroom floor for your sales force and another in the warehouse for those workers.

Employee Computer Time Clocks

With this deployment option, each person's computer within your organization runs the time clock software. There's still only one database of your timecard data which makes it easy to gather timesheets for payroll processing. Each time clock can be configured to only display that person's name. Manager time clocks can be configured to display a list of just their workers so they've got instant status updates for all workers under their supervision. Owners and administrators can display a full worker list and perform all administrative functions. You may have a personal time clock setup for each employee, but still allow the receptionist or switchboard operator to maintain a full employee list. This lets them know at-a-glance who's available, out, or in a meeting. The virtual In/Out board is a great way to manage incoming phone calls and visitors.

Stations and Employee Time Clocks

This is a very common deployment option. It allows you to setup time clock stations in those areas that have limited computer resources or when workers don't have assigned computer workstations, and setup employee time clocks for those staff who do. You may have a manufacturing facility where you place one computer time clock in the shop displaying all warehouse workers, administrative staff have personal time clocks displaying their own individual names, your switchboard operator has a time clock displaying the names of all administrative staff, and your payroll specialist has a time clock listing all workers.

It's easy to setup personal time clocks by using display groups. I hope this gives new users some options when deciding how to deploy Virtual TimeClock in their business environment.

Jeff Morrow

Redcort Software

My Time Clock Software Computer Crashed

There's not a week that goes by that we don't receive a panicked phone call from a Virtual TimeClock software user whose computer has crashed and they're looking for advice on what to do. Here are some common scenarios and practical steps to help you on the road to recovering your time and attendance data.

My computer crashed but I have a backup.

That's great! I love these scenarios because I get to be the bearer of good news. As long as you have a backup of your database, then all you need to do is install Virtual TimeClock on a new computer, restore your database from the backup, and activate your time clock software license.

My computer crashed but I can still access the hard drive.

This is another 'good news' scenario. As long as you can access your old hard drive, we can help you get your database moved over to a new computer. Then all you need to do is install Virtual TimeClock, open your database, and activate your time clock software license.

My computer crashed but I don't have a backup.

This is bad news, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news. We can't help you restore something that doesn't exist. You'll need to install Virtual TimeClock on a new computer, activate your time clock software license, create a new database, and start inputting your employee data from scratch.

It's so easy to setup a scheduled backup of your time clock software data, that there's really no excuse. We even provide you with detailed instructions. So next time you're unfortunate enough to have a catastrophic hardware failure, I hope to hear you say "My computer crashed but I have a backup!" With that piece of good news, we can help get you up and running again in no time.

Jeff Morrow

Redcort Software

Cross Platform Time Clock Software

As Apple Macintosh computers continue to gain popularity, it's becoming more and more common to talk to businesses that have a combination of Mac and PC computers on their network.

I was just asked again this morning if you can run a Mac TimeClock Server with a combination of Mac and PC TimeClock Clients. As far as I know, Virtual TimeClock is the only employee time and attendance system designed to run natively on both Mac and PC computers. So yes, network any combination of Mac and PC time clocks together (using either platform as the TimeClock Server), even over the web!

Jeff Morrow

Redcort Software