Virtual TimeClock Pro is a time and attendance program
that instantly, accurately, and impartially records every employee
start and stop time. This means the TimeClock program interacts
directly with the clock that is part of your computer's operating
system. In order for the TimeClock program to record the real-time
status of each employee, it must utilize the time and date control
functions already built into your computer.
This article will address the following topics:
Since the TimeClock program
utilizes the
time from your computer's clock to record timecard entries,
there are several steps you can take to prevent tampering
with the time.
Restrict access to the operating system time
A simple way to prevent employees from tampering with
the computer clock is to limit access to changing
the clock settings.
To prevent changes to the computer
clock on Mac OS X:
-
From the Apple menu, choose System
Preferences.
-
In the System section, click Date & Time.
-
Click
the Date & Time button.
-
Click the
open lock icon to secure the Date & Time preference
pane.
Now you must authenticate with an
administrator name and password in
order to unlock the secure preference
pane, even if you're logged
in under an administrator account. Managed accounts should
not have access to system preferences by default. To prevent changes to the computer clock on Windows
2000 and XP:
There is not a way to lock the Date and Time control
panel if you are logged in under a computer administrator
account. Limited accounts
are unable to alter the system time.
To prevent changes to the computer clock on Windows
Vista:
There is not a way to lock the Date and Time control
panel if you are logged in under a computer administrator
account. However,
if User Account Control (UAC) is turned on and you’re using an
administrator account, you’ll need to click the Continue button to grant permission to change the clock settings.
If User Account Control (UAC) is turned on and you’re
using a standard account, you'll need to provide the
administrator password
to change the clock settings.
Use Virtual TimeClock Pro in a server-client configuration
Another way to secure your TimeClock program is to
eliminate the affect that changing the local system
time has on your employee's
timecard entries. This can be accomplished by switching your TimeClock
mode from Stand Alone TimeClock to TimeClock Server and having
your employees start and stop their work from a client TimeClock
computer.
This is 100% effective because the TimeClock server computer provides
the time stamp for all timecard entries. Therefore, manipulating
the system time on the client TimeClock computers has no impact
on the actual time that is recorded.
To switch your TimeClock mode:
-
From the Window menu within Virtual TimeClock Pro,
choose Server Status.
-
Click the Server is Stopped button
in the Server
Status window.
Your TimeClock is now
running as a TimeClock server and ready
to accept client TimeClock connections. At
each computer you want to setup as a client TimeClock:
-
Download and install Virtual TimeClock Pro from
http://redcort.com/download.html
-
Launch Virtual TimeClock and from the File menu,
choose Connect To Server.
-
If this is a local client, select your company
data file and click the Connect button.
-
If this is a remote client, enter the IP address
of the router where your TimeClock server resides
and click the Connect button.
Since
the TimeClock program utilizes the time from your computer's clock
to record timecard entries, there are several steps that you can
take to ensure the time being recorded is accurate.
Automatically synchronize your computer clock with
an Internet time server
If your computer is a member of a domain, your computer clock may
automatically synchronize with a network time server. Otherwise,
you can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server.
To synchronize your computer clock to an Internet time
server on Mac OS X:
-
From the Apple menu, choose System
Preferences.
-
In the System section, click Date & Time.
-
Click the Date & Time button.
-
Select the Set date & time automatically checkbox.
-
From the pop-up menu, choose the server that's
geographically closest to you.
To synchronize your computer clock to an Internet
time server on Windows XP:
-
Click the Start button, and then click Control
Panel.
-
Double-click the Date and Time control panel,
and then click the Internet Time tab.
-
Select the Automatically synchronize with
an Internet time server checkbox, and then from
the Server drop-down list select
the desired
time server.
-
Click the Apply button, and then click the OK button.
To synchronize your computer clock to an Internet
time server on Windows Vista:
-
Click the Start button, and then click Control
Panel.
-
Click Clock, Language, and Region, and then click
Date and Time.
-
Click the Internet Time tab, and then click Change
settings. If you are prompted for an administrator
password or
confirmation, type
the password or provide confirmation.
-
Click Automatically synchronize with an
Internet time server, select a time server, and then click
OK.
Your computer clock is typically updated once a week
and must be connected to the Internet in order
for the automatic
time
synchronization
to occur.
Automatically adjust your computer clock for daylight
saving changes
Many parts of the world participate in seasonal time
changes. Since your TimeClock program records the time
as reported
by your computer,
you'll want to make sure that your computer handles the
seasonal time changes automatically. In 2007, several
countries and
regions changed the dates on which they observe Daylight
Saving Time
(DST).
To make sure your clock maintains the proper time
on Mac OS X:
-
From the Apple menu, choose Software
Update.
-
Install the updates as directed.
This will ensure that your computer has the February,
2007 Daylight Saving Time Update. The new DST rule
changes are
already part
of Mac OS X 10.4.5 or later. For more information
on obtaining this
specific update for your region or earlier versions
of Mac OS, visit http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305056
To make sure your clock maintains the proper time
on Windows 2000 and XP:
-
Click the Start button, and then click Control
Panel.
-
Double-click the Date and Time control panel,
and then click the Time Zone tab.
-
Select the Automatically adjust clock for
daylight saving changes checkbox.
-
Click the
Apply button, and then click the OK button.
If Automatic Updates is turned on, your computer
should already be current on any DST related
updates. If not,
Microsoft
has provided a Daylight Saving Time Update
Guide at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst to
confirm if
your computer requires any updates.
To make sure your clock maintains the proper
time on Windows Vista:
-
Click the Start button, and then click
Control Panel.
-
Click Clock, Language, and Region,
and then click Date and Time.
-
Click the Date and Time tab,
and then click the Change time
zone button.
-
Click Automatically adjust clock
for Daylight Saving Time,
and then click OK.
If Automatic Updates is turned on, your
computer should already be current
on any DST related
updates.
Free Evaluation
Virtual TimeClock Pro time tracking
software can be downloaded free anytime
from Redcort
Software's web
site at http://redcort.com/download.html.
When Virtual TimeClock Pro
is installed without a license key,
the
software will
run for 300 entries
without
any
restrictions.
After
the
evaluation
period, a software license
and activation key must be purchased
to
continue using
Virtual TimeClock
time
and attendance
software.
Acknowledgments
Microsoft and Windows are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Apple,
Macintosh, and
OS X are trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc. Virtual TimeClock
and Virtual TimeClock
Pro are
trademarks of Redcort Software.
About Virtual TimeClock
Virtual TimeClock Pro is the powerful,
easy to use, software based time
and attendance system
that enables
businesses
of any size to effortlessly track
employee hours and overtime.
With Windows
and
Macintosh versions available, Virtual
TimeClock Pro time tracking software
flexibly
adapts to just
about
any computer and
business environment. Virtual
TimeClock Pro
pricing starts at $195.
Complete
pricing
and program
information can be obtained at http://www.redcort.com.
About Redcort Software
Redcort Software has been helping businesses
avoid repetitive tasks and unavailable
information since
1997. Redcort
Software actively
pursues close
customer relationships through direct
sales, regular feedback and world-class
technical
support. Tens of thousands of workers
at businesses
in over fifteen
countries rely on
Redcort Software
every single day.
Contact Information
Jeff Morrow
Redcort Software
http://www.redcort.com
8939 N. Chestnut Avenue #106
Fresno, California 93720
559.434.8544 x115 |
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