Acutivity

To upgrade or downgrade, simply login to your admin panel and select "company"…"product selections"… choose your upgrade or downgrade… then click "update licenses".

The user you accidentally deleted will automatically be re-created in the admin console if the software is properly installed on a machine they login to…but only after their next login.   However, the activity logs associated with that user will not return.   New logging will begin.

If I have existing password  
If you have the password, login to the admin panel, select company, then select primary contacts.   Click the word “edit” beside the admin name, make your changes, then save.

If I don’t have the password.
If you don’t have the password, you will need to have control of the email account of the admin.   If the admin is still in charge, you can simply select “forgot login/password”, follow instructions and the information will be emailed to you.   If the admin is gone you will need to obtain control of the email account to have it sent to you.   If this is not possible, you will need to request a new password by sending a message to support at http://www.acutivity.com/User/CONTACTUS.aspx

User activity logs become quite large and difficult for any database to store and retrieve quickly if collected over long periods of time.  Therefore, in order to make our user experience very responsive and quick, we must remove logs from the live database after 60 days.   We do actually store these logs a little longer and will soon introduce a feature that allows you to retrieve the logs for your permanent records in the future.

What options do I have to save the database?  

Currently we store the logs in a separate database after they are removed from the live database in order to maximize the user experience and make our system more responsive.   We will soon introduce a feature that allows you to retrieve the logs for your permanent records if you desire.

This almost certainly means the software was not properly installed or your internet connection is sporadic.

1. Please check your internet connection.
2. If you have not yet installed the software on the machine, please do so, logoff, and then reboot.  The user should show up in the tree on the left hand side of the admin panel. 
3. If you have installed the software, please logoff first, then reboot.
4. If after taking steps 1, 2, and 3 above, it still does not show up, please run the installation program again and choose remove.  Reboot your computer and re-install the software.   Please logoff, then reboot.  
5. If the user is still not showing up, you should remove the software again, disable any antivirus or anti-spyware programs, logoff and re-boot.   Then you should re-install the software, logoff, then reboot.
6. If these measures fail, please contact us at http://www.acutivity.com/contact-us and select support.

Primary contacts may serve as different roles and even be given login authority by the administrator.   They may receive copies of the same emails and notifications as the administrator and be given administrative responsibilities if desired.   Additionally, the primary contact will allow us to have alternate people to contact in case the administrator is unavailable.   To create primary contacts, you will need to login as the administrator, select the "company" tab, then select the "Primary Contacts" tab.   You may create as many additional primary contacts as you need and give them permissions as indicated in the settings.   Each additional primary contact will receive an email notifying them of their logins after setup.  

Can primary contacts receive reports?  

Yes, primary contacts may receive notifications and reports if the proper settings are done during setup, or after the additional primary contact is created.  In order to change the settings to receive reports, you must login to the admin panel, then select the company tab, then select the primary contacts tab.  You will see the word "edit" to the right next to the names of the primary contacts.    

Can primary contacts be deleted?

Yes, you can delete primary contacts by logging into the admin panel, selecting the "company " tab, then selecting the "primary contacts" tab.  You will see the delete link next to the names of the primary contacts.

Can Additional Primary Contacts login to view reports?

Yes, but they will not have administrator login privileges unless the administrator gives their credentials.   This is not recommended.   In order to give the additional contact near the same view of an admin, you must first add them as a manager by right clicking on the admin name in the tree and select create.   When completed, an email will be sent to the person holding the newly created position.   You may drag and drop subordinates as desired to allow viewing by the newly created manager.

Perhaps you have noticed when the “productivity timer” is enabled (interactive mode in the product selections tab); the startup menu has a circle with the letter “A” in the middle.  This is the icon for Acutivity, and it changes colors.  It is blue if the software is reporting properly but the browser is not being used, or is on an untimed site.  It turns green when the browser is running and timing, then it turns red if the user has gone over a time limit set by the admin or manager.    
If you right click on the icon, you will see several settings.  You may set your preferences here and apply.   Note that this is the location where you can change the auto-minimization function to time out according to your preferences.

Occasional software conflicts  

A reboot almost always solves this problem.

Internet connection Please be sure your internet connection is properly functioning, and if it seems to be fine, consider the possibility that it may have been down for a while and is now working correctly.  

Network Settings

There are certainly network settings that can cause occasional conflicts, but they should be few.   We use port 80 and 44My Software Is Working Fine But It Is Not Showing Any Activity Today.3.   You should make sure these are open in your hardware and software firewalls.   Sometimes wireless connections can be slow to connect and/or wireless routers need to be re-set.   Please contact your network admin for further information or help.

Yes you may.  Please save the current download to your desired location, then run a command that would look something like this:

msiexec /i "<path-to-msi>\Cacoon2.0.0.6.msi" PIDKEY="XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX" Where XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX is the license key and Cacoon2.0.0.6.msi would match the identification on the download you just saved. When the machines reboot, the software will turn live, and the users will begin showing up automatically in the admin console. Another option might look like this: MsiExec Command Line:  msiexec /i Cacoon_2_0_0_6x32.msi /qn  PIDKEY=<license key> If it doesn’t work, enable the logging during the install. This could be helpful to determine the cause of the problem. MsiExec Command Line:  msiexec /i Cacoon_2_0_0_6x32.msi /qn /L* msi.log PIDKEY=<license key>

When the machines reboot, the software will turn live, and the users will begin showing up automatically in the admin console.

Another option might look like this:

MsiExec Command Line:  msiexec /i Cacoon_2_0_0_6x32.msi /qn  PIDKEY=<license key>

If it doesn’t work, enable the logging during the install. This could be helpful to determine the cause of the problem.

MsiExec Command Line:  msiexec /i Cacoon_2_0_0_6x32.msi /qn /L* msi.log PIDKEY=<license key>

One of the great features of the Acutivity software is that you may create managers, then move their direct reports below them, for viewing by that manager.  Creating managers is not required.  If managers are not created, then all users will be controlled by the admin.  Managers can be created in ways that represent organizational structures, and you can create as many managers as you wish.  Depending on your setup, you can create managers that can only see their direct reports, or can see their direct reports and the direct reports of lower level management groups below them in the organizational structure.

How do I create a manager?

You create the first manager by right clicking on the organization top admin name in the tree on the left, then clicking "create".   You will setup the manager, and then give them a login and password.  Next, an email will be sent to them with instructions to login.   Additional managers can either be created the same way, or created as a direct report (under the manager just created), depending on your organizational structure needs.   Don’t worry if you create one in the wrong place, managers can be dragged and dropped at any time.   Next, you will want to drag and drop the correct users below the corresponding manager.

Are managers monitored?

 The manager that you just created is not automatically monitored just because you created them.   They must first have the software on their machine.  They will be created automatically like all the other users.   If you want a manager to monitor another manager, you should take the automatically created user that corresponds to that person, and drag them to their proper reporting structure.   (they will most likely not be reporting to themselves).  

What can a manager see?

 A manager’s login corresponds to how you have set them up in the management structure, but generally speaking, when a manager logs in, they will only be able to see users and management groups that are under them in the management structure.

Can I move users to another manager?

Yes, you may drag and drop users individually, or entire management groups by moving the manager.   All users assigned under that manager will move with them along with their records.  

Will I lose files when moving?

No, files will follow the users as long as you do not delete the user.

The productivity timer is the most unique and effective tool found anywhere, for computer productivity gains.  Users control their own behavior when the awareness is created.   In order to make this tool flexible for all organizations, features such as "untimed websites", "untimed periods", "time limitations", "timeout settings" and the "viewer experience", are detailed in this section.   Each user may have their own settings by having the admin double click on their name and then select "user settings".  To set a time limitation globally, in the admin tree press control+shift and click on all the users that you wish to apply the settings to.   They should now be highlighted and you can right click on any user, then select "apply common user settings".   Be sure to save your selections.    Untimed periods   Examples of untimed periods would be "before and after work" or during the lunch hour.   This would allow untimed usage at times when employees are not really expected to work but may have asked permission to use the company resources for personal usage.  You may set the untimed periods by logging into the admin panel, double clicking the user in the tree on the left, then select the advanced settings tab.   Be sure to understand you are setting untimed periods...not timed periods when you input the settings.  An example of an untimed setting of "before and after work" would be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 am.  You are only allowed one untimed period per day, so you may prefer to use that period during the lunch hour instead.  Each user may have their own settings by having the admin double click on their name and then select "user settings".  To set a time limitation globally, in the admin tree press control+shift and click on all the users that you wish to apply the settings to.   They should now be highlighted and you can right click on any user, then select "apply common user settings".   Be sure to save your selections.

 Time limitations and configurations....  

The default setting on the productivity timer is that it counts upward throughout the week and there are no recommended time limits.  To set time controls, select the user and then select "user settings".  You will see the number "999" under "hours".  This setting represents no limitations.   You may set limitations by either changing the "999" to whatever number you wish and the timer will count until that limit is reached.   The user will receive several warnings of pending time expiration, and if they continue to use the internet, an email will be sent to their direct manager or the system administrator, depending on how the hierarchy is setup (see setting up managers).  You may also choose to count the time downward...then the same sequence will occur at zero.   We do not shut off internet activity at any time, we have set up an accountability system...not a punitive one.   Initially there will be a time of adjustments and fine tuning to understand usage, but if you leave the default setting for a few weeks, you will most likely understand proper time limitations.   Time settings can be changed at anytime and will be reflected at the next user logon, or as frequent synchronization occurs.   Don’t forget that we have set up lots of flexibility in the system by allowing untimed periods and untimed website settings.  Time settings may be done as individual settings or as a group setting.   To set as as individuals, simply login to the admin panel, double click on the user, then set the desired configuration.   To set as a group, you may click once on any user, hold down the control+shift keys, then click on each desired user in the group.  The users should remain highlighted.   Then while still holding down the control+shift keys, right click and select "apply common user settings".   Make your selections and then click "save".

Untimed websites...  

In most organizations, there are certain websites that are frequently used and even greatly encouraged.  You may want to set these websites as untimed.   All activity on the sites is still recorded and timed in the reporting logs, but when a site is setup as "untimed" the user is not charged toward the totals on their productivity timer display.   Untimed sites are set by management groups and each management group may have their own set of untimed sites.  To setup untimed sites go to the admin panel, select any manager (this could be the stealth manager if all users report to the admin) then select "untimed sites".   You will have two basic choices on how to setup the sites to be untimed.   The more restrictive way would be to setup only the page name of the web page visited.   For example www.msn.com/news would allow untimed activity on that url only.   To set up a more permissive access, you would put "msn.com".   This setting would allow sub domains and all pages that contained the string "msn.com" to be untimed.   The task manager settings will be a helpful tool in the future but for now, you may leave this area blank.

What if timer does not show?    

Please first login to the admin panel, company settings, then "product selections".   Check to make sure the interactive button is selected.  If not, select it then click "save".   If you have just installed the software, you must re-boot before it will show.   If if was displaying properly before, but you no longer see it then find the Acutivity icon in the startup menu on the right side of the bottom task bar.  Right click on the icon then select settings.   Make sure the "never show time bar" is not selected.   If it still does not show, then you may be on an untimed page with the setting "show time bar when timing".  That would mean that an untimed website would not display the timer.   Please be sure to save any setting you make.   It may take a few minutes for the server to refresh the settings. If the timer still does not show, this may mean the software was not properly installed, has become corrupted, or you have a network problem.  The network problem can often be fixed by a simple reboot.   If a reboot does not fix the problem, please run the installation program again to remove the software, reboot, re-install the software, then re-boot again.  The download and the license key may be found by logging into the admin panel, selecting the "company" tab, then looking at the bottom of the page being displayed. If this does not work, try logging off before the restart to assure that your machine is properly saving settings. If this does not work, please temporarily disable any antivirus or anti spyware program, proceed with the uninstall and reinstall instructions above. If this does not work, please go to Contact Us. We will call or email you to discuss further.

Can timer be moved?    

You may not like the default location of your productivity timer, so we allow you to move it anywhere by left clicking on the circular portion of the timer, then dragging and dropping it to anywhere on your screen.   You may also change the transparency of the timer by right clicking on the icon in the taskbar and select "settings".   Be sure to save your settings.  Why does my browser minimize...can I change the settings?   Browser minimization is a feature directly related to the productivity timer and built into Internet Explorer.  This feature allows you grace on those times when you walk away from your computer and forget to close or minimize the browser.   When the browser is minimized, timing stops and you are not charged for this time because you cannot see it.   The default setting is 10 minutes.   That means the biggest mistake you make when you leave your computer for a while is 10 minutes.  You may change your auto minimize time settings by right clicking on the Acutivity icon in the task bar on the bottom right of your screen.   Select settings, change the minimize browser setting, and save by clicking OK or Apply.

Restricted time periods.  

Restricted time period settings were developed for utilization in organizations where bandwidth during certain times of the day is overloaded.   There could be many other reasons to limit access during certain times of the day or night.   In our family version, (www.netntegrity.com) a parent might want to discourage all computer activity during bedtime hours.   The access is never denied, but a warning pops up to remind the user, and if they proceed, an email will be generated notifying the manager or admin of the activity.

If you have enabled the "Instant Notification" in your admin console, you will begin receiving emails and/or SMS messages about user computer behavior depending on your settings in the console.  

Notification Categories list

To establish your settings, you select the tab labeled "Notification Categories" near the top of the console.   The first tab allows you to select from a website categorization list, if you would like to be notified when someone accesses a site listed in one of these categories.   Simply check the box next to the category, and you will begin receiving notices when this category is triggered by the categorization list.   Be sure to save your settings.   It is important to note that the website categorization list is supplied by a third party and represents human or machine best guesses about the content of certain websites.   Also, due to the diverse nature of many websites, they may carry content that could be categorized in several categories...including a mixture of innocent and objectionable content.  You should ALWAYS check the actual website content and pages as reported in the admin console before taking any action.

Specific Website notification

To list a specific website you would like to be notified about, select "Notification Categories" then select the tab labeled "Specific Categories".   On the left side you may enter a specific website or a string that might appear in that website.   For example, to be notified about Gmail, you could put "mail.google.com", to receive a notification when gmail is accessed through a browser.   On the other hand, if you intended to discourage all Google activity, you could enter "google.com" or "google".   In either of the last 2 settings, you would be notified when any google page is accessed, because the system picks up whatever string you enter.  A good practice would be to make the string as long as you can that would represent a string that would appear in all the website pages if you intend to discourage the website access.   In the above example," google.com" would be preferred over "google", because there might be another website that had the name "googlemania.com", and under the setting "google" you would be sent a violation notice for a website you did not intend.   Perhaps an even better example would be that the entry "facebook.com" would be preferred over simply "facebook" because you would receive a violation if someone accessed a site called "stoppingfacebookinthe workplace.com".    Please remember to save your settings.

Application usage notification

In many cases you may want to discourage using certain applications that are on a computer.   A good example might be that you would only want users to access Internet Explorer for internet browsing, because Acutivity reports are more robust using Internet Explorer.   Also, the notification violation feature currently only works with Internet Explorer.   In this case, if you had Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, or another browser also installed on the machine, you would simply select "notification categories", then select "specific categories" and  on the right side of the page, enter the common name of the application(s) of which you want to receive a violation report. 

You do not need to enter the version, just the common name.  Example....Firefox.   The exact common name almost always appears on the top bar of the application when it is loaded.   It is always best to use the longer common name to prevent unintended notices.   For example, if you wanted to be notified when Quickbooks is accessed, you would want to put the entire word "Quickbooks", instead of just entering the word "quick".   If you only entered the word "quick" then you would also get a violation notice when the application" Quicktime" was used.  Please remember to save your settings.

The nature of violation reports   Website category violation settings are dependent on third party evaluations of websites, and are loaded on our system in the form of very large "url blacklists".   These listings will inevitably produce false readings on occasion.   Also, due to the diverse nature of many websites, they may carry content that could be categorized in several categories...including a mixture of innocent and objectionable content.   If you receive a notification from a restricted category, you should always login to view the actual website activity before taking any corrective action.  You can check the time the violation was sent to you and correspond this to the same time of day, usually within 5 minutes.   This will eliminate the typical endless hours of reviewing firewall logs that are rarely helpful with most other solutions You might also receive an unintended application violation report if the settings for the application violations are not entered properly using the exact common name of the application.   See "Application Usage Notification" suggestions above.

What if I do not receive violation reports via email or sms?

Login to the admin panel then select the primary contacts tab.   Be sure the box is checked to allow you to receive reports.  Save your settings.   If this is correct, please verify your email address.   if this is correct, refresh your notification settings by unselecting, saving and re-selecting.  You should also check your spam settings and junk email list to see if the notification was re-directed.   If you find it there, you should create a rule that allows mail from *@acutivity.com">*@acutivity.com

Routine changes by your organization

Routine usage changes such as employee turnover, old machines, new machines, and multiple use philosophy, may require a brief house cleaning.    You will likely have a quick recognition of any user accounts that need to be deleted.  The simplest way to trim your count would be to right click on the user in the admin console tree, and select “delete”.   Often there are large log files associated with a user, so please wait for confirmation of their deletion before proceeding.

If you plan to continue using a machine with different users but never plan to use the same windows login name of the user you are deleting, all you need to do is login to the administration panel, locate the user in the tree, then right click on the user.  Select “Delete” and wait for the records to be deleted.  

If you plan to no longer use that particular machine for logging activity, you must uninstall the software from the machine first.   If you do not have the download saved, you can login to the admin panel, then select the “company tab” at the top.   The page that appears will have the download link just below the license key.    After you run the download, you will need to go back to the admin panel, locate the user/machine in the tree on the left side, then right click and select “delete” on the desired user.  Please wait for the system to acknowledge the deletion.

If you have trouble removing the software please see the instruction category below called “downloads and uninstall”

Why are there so many computers called administrator?

If you do not use a domain controller in your organization for logins, it is likely that each time a technician logs into the machine, they choose admin or administrator to login to that machine.   The technician then logs immediately out and moves on to the next machine.   It is acceptable to either leave the accounts or delete them, but you may be charged if you exceed the purchased number of licenses.   We recommend that if you are not using a domain server for your logins, that you should occasionally delete the accounts that end in the word, admin or administrator, unless of course that is the common login used on that machine.    You will receive a notice that you are over your purchased license count prior to billing.   Please remove any unnecessary accounts by right clicking on the user located in the admin panel tree.  Please wait for the system to confirm deletion.

To add licenses, simply login to your admin panel select “company”… “product settings”… change the number of licenses needed for your account and then click “save”.

Initial download instructions and the link to the download is included on your original email and in your admin panel if you click on company, then look toward the bottom of the page.   Your license information can also be found there.   The same download will install and uninstall the software.  If you are having reporting problems, please follow these steps:

1. Please check your internet connection.
2. If you have not yet installed the software on the machine, please do so, logoff, and then reboot.  The user should show up in the tree on the left hand side of the admin panel.
3. If you have installed the software, please logoff first, then reboot.
4. If after taking steps 1, 2, and 3 above, it still does not show up, please run the installation program again and choose remove.  Reboot your computer and re-install the software.   Please logoff, then reboot.  
5. If the user is still not showing up, you should remove the software again, disable any antivirus or anti-spyware programs, logoff and re-boot.   Then you should re-install the software, logoff, then reboot.
6. If these measures fail, please contact us at http://www.acutivity.com/support .