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Frequently Asked Questions
Featured questions
Q. I'm planning to buy a new computer with Windows 7. Will
TimePilot software run on it?
A. Yes, but only if you're running the 32-bit version of
Windows 7. It will not run on 64-bit versions. It also runs on 32-bit
versions of Windows Vista, Windows XP (with Service Pack
2), Windows 2000, and Windows NT 4.0.
Q. Do I need to do anything to prepare my TimePilot system
for the March 14, 2010, Daylight Saving Time change?
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 a server. The important thing is to make sure that
your computer (or server) is set to make the 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.
Q. I've installed the TimePilot software, but when I try to
register it, nothing happens. What should I do?
(Note: This also can occur when you update your TimePilot
software.)
A. Here's what to do:
- Exit the Registration Process. If the TimePilot software
is running, shut it down.
- Re-start the TimePilot software. You'll be asked if you
want to register. Click "Yes."
-
 The box shown at right will appear.
- Make sure that the “Protect my computer…” box is NOT checked. The TimePilot software needs to save information to the
Windows Registry. It cannot do that if the box is checked, and
that will prevent the program from operating properly.
- Click OK and continue through the registration process.
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. 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.
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Q: Occasionally I receive a "No
Communications" message on my time clock. How do I correct
this issue?
A: There are three things to check:
- Check all cable connections between the computer, the
TimePilot USB adaptor and the time clock station to make
sure they are secure.
- Turn off your computer's power-saving settings,
including those for the USB ports. Here's how:
- Click the "Start" button at the bottom of your
screen and choose "Control Panel."
- Click "System." The System Properties box will open.
- Click the Hardware tab, then the Device Manager
button. The Device Manager box will open.
-
 Expand
the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" by clicking on
the + to the left of the words (see screenshot at
right).
-
 Right-click
on the first "USB Root Hub" item that appears (See
screenshot at right) and choose "Properties" from the
pop-up menu.
- Click the "Power Management" tab and uncheck the
"Allow the computer to turn off this device to save
power" box. Click OK.
- Repeat the process above for each of the USB Root
Hubs that appears in the Device Manager menu, then close
the Device Manager box and click OK to close the Control
Panel.
- On some computers, the USB ports are sub-standard. If
you're going to use the TimePilot system on such a machine,
you'll need to connect the TimePilot USB Adaptor to a
powered USB hub, which then connects to your USB port. The
hub reduces electronic noise on the USB port. Be sure to use
a "powered" hub--one that comes with its own power supply
and plugs into an electrical outlet. These inexpensive
devices are available at any store that sells computer
supplies.
General questions
(for troubleshooting, please click
here.)
Q. Why should I buy TimePilot instead of a competitor?
Q. Do you install the TimePilot
Standard systems?
Q. Do I need
to use the iButton for the system to work?
Q. How far from my
computer can I have my time clock station?
Q. Do you interface
with the ADP payroll software?
Q. Does TimePilot work on systems running Citrix or Terminal Server?
Q. I just want to replace my punch clock with something that's faster and needs less maintenance. I don't need to use it with a payroll
program. Is TimePilot for me?
Q. What's the In/Out
Manager? Do I have to use it?
Q. What reports can TimePilot
create?
Q. My
employees are on salary. How can TimePilot help me?
Q. Can I export transaction data to a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel?
Q. How do I check my iButtons to make sure they're working
correctly?
Q. When an employee clocks in, a "Please try again"
message appears on the clock's screen, and I get a message in
Hardware Manager telling me there was an error opening
AccHours.int file. See screenshot below:
Q. On my TimePilot Standard system, when an employee
clocks in, "--:--" is displayed on the clock's screen instead of
the employee's accumulated hours. What's wrong?
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?
Q: I receive an error message when I run reports in Current Transactions. How do I correct
this?
Q. When I clock in or out, why doesn't the transaction show up
immediately in Transaction Manager?
Q. Occasionally when I start
a TimePilot program it begins a reinstall of the software and asks me to
insert the TimePilot installation disk into my CD drive. Why is this
happening?
Q. Why don't Auto Lunch transactions show up in Transactions Manager?
Q. How do I set the amount of time subtracted by Auto Lunch for each
employee?
Q. Why don't holiday transactions show up in Transaction Manager?
Q. Why don't holidays get inserted
automatically?
Q. Why don't the In/Out
buttons work when I clock in or out?
Q. Why aren't the On
Site/Off Site buttons working?
Q. What are the On
Site/Off Site buttons used for?
Q. Why doesn't the Messaging
function work?
Q. Why do some of my
transactions not get extracted?
Q. Why don't vacation, holiday or
sick hours show up in my Summary Report's Regular Total column when the
hours are inserted in Transaction Manager?
Q. My employees do not work a
regular schedule. Do I need to set up a shift schedule?
Q. How can I change the
User ID?
Q. How do I set up TimePilot
to work with my payroll software?
Q. What is the
Alternate ID used for?
Q. How do I restrict an employee from
clocking in and out, but not remove them from the system?
Q. How do I reassign an iButton?
Q. How do I disable an iButton for an
employee?
Q. Can I edit transactions after I
extract the pay period?
Q. When I run a report in Current
Transactions, the date range on the report is for the past 30 days. How
can I show the current pay period?
Q. I'm about to install the TimePilot
software for the first time, but I can't find the registration number.
Where is it?
Q. In Transaction Manager, an employee's
name is in red in the employee list, which signifies an exception, so
when I check his or her transactions, why don't I see any exceptions?
Q The system runs sluggishly when Norton Anti-Virus is running.
How can I correct this?
Q. When printing a report, the software reports that I have "No printer installed," even though
I
do. What should I do?
Q. When I try to open the TimePilot sales brochure, manuals or instruction sheets on the
TimePilot web site, I get a "Could not find Acrobat External Windows
Handler" message. How do I fix this?
General questions
Q. Why
should I buy TimePilot instead of a competitor?
A. Lots of reasons: TimePilot is less expensive, offers more features
and requires virtually no maintenance (unlike punch card clocks!).
Other reasons:
- The iButton. Employees and supervisors like the iButton--it
isn't bulky like a magstripe or bar code card, is virtually
indestructible and can be reused as employees leave the company or are
hired.
- Up to 2,000 employees. Many of our competitors' systems have
far lower limits on the number of employees. TimePilot's system can
handle as many as 2,000, with or without iButtons.
- Distance. TimePilot Standard's base station can be as far as
4,000 feet from the PC; our competitors limit their systems to a hundred
feet or so.
- Who's In/Who's Out. We've found that many of our TimePilot
Standard and TimePilot PC customers
don't think about the Who's In/Who's Out feature of the software when
they buy the system, but they find that it's very valuable once they
start using it. No other time and attendance system offers it, and it's
as valuable for supervisors of salaried employees as for hourly
employees.
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Q. Do you install TimePilot systems?
A. We've designed the system to be installed by the user. If you can hang a picture, run a cable and plug in a telephone, you can do it. There are
complete instructions in the installation manuals. For the TimePilot
Extreme manual in PDF format, click
here; click here for the TimePilot Standard manual;
and here for the TimePilot PC
manual, click here.
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Q. Do I need to use the iButton for the system to work?
A. No. We have some customers who don't use the iButton at all. All employees are automatically assigned a four-digit ID number,
and you can assign them Personal Identification Numbers that they can
enter on the keypad to clock in and out. The iButton is purely an option,
although many of our customers like it.
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Q. How far from my computer can I have my TimePilot
Standard time clock station?
A. The farthest time clock station can be as far as 4,000 feet from the computer.
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Q. Do you interface with ADP payroll software?
A. Yes. TimePilot can export data than can be read by ADP PC/Payroll software versions 2.5 and 3.5. We also interface with many other brands
of accounting and payroll software and services. For a list, click
here.
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Q. Does TimePilot work on systems running Citrix or Terminal Server?
A. Not at this time.
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Q. I just want to replace my punch clock with something that's faster and
needs less maintenance. I don't need to use it with a payroll program.
Is TimePilot the system for me?
A. It sure is! TimePilot Extreme, TimePilot Standard and TimePilot PC are much faster
than a punch clock system and require virtually maintenance. (Just think: No
need to buy cards and no ink to refill!) They can create a simple report
with your employees and their work hours on it or a report with as many
as 100 different categories. You don't need to use them
with payroll software, but if you ever decide to go to a payroll
program, TimePilot will be ready for you.
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Q. What's the In/Out Manager? Do I have to use it?
A. The In/Out Manager started its life as a way for hospitals to keep track of their employees--it was a simple way to tell if Dr. Smith, for
instance, was on duty or not. We added it to the TimePilot software as a bonus for our customers. It is installed as a part of the TimePilot
program and must be kept running on the PC attached to the TimePilot
time clock station for the clock to be functional. It's up to
you whether you use it or not. Many customers find it far more valuable than they expected.
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Q. What reports can the TimePilot software create?
A. Reports come in three main categories, all of which include multiple options:
- Employee report. This is a printable report on a single employee, a group of employees or all
employees. You'll choose which information to include from a list of 16 categories that include regular hours,
overtime hours, total hours, sick hours and vacation hours.
- Summary report. This is a printable report on a group of employees. The employees can be grouped
by pay type (salaried and hourly, for instance), by department or by shift.
- Tardy report. This is a printable report on a group of employees that lists the number of times they
clocked in early or late or clocked out early or late. It also gives a total of those minutes in each category and then adds all the results
together so supervisors can see if an employee is working more or fewer hours than he or she should.
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Q. My employees are on salary. How can TimePilot help me?
A. Do you know if your salaried employees are putting in a full workweek? Using TimePilot, you can find out. The TimePilot's In/Out Manager is
also a big help in determining whether an employee is available. For more, see the comments by BFC Innovative Printing Solutions' owner Matt
Novak on our Testimonials page.
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Q. Can I export transaction data to a spreadsheet
such as Microsoft Excel?
A. Yes, you can. What you'll be doing is creating an "export file definition" with just the categories of information you want.
Click here to view detailed
instructions in PDF format.
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Technical questions
Q. How do I check my iButtons to make sure they're working
correctly?
A. iButtons have a very long lifespan and are extremely
durable. Though they may resemble a watch battery, they contain
no power source to run down. They're guaranteed for 10 years,
but we've found they usually last far beyond that time. However,
like any other product, there is a chance (miniscule in our
experience) one could be flawed. Here's how to test your
iButtons:
- Tap the iButton to a time clock station that's receiving
power. The station does not need to be connected to a
computer, nor does the iButton have to be set up on the
system.
- If the time clock emits a sound or any text appears on
the LCD screen, the iButton is working correctly.
Q. When an employee clocks in, a "Please try again"
message appears on the clock's screen, and I get a message in
Hardware Manager telling me there was an error opening AccHours.int file.
A. This error was triggered by an automatic update to the
Windows XP operating system issued by Microsoft that was
distributed in July, 2007. To get your TimePilot system
working again, update your TimePilot software to the most recent
version. Here's how:
- Click the Windows "Start" button and choose "All
Programs."
- Find the entry for TimePilot, and place your cursor atop
it.
- A pop-up menu will appear. One of the options will be
TimePilot Utilities. Put your cursor atop that option and
another pop-up menu will appear.
- Click on "TimePilot Update Utility" and follow the
instructions that appear.
This will update your software to the latest version and
should eliminate the errors. If the problem persists, run
TimePilot's "Repair Database" function, by opening Transaction
Manager, clicking the "Edit" menu, choosing "Administrator" and
then "Repair Database."
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Q. On my TimePilot Standard system, when an employee
clocks in, "--:--" is displayed on the clock's screen instead of
the employee's accumulated hours. What's wrong?
A. The "--:--" is by design and not a problem. It's a
signal to
the employee that they have created an "exception." What this means is that at some point they
did one of the following:
- Forgot to
clock out or in.
- Clocked in when they should have clocked out.
- Clocked out when they should have clocked in.
As a result, their transactions don't have the necessary alternating "IN" and "OUT" pattern.
(The exception should also be spotted by a supervisor using the
password-protected Transaction Manager in the TimePilot
software. The software will display the employee's name in red.)
To make the correction, the supervisor will
open Transaction Manager, view the employee's transactions
and make the appropriate changes to restore the perfect
in/out pattern. When the supervisor clicks the employee's name,
just his or her transactions are displayed. In the list of
transactions, clock-ins are identified by a red triangle to the
left of the employee’s name; clock-outs are blank. A perfect set
of transactions for an employee will have lines with a red
triangle alternating with blank lines. TimePilot will display in
red what it believes to be the incorrect transaction.
The clock will display the accumulated
hours correctly the next time the employee clocks in.
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Q: I receive an error
message
when I run reports in Current Transactions. How do I correct
this?
A: This is typically caused by unextracted old transactions
in Current Transactions. It is important to extract your data
after a pay period has completed. Any transactions older than 30
days should be extracted or deleted.
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Q. When I clock in or out, why doesn't the transaction show up
immediately in Transaction Manager?
A. The Transaction Manager does not automatically refresh. If you have
the Transaction Manager running and displaying transactions, it will not
automatically refresh with any changes that have occurred since the
transactions were last displayed. Transaction Manager is not intended to
be a real-time transaction viewer. To see any changes to the database,
click on a different employee to display their transactions, and then
click back on the original employee. Any new transactions should now be
displayed.
Also, the On Site and Off Site buttons do not create a transaction in
the database. To create transactions that are used to calculate time,
the employee should use the In and Out buttons and not the On Site/Off
Site buttons.
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Q. Occasionally when I
start a TimePilot program it begins a reinstall of the software and
asks me to insert the TimePilot installation disk into my CD drive. Why
does this happen?
A. This is typically caused by anti-spyware software that may be running
on your computer. In particular, a program called Spy Sweeper identifies
a TimePilot file called "TPreg.dll" as spyware and removes the file,
which forces TimePilot to reinstall when any TimePilot program is
launched. To stop this, start Spy Sweeper and select "AD topicks" as an
item to always keep. This will keep Spy Sweeper from removing this file
when it scans your PC for spyware. The exact process or steps in Spy
Sweeper depends on the version that you have. Check your Spy Sweeper
user manual for details.
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Q. Why don't Auto Lunch transactions show up in Transactions Manager?
A. When viewing transactions in "Current Transactions," the Auto
Lunch transactions will not appear, but the Auto Lunch time will be
subtracted from the employee time when the total hours are viewed on the
clock. (This assumes Auto-Lunch is enabled for this employee. See "Set up
Auto Lunch" on page 30 of the Instruction Manual). When you process
payroll, you must first extract your pay period and make any necessary
corrections, then click on the Edit Menu and "Insert Auto Lunch
Transactions." For details, see the "Payroll Processing" section of the
manual. For the TimePilot Extreme manual in PDF format, click
here; click
here for the TimePilot Standard manual;
and here for the TimePilot PC
manual, click here.
Also, make sure Auto Lunch is configured properly. In order for Auto
Lunch to work properly, you must do two things: Enable Auto Lunch in
each employee's profile and set the appropriate value in the Auto Lunch
setup in Configuration Manager.
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Q. How do I set the amount of time subtracted by Auto Lunch for each
employee?
A. The amount of time subtracted by Auto Lunch is determined
by the employee's shift schedule. Use Configuration Manager to edit the shift
schedule you assigned to the employee so that the number of minutes
between the lunch time out and lunch time in is correct.
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Q. Why don't holiday transactions show up in Transaction Manager?
A. Holiday transactions can only be inserted after the pay period is
extracted. After the pay period is extracted, click the Edit Menu, then
"Insert Holiday Transactions." Before you extract the pay period, it's a
good idea to open Configuration Manager and double-check that your
holiday schedule is correct.
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Q. Why don't holidays get
inserted automatically?
A. It is easier for the supervisor checking or editing their
employees' transactions to work without the holiday transactions in the
way. We recommend this procedure: 1. Extract the pay period; 2. Make
corrections, if necessary; 3. Insert holiday transactions (Start
Transaction Manager, then click the Edit menu and "Insert Holiday
Time"); 4. Create reports for final review.
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Q. Why don't the In/Out
buttons work when I clock in or out?
A. You probably have the In/Out buttons disabled. To enable them, start
Configuration Manager, click the Options Menu, and choose "Station
Options." That's where you can enable the In/Out keys.
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Q. Why aren't the On
Site/Off Site buttons working?
A. The On Site/Off Site buttons probably are disabled. To enable
them, start Configuration Manager, click the Options Menu, and choose
"Station Options." That's where you can enable the On Site/Off Site
keys.
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Q. What are the On
Site/Off Site buttons used for?
A. The On Site/Off Site buttons are used to indicate that the
employee is either on- or off-site. They do not have an effect on the
employee's hours worked. The on- or off-site status of an employee can
be viewed using the In/Out Manager. Think of the In/Out Manager as an
electronic in/out board. An example: An employee clocks in at 8 a.m. and
leaves the building from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. to make a delivery. On the
way out the door at 10, the employee taps his or her iButton to the time
clock and presses the "Off Site button. That employee is still "on the
clock," but his or her status in the In/Out Manager changes in to out.
At 11, the employee returns and presses the On Site button. The In/Out
Manager changes again to indicate the employee is on the premises.
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Q. Why doesn't the Messaging
function work?
A. You need to enable messaging in Configuration Manager. To do so,
start Configuration Manager, click the Options Menu, and choose "Station
Options." Click "Enable Messaging."
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Q. Why do some of my
transactions not get extracted?
A. Check the pay period definition to make sure that the beginning of
the pay period, including the time of day, is set correctly. To view the
definition, start Configuration Manager, then click the Setup menu and
choose "Pay Periods."
Also, make sure that each employee is assigned to the correct
company. When a pay period is extracted it removes transactions from
"Current Transactions" to a defined period of time for a specific
company. The removed transactions are now referred to a "Past Pay
Period" or an "Extracted Pay Period." All transactions within a past pay
period are specific to a company and the period of time.
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Q. Why don't vacation, holiday
or sick hours show up in my Summary Report's Regular Total column when
the hours are inserted in Transaction Manager?
A. Use Configuration Manager to check the employee's Pay Type and
make sure that he or she qualifies for holiday, vacation or sick time.
For example, if an employee is assigned a Pay Type that qualifies for
holiday time, then any hours inserted either automatically or manually
will be added to the "Regular Total" in the reports.
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Q. My employees do not work
a regular schedule. Do I need to set up a shift schedule?
A. Yes. But even though you must assign a shift schedule to each
employee, the employee is not forced to adhere to those shift times. A
shift schedule assigned to an employee is only relevant if you are
keeping track of tardiness or are using the "Snap-To" or "Auto
Lunch" function with the
employee.
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Q. How can I change the
User ID?
A. The User ID, which is assigned to each employee when they are set
up in
Configuration Manager, can be modified, but we don't recommend it. (To
see a list of your employees' User IDs, start Configuration Manager,
click the File Menu and choose View/Print Employee Setup.) The
TimePilot software uses the ID to connect all information
throughout the software for each employee. If the employee's User ID is
changed, then all past information associated with the employee will be
disconnected. If it is absolutely necessary to modify the User ID, you
can do so by selecting "Edit User ID" from the "Setup" menu in
Configuration Manager.
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Q. How do I set up
TimePilot to work with my payroll software?
A. Most of the payroll export modules provided by TimePilot require
that the "Alternate ID" field in each employee's profile match the ID
associated with the employee in the payroll software. Therefore, you
will need to enter the payroll software's ID number for the employee
into TimePilot's "Alternate ID" field. Note: Any changes made to the
"Alternate ID" field after a pay period has been extracted will not be
reflected in that pay period. To force changes made in Configuration
Manager after a pay period has been extracted, open the extracted period
in Transaction Manager, click the Edit menu, choose "Administrator" and
select "Update Company and Employee Data."
We have instruction sheets for use with the top payroll
programs. For more information, click
here.
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Q. What is the
Alternate ID used for?
A. The Alternate ID field is used to associate employees set up in
TimePilot with any ID numbering your company may already be using for
the employees, such as within your accounting or payroll system. The ID
is simply for your reference.
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Q. How do I restrict an
employee from clocking in and out, but not remove him or her from the system?
A. Uncheck the "Active" checkbox in the employee's profile in
Configuration Manager. This will prohibit the employee from clocking in
and out but will allow the employees' information to remain in the
system for processing payroll. Marking in an employee "Inactive" is
recommended over deleting an employee. If an employee is deleted, all
past information associated with this employee will be disconnected.
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Q. How do I reassign an
iButton?
A. First, start Configuration Manager, call up the profile of the
employee who will not be using the iButton anymore and delete the
iButton number. Next, assign the iButton to the new employee as if it
was a new iButton. This is commonly done when an employee leaves the
company and turns in their iButton so it can be used by another
employee.
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Q. How do I disable an iButton for
an employee?
A. In the employee's profile in Configuration Manager, simply delete the
iButton number in the "iButton" number field. This is commonly done when
an employee loses their iButton.
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Q. Can I edit transactions
after I extract the pay period?
A. Yes, you can modify transactions just as you could before you
extracted.
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Q. When I run a report in
Current Transactions, the date range on the report is for the past 30
days. How can I show the current pay period?
A. In Current Transactions, the default report will encompass all of the
transactions within the last 30 days. Any transactions older then 30
days will not be counted. To show the current pay period, select
"Extended Time Frame" in the report setup screen and select the desired
date range.
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Q. I'm about to install the TimePilot software for the first time, but I can't find the
registration number. Where is it?
A. Check the inside cover of your Instruction Manual. There should be a sticker there that contains your
registration number. If you're still having problems, please
contact us.
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Q. In Transaction Manager, an
employee's name is in red in the employee list, which signifies an
exception, so when I check his or her transactions, why don't I see any
exceptions?
A. In the menu bar, click Edit > Administrator > Repair Data Base. When the repair process is complete, click OK. This should
solve the problem.
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Q. The system runs
sluggishly when Norton Anti-Virus is running. How can I correct
this?
A. The problem is related to Norton Anti-Virus. Disable Norton Anti-Virus' Smart Scan.
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Q. When printing a report,
the software reports that I have "No printer installed," even though I
do. What should I do?
A. This works for these versions of Windows--98SE, 2000, NT, ME and XP: Click "Start," then "Run."
Type "regsvr32.exe craxdrt.dll" (without the quotes) in the text box.
Click "OK." Reboot your PC.
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Q. When I try to open the
TimePilot sales brochure, manuals or instruction sheets on the TimePilot
web site, I get a "Could not find Acrobat External Windows Handler"
message. How do I fix this?
A. Please click here for
the solution.
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