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Featured Questions

I'm planning to buy a new computer with Windows 7. Will TimePilot software run on it?
I'm planning on upgrading or reinstalling my TimePilot software. Will I lose the employees I have already set up on the system or their transactions?
I'm updating my TimePilot software, and the software has asked for my product number. Where do I find it?
Do I need to do anything to prepare my TimePilot system for the March 13, 2011, change from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time?
The time displayed on my TimePilot system is an hour off, even though the computer I'm using to run the program has the correct time. What's going on?

Q. I'm planning to buy a new computer with Windows 7. Will TimePilot software run on it?

A. If your new computer will be running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 (most new PCs are sold with this version installed), you'll need to use the latest version of the TimePilot software, TimePilot IV. TimePilot IV has shipped with TimePilot systems purchased since September 2010 and will run on all versions of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP (with Service Pack 2 and above), as well as Windows 2000.

If you don't have the TimePilot IV software, you can purchase the TimePilot IV Upgrade disk by clicking here.

If you're running the 32-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows Vista, or Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) or Windows 2000, the earlier version of the TimePilot software, Version 2.92, will run just fine. We've made substantial improvements and changes to the new version of our software, so you might consider upgrading to it.

Q. I'm planning on upgrading or reinstalling my TimePilot software. Will I lose the employees I have already set up on the system or their transactions?

A. No, you won't. The employee and transaction data won't be affected if you re-install the program because the TimePilot program and the database that contains the employee data are kept in separate files on your computer, much like the documents you create with your word processing program are stored separately. If you're upgrading to TimePilot IV, the new software includes a Conversion Utility that will import your employee profiles and transaction database seamlessly into the new software.

Q. I'm updating my TimePilot software, and the software has asked for my product number. Where do I find it?

A. Your product number is the first four digits of your registration number. You can find your registration number on a sticker on the inside front cover of your user manual.

Q. Do I need to do anything to prepare my TimePilot system for the November 6, 2011, change Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time?

A. In most cases, no. The TimePilot system gets its time setting from the computer on which its data folder resides. If you store your TimePilot data on your PC, the system gets the time from the PC; if you store the data on a server, it gets the time from the server. The important thing is to make sure that your computer (or server) is set to make the time change. Microsoft has released a patch for those using Windows software; if you have automatic updates turned on, you probably already have the patch. For more information, visit Microsoft's Daylight Saving Time Help and Support Center.

A little background: Starting in 2007, Daylight Saving Time started three weeks earlier than usual in most of the U.S. and many provinces in Canada. In the U.S., Congress introduced a provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandating that clocks "spring forward" three weeks earlier, on the second Sunday in March, and "fall back" a week later than before, on the first Sunday in November, in an effort to save electricity.

Q. The time displayed on my TimePilot system is an hour off, even though the computer I'm using to run the program has the correct time. What's going on?

A. TimePilot takes its time from the computer where your clock-in and clock-out data is stored. For example, let's say you save your data to a server and use a local PC to process employee hours and run reports. If the time on the server is incorrect, it will be incorrect in TimePilot, too, even if the time on the local PC is correct. To correct the problem, make sure your server has the correct time.

This problem has cropped up in the last few years since the U.S. Congress changed the start and end dates for Daylight Saving Time. Please read the previous question and answer for more information.

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