TimePilot Tips

Q. Is it possible to install the TimePilot Central software on more than one computer? We have a network and numerous people working on payroll.

A. Yes, you can install TimePilot Central on as many computers as you want, though each user will have to have the administrator password to use the software. Please note that you must store your TimePilot database—the place where you store the clock-ins and clock-outs collected by your clock—in a single location on your server.

If you're using TimePilot PC, you'll need a seat license for each computer that will be used by employees to clock in and out, but you can still install TimePilot Central on as many computers as you want.

TimePilot PC comes in two versions: with one seat license, allowing employees to clock in at one computer, and with five licenses, allowing them to clock in at any of five computers. Additional licenses are available, so an entire office can have its employees clocking in at the computers, if you want.

Q. I have installed TimePilot Central and TimePilot PC, but the iButton Receptor isn't reading iButtons. What's wrong?

A. It sounds like you have not installed the Blue Dot Receptor software. Here's how:

  1. Put your TimePilot CD into your computer's CD drive.
  2. When the installation program starts up, click "Install TimePilot Software."
  3. On the next screen click "TimePilot Installation Menu."
  4. On the next screen, click "Blue Dot Receptor."
  5. Click on "32-Bit Version" if you're running a 32-bit version of Windows and "64-bit Version" if you're running a 64-bit version of Windows.
    Not sure which version of Windows you're running? Click here to learn how to find out.
  6. The driver will install. Now your iButton Receptor should work. 

Q. If I use the Auto Lunch feature, what happens with the employees clock in and out for lunch? Does it deduct their 30-minute lunch period twice?

A. Auto Lunch is an optional feature that eliminates the need for employees to clock out for lunch and then back in when lunch is over. It checks the employee's profile and automatically deducts the amount of time you've set for his or her lunch period.

If you use the Auto Lunch feature, it is set by default to deduct the lunch time only if the employee has worked six consecutive hours without a clock-out or -in.

For example, let's assume your employee has Auto Lunch enabled with the default setting:

  • If they work for more than six consecutive hours and do not punch out in that time, then Auto Lunch will activate.
  • If they clock out before the six consecutive hours are worked, the system will ignore the Auto Lunch feature.
  • If the employee clocks out after the six hours then yes, the time will be deducted twice and a supervisor will have to delete the extra lunch period transactions. You can stop this by changing the number of hours that must pass before Auto Lunch kicks in. See below for instructions. 
  • If the employee works more than 12 hours without clocking out, Auto Lunch will activate after the first six hours and again after the second six hours. You can stop this by changing the number of hours that must pass before Auto Lunch kicks in. See below for instructions.

You can change the number of hours that must pass before Auto Lunch is triggered by starting TimePilot Central, clicking on the "Administrative" menu and then "Auto Lunch Setup." You can turn on Auto Lunch for an employee—as well as set the number of minutes in their lunch period—in their employee profile (TimePilot Central > Setup > Profile Setup).
Welcome!
TimePilot newsletter No. 9

Whether you're a current or future TimePilot customer, we're glad to see you.

Every month we'll offer news about TimePilot products, tips on how to use them more efficiently, some of the "cool stuff" our employees have come across and a special deal available only to those who receive this newsletter!

In this issue:

  • TimePilot Tips: Installing on more than one computer; iButton Receptor setup; and working with Auto Lunch.
  • All About USB Drives: And how to use your own with TimePilot.
  • Cool stuff: Paint that can turn a wall into a whiteboard.
  • The deal: Save almost $50 on a door lock that opens with a touch of your iButton.

All about USB drives

TimePilot USB DriveIf you use TimePilot Extreme or TimePilot Vetro, you’re probably pretty familiar with USB drives. These are the small devices stuffed with memory chips that plug into a USB port on your computer.

They’re also known as thumb drives, USB Sticks, Flash Drives, Memory Sticks, USB Keys, Jump Drives, Data Sticks or even IBM’s original name: Disk on Key. (That name never caught on—fortunately.)

Sushi-shaped USB DriveWhile their usual shape is rectangular, they actually come in many different forms. You can get a USB drive bracelet, a USB drive pen or drives shaped like a guitar, a Swiss Army Knife and all kinds of food, from hamburgers to sushi.

No matter what the shape, they all have the same functioning parts: a USB connector and memory chips. The capacity of the drives runs up to 128 gigabytes, which was the size of a hard drive just a few years ago. A 128-gigabyte USB drive about the size of your little finger can hold roughly 15 hours of high-definition video or 243 hours of CD-quality audio.

You don’t need anything close to that for a TimePilot system. In fact, pretty much the smallest USB drive you can find should work just perfectly with your Extreme or Vetro. The systems ship with a 32-megabyte drive for two reasons: anything larger is overkill; and a smaller drive will run faster in the TimePilot software.

If you lose your TimePilot USB drive, you can order another from us here or you can use your own drive—with a little preparation.

To use your own, you’ll need to load a file onto the drive that identifies it to the TimePilot software as a TimePilot-enabled USB drive. There are several ways to do this. Here’s the simplest:

  1. Plug the new USB drive into a USB port on your computer.  
  2. Assuming you have the TimePilot software installed, click Windows’ “Start” button, then All Programs, then TimePilot IV, then TimePilot Utilities. Click the “TimePilot Support Utility.”
  3. A box like the one below will open.

    TimePilot Utilities Screenshot


  4. Click “Initialize USB Drive” and follow the on-screen instructions.
  5. A file called “V4520” will be loaded onto the drive. This is the file that will identify the drive to the TimePilot software. Note: You won’t lose any data that’s already on the drive, but we suggest dedicating a USB drive just for TimePilot use.

This month’s special offer
to TimePilot customers:

Cross over to TimePilot's iButton Door Locks! Your iButtons work as the keys, so you can unlock the door and clock in with the same iButton. Our CrossOver X25 Lock is weatherproof and can handle as many as 1,000 users. With the included AccessPilot software you can:

  • Order the lock to lock itself or unlock itself at various times.
  • Program the lock to allow access only to certain employees' iButtons.
  • Program the lock to allow certain employees access only at certain times of day or on  certain days.
  • See who used the lock—or tried to use the lock—and when the event occurred.

TimePilot's CrossOver X25 Lock and Lock Management Kit now just $349

(that's a savings of $49!)

To learn more about the deal, click here, visit www.TimePilot.com/newsletter/newsletter4.htm or call us at 1-630-879-6400.

Every once in a while, our employees come across “cool stuff.”
This is where they share their finds.

Rust-Oleum Dry Erase Paint

The whiteboards here at TimePilot have gotten quite a workout over the years. In fact, they absorbed enough dry-erase ink that no amount of cleaning could make them white again.

So we decided to try a product we found at our local hardware store: Rust-Oleum Dry Erase Paint. The maker claims it will renew whiteboards as well as turn any drywall, Masonite, wood, cement or metal surface into a whiteboard. You could paint a wall with

Rust-Oleum Dry Erase Paint the stuff if you wanted to. We tried it over the weekend on one of our whiteboards, and it worked pretty well.

Like any painting project, the secret is in the preparation. If you don't prep the surface just as instructed, it won't work as well. Another secret with this paint is that it'll take at least four coats to get a good hard surface.