TraxTime FAQ (frequently asked questions)

 

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How much does TraxTime cost? Do you offer multiple discounts? How can I register it? When do I get my registration key?

Click here to find all of those answers on the Order Information page.

If I buy a TraxTime license, am I signing up for a subscription?

Absolutely not! When you buy a TraxTime license, you are licensed to use that version of it forever. You do not have to pay anything else.

Minor TraxTime version upgrades are free (for example, v.5.04 to v.5.14).

When major upgrades occur, like from v.4 to v.5, you can choose to stay with your old version or upgrade to the new version at a discount price.

Do you have a Macintosh (or Pocket PC, or Palm, or Linux) version of TraxTime?

Sorry, we don't have Trax for Macs, or any of those other operating systems.

TraxTime is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, ME, 2000, and 98.

Can I see what TraxTime looks like without downloading it?

Yessiree. Step right up. See for yourself what TraxTime looks like. Click here to view some Screen Shots

We also have several animated demos that you can view. Click here for our Demo Page.

What's new in the latest version?

Changes from version 5.13 to 5.14:

• Fixed - Bug that caused TraxTime to remain loaded in memory if the option to View Quotes when exiting TraxTime was turned off and the "Create Report" window was open when you exited TraxTime. If you then tried restarting TraxTime before rebooting your computer, you would see a message warning that TraxTime was already running.
• Enhanced - Changed the naming convention for when the Backup feature renames previously backed-up data files. They are now renamed with an additional ".old" extension.
• Fixed - Bug that would show incorrect Weekly totals on the main TraxTime window. This bug appeared only during the first week of the year, and only when January 1 fell on the first day of the week.

Changes from version 5.12 to 5.13:

• Updated - Help file information.

Changes from version 5.11 to 5.12:

• Fixed - Bug (since v.5.08) that caused TraxTime to crash if the user resized the report display window to a very small size, closed the window, then tried running another report to display on screen.
• Enhanced - TraxTime now enforces minimum sizes for the report display and memo windows.
• Enhanced - Minor changes to various dialog windows.
• Updated - Help file information.

Changes from version 5.10 to 5.11:

• Added - Support for multiple-monitor systems.
• Enhanced - Minor changes to various dialog windows.
• Updated - Help file information.

Changes from version 5.09 to 5.10:

• Changed - The Backup feature now overwrites any identically-named data files that are in the backup folder. This prevents Windows from automatically renaming backup files, which made them difficult to re-open in TraxTime.
• Updated - Help file information.

Changes from version 5.08 to 5.09:

• Fixed - Bug that would display an error message in TraxTime v.5.08 on startup if your Windows system sound scheme was set to "no sounds."

Changes from version 5.07 to 5.08:

• Enhanced - Reminder sound option. You can now select any available Windows system sound as your TraxTime reminder sound. Also added a new Sounds tab to the Options window to accommodate the additional controls for this option.
• Added - Default .CSV export name format. Retained the old .TXT file naming format as an option. Both choices provide the same output file format, they simply name the resulting file with different extensions (.csv or .txt).
• Added - If you rename a project in TraxTime, any leading spaces will be removed automatically from the new name.
• Added - Resizing options to report display window.
• Fixed - Bug that could erase an in-time entry when you changed the 'stay on top' option under some circumstances.
• Changed - Caption of button on the Add Project window from 'Save' to 'Add'.
• Updated - Help file information.

Changes from version 5.06 to 5.07:

• Fixed - Bug (from v.5.05) that would cause the program to freeze if you entered an invalid time entry.

Changes from version 5.05 to 5.06:

• Fixed - Bug (from v.5.05) that hid the last character of project names in reports that were generated as text files.

Changes from version 5.04 to 5.05:

• Added - When working past midnight, any memo and/or non-billing status for the previous day's final in/out record now gets passed on to the new day's in/out record.
• Added - When you enter your registration key, in addition to clicking the OK button with your mouse, you can now press the keyboard's ENTER key to complete the process.
• Fixed - In the subtotals of printed reports, removed errant colon symbol (:).
• Fixed - If you manually type an IN time that's later than the current time, and then double-click another project (and have the option set for "Double Click Produces Punch-Out & Project Switch"), then TraxTime will no longer switch to the second project. It will keep the first project name visible so that you can correct the problem.

Changes from version 5.03 to 5.04:

• Changed - On the Diagnostic Information window, if the TraxTime license is a single-user type, the Organization Name field has been changed to display nothing instead of "Unregistered".
• Fixed - Problem with selecting a non-default set of data when upgrading from v.4 or earlier.
• Fixed - Bug that didn't update the TraxTime version number that is embedded in the user data.

Changes from version 5.02 to 5.03:

• Added - Options to search for any set of TraxTime data or create a blank set of data if TraxTime cannot find your old data files.
• Fixed - Format of time totals in reports if they are zero due to an orphan OUT time.

Changes from version 5.01 to 5.02:

• Changed - On the Manager's "Add Employee To Report List" window, widened the "Database File" field to allow longer paths to be viewed in their entirety.
• Fixed - Bug in the Restore feature. Under some circumstances TraxTime would crash if you switched to a set of TraxTime data that was already in the default data location.
• Fixed - Bug in the Manager's reports template feature. If an employee's data was not found when opening a template, you would see an error message or a message that displayed the name of a project (not the employee) as missing.
• Added - Protection against Managers having a problem while creating a multi-user report that includes their own TraxTime data. If the path to the manager's data files changed since storing that information in the list of employees, the path is automatically corrected under all circumstances now.
• Added - Msvbvm50.dll to the distribution package.
• Updated - Help file topics.

Changes from version 5.00 to 5.01:

• Added - Ability to enter registration key from the welcome-nag window.
• Fixed - Bug that would display any "Incomplete Time Records Found" messages twice instead of once during startup.

Changes from version 4.00 to 5.00:

• Added - Microsoft Windows Vista compatibility. (Note: TraxTime v.5 is also Windows 7 compatible.)
• Changed - TraxTime's data files are no longer maintained in the same folder with the traxtime.exe file (by default, c:\program files\traxtime). They are now kept in the operating system's designated "application data" folder.
• For Windows 7 and Vista, it is usually
  c:\users\<username>\appdata\roaming\traxtime
• For Windows XP and 2000, it is usually
  c:\documents and settings\<username>\application data\traxtime
• For Windows NT4, it is usually
  c:\winnt\profiles\<username>\application data\traxtime
• For Windows ME and 98 it is usually
  c:\windows\application data\traxtime
• Deprecated - The old traxtime.dat file is no longer used. It has been replaced by traxtime.ini, which resides in the application data folder (described above).
• Deprecated - The old method of designating the path to TraxTime data by editing your TraxTime shortcut has been eliminated. If TraxTime does not find its data, it will prompt you to locate the data. That path will then be saved in the traxtime.ini file (described above).
• Deprecated - TraxTime is no longer supported on Window 95 or Windows NT4.
• Fixed - Problem navigating the list of projects on the main TraxTime window. If a project name included non-A-Z characters, and you type the first few characters of the project name to select the project, it might not get selected.
• Added - Two new features, Backup and Restore. These make it easy to move your TraxTime data from one computer to another, as well as make back-up copies of your TraxTime data.
• Added - Automatic unattended shutdown of TraxTime. If you are punched in to a project when TraxTime exits, and you do not make a selection from the choices after 15 seconds, TraxTime automatically exits and leaves the clock running. Also, the quote displayed when TraxTime exits now disappears automatically after 20 seconds.
• Improved - Formatting of Help File pages.
• Improved - When opening a report template, if you have one of the THIS or LAST date options set, the calendar will default to the first date of your range.
• Updated - Help file topics.
• Changed - Program icon. Reduced the amount of time TraxTime waits after you stop typing in a yellow time edit box before it assumes that you are done. Changed from 15 seconds to 8 seconds.
• Fixed a bug that wouldn't let you directly edit the TO time on the report creation date window if you used a report template that specified a FROM-TO date range.
• Fixed a bug that wouldn't save manual time edits in the yellow boxes if you typed in a time then immediately clicked the TraxTime exit button without first waiting a few seconds, or switching focus to a different control.
• Fixed a bug that didn't update the time totals if you manually edited a time, then immediately clicked the TraxTime minimize button. The times would be updated only after the window was restored.
• Improved the 4.0 data conversion routine's ability to read non-standard project names.
• Fixed problem with option settings sometimes not being saved if TraxTime is closed while minimized.
• Fixed - If used on very large monitors, an error message would sometimes appear.
• Fixed - After a new project name was added, TraxTime's main window was not being cleared of previous data.
• Fixed - Problem with opening the Delete Data By Date dialog box.
• Fixed - Problem with the dates selected by the new "This Week" and "Last X Weeks" report options if your "Weeks Begin On" option did not match the default for your country/language.
• Fixed - Problem with "This Year" and "Last X Years" date selection.
• Fixed - Problem with reports generated from data containing a lot of non-billable times.
• Fixed - Under some circumstances, TraxTime could become permanently minimized.
• Added - Data export can now include billing codes. Fixed - TraxTime 4.0's Round Up option did not operate consistently.
• Added - Choice to have TraxTime's round-up feature round up whole minutes only (on by default) or fractions of a minute.
• Fixed - TraxTime would not start correctly under some circumstances if Stay-On-Top was enabled.
• Fixed - If the preferred starting day of the week was not saved due to a system crash, TraxTime now defaults to Sunday.
• Added - Any leading and trailing spaces are removed from new project names and billing codes.
• Added - Additional protection against creating blank project names.
• Added - Option to copy shared project names to the local project list.
• Added - New warning message if you try to run a report without selecting any of the time total checkboxes (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, etc.).
• Changed - If you have an in/out punch set with the same times totaling 0 minutes (example: In: 8:00a - Out: 8:00a), TraxTime now displays those times in daily reports.
• Changed - Increased internal memory to allow more project names.
• Changed - Improved TraxTime's method of saving data.
• Fixed - Problem with TraxTime not saving the text in an open memo window when midnight passes.
• Fixed - Problem regarding the display of memo-only records (with no corresponding in/out times) in daily reports.
• Fixed - Removed an unnecessary message that would appear if a pre-v.4 manager updated without having any shared project files.
• Fixed - "Bad dataset number" error message seen by some users when punching in/out.
• Fixed - Rounding error. Sometimes seen when a round up option was selected and the "Only round up whole minutes" box was unchecked in options, and the user had entered identical in and out times.
• Fixed - Duplicate tool tip hint on Options window.
• Fixed - Problem with project names not being selected when a non-default report template was opened.
• Fixed - Problem with the current record not being displayed correctly when you close the "Edit Data For Earlier Date" dialog.
• New - Added some text to the About dialog box to identify the Manager's edition.
• Fixed - Problem with report window not displaying correctly under certain circumstances.
• Fixed - Typo on site license registration dialog box.
• Added - Test to ensure complete in/out times when user is done editing times for earlier dates.
• Added - When user is done editing times for earlier date, any memo text is now automatically saved.
• Fixed - Problem with changing user initials.

Changes from version 3.8 to 5.0

Click here to view all of the changes from v. 3.8 to v.5.0

I have a license for an older version of TraxTime, how do I upgrade to version 5? Can I continue to use my old data?

If you have a license for TraxTime v.1, 2, 3, or 4 and want to upgrade to version 5, you can purchase a discounted upgrade license.

The price depends on the current licensed version that you have.

Version 4 to 5

The version 4 to 5 upgrade is $14.95 per user license.

Click here to purchase a v.4 to v.5 upgrade online

Click here for a printable form to mail or fax in

 Version 1, 2, or 3 to Version 5

The version 1, 2, or 3 to version 5 upgrade is $24.95 per user license.

Click here to purchase a v.1, 2, or 3 to v.5 upgrade online

Click here for a printable form to mail or fax in

These prices apply to both Standard and Manager users.

Important: Before you upgrade to version 5, do not uninstall your current version of TraxTime. Doing that may delete your old data. 

The first time you run it, TraxTime v.5 will offer to move your old data automatically to the new data storage location (see What's New above). You will not lose anything. All of your in/out times, memos, report templates, and options will be retained.

Note: If your organization has several TraxTime users, an upgrade license must to be purchased for each person upgrading to version 5. For example, if you have three people running TraxTime who will upgrade to version 5, you need to buy three upgrade licenses.

*SITE LICENSE NOTE: If you are running a site license version of TraxTime, contact us for discounted pricing and to determine the number of seats on your current license.

I have TraxTime v.5 now, but not v.5.14. How do I upgrade to the latest version?

If you have an earlier copy of TraxTime 5 and want to upgrade to the latest version, click here to download the latest setup file.

Run the setup file to refresh your copy of TraxTime to the latest version. (Do not uninstall or delete your older copy of TraxTime; just run the setup file.)

NOTE: If you have the Site License edition of TraxTime 5, do not use the above link. It will not work with your license. Organizations that hold a TraxTime 5 site license should have their contact person e-mail us for upgrade details.

I'm getting a new computer and need to move my old computer's TraxTime to it. What should I do?

The new Backup and Restore features in TraxTime version 5 make it very easy to move your data from one computer to another.

Note: If you are running an older version of TraxTime, we recommend that you purchase an upgrade license for version 5. Click here for more information.  If you do not want to upgrade, you can find instructions for moving pre-v. 5 editions in your TraxTime help file. Look for the topic, Moving Data To A New Computer.

Follow these instructions in the correct order:

1. Decide on the medium you will use to transfer your old data files. You can use a portable USB drive, CD-R disc, floppy disk, etc. If both of your computers are set up on a network, you may be able to copy the old data files to a shared folder that can be read by the new computer.
2. On your old computer, start TraxTime.
3. From TraxTime's main window, select the menu items FILE > BACKUP.
   
   Note: If you do not see that menu item, then your old computer has a version of TraxTime that is prior to TraxTime v.5. You should either upgrade to the latest version of TraxTime on your old computer, or manually copy all of your TraxTime data files from C:\Program Files\TraxTime to your transfer medium using Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer...that's a web browser).
4. Follow the Backup prompts to make a copy of your current TraxTime data files to your transfer medium.
5. On your old computer, exit TraxTime.
6. Go to your new computer.
7. Download the latest version of TraxTime from our web site and install it on your new computer. To get the latest version, click here.
   
   (Site License Note: If your company/organization is using the Site License version of TraxTime, do not use the download version from our web site. You should either use your TraxTime v.5 Site License disc to install TraxTime on your new computer, or order a new Site License disc from our web site by clicking here.)
8. Start TraxTime on your new computer.
9. During the setup procedure TraxTime asks for your user initials. Answer ZZZ. That creates a set of blank data files named ZZZ that you can easily identify and safely erase later, if you wish.
10. From TraxTime's welcome-nag window click the ENTER KEY button, or if you are in TraxTime, select the menu items HELP > ENTER REGISTRATION KEY.
11. Enter your TraxTime user name and registration key. This information was e-mailed to you when you bought your TraxTime v.5 license.
12. From TraxTime's main window, select the menu items FILE > RESTORE.
13. Follow the Restore prompts. Be sure to locate your TraxTime data files on your transfer medium.
    
    When asked if you want the data copied into your default TraxTime data folder, you should answer YES unless the data files are in a location (like a network server's folder) where you want them to reside permanently.
    
    At the end of the Restore process, TraxTime shuts itself down.
14. Start TraxTime on your new computer. Your old data should appear in TraxTime.
    
    If not, exit TraxTime and start over with Step 1 above and make sure that you perform each of these instructions in the proper order.

When I minimize TraxTime on my Windows 7 computer I don't see the minimized TraxTime icon, so I try starting TraxTime again and I get a message that says it's already running. What's going on?

By default, TraxTime minimizes to the Notification Area (aka System Tray) section of the taskbar. It’s the lower right corner of your computer screen where the clock, volume, and other small icons reside.

We do this to allow you to punch in/out and switch projects directly from the minimized TraxTime icon. These enhanced behaviors can only be done from an icon in the notification area.

What’s causing the problem for you is that sometimes Windows 7 hides programs like TraxTime that minimize to the notification area. (If TraxTime is currently running on your computer, you should be able to see TraxTime’s minimized icon by clicking the little up arrow in the notification area to display the hidden icons.)

So you have two choices.

1. You can change a setting in Windows 7 that “unhides” the minimized TraxTime icon so it appears in the notification area next to the clock/volume controls. To do this, click the little UP arrow in the notification area. A small window appears above it. Click the CUSTOMIZE link. A large window appears, entitled Select Which Icons And Notifications Appear On The Taskbar. Scroll down until you see the TraxTime icon. Change its setting to Show Icon And Notifications.
2. Your other option is to change a setting in TraxTime itself so that it minimizes to the taskbar instead of the notification area. To do this, start TraxTime and from its menu select EDIT > OPTIONS. The Options window appears. On the General tab, uncheck the box entitled MINIMIZE TO SYSTEM TRAY.

Can I keep my data files on my company's network?

Yes. We recommend it especially if you're planning on having someone with the manager's version run multiple-user reports.

For details on how to move your data files to a network, look in TraxTime's help file under the topic KEEPING DATA ON A NETWORK.

My company is registering copies of TraxTime for all of our employees. Do you suggest any strategies for our roll-out?

The key for a successful roll-out of TraxTime over a network, where a designated manager runs reports that incorporate other users' data, is consistency in the naming of projects. If one user names a project, Green Martians, while another calls it Martians Who Are Green, then your manager reports are going to be difficult to create.

Of course, that's why you can create a shared project list (administered via the manager's version), but you need to tell your users that they aren't allowed to create their own project names. That's the manager's job.

Another key to success is to have the manager create shared project names that don't need to be changed later. Changing 'Green Martians' to 'Cyan Martians' in a shared project list will create a 'Cyan Martian' project in the local users' list, but all of their old data will still be in the 'Green Martians' project.

One more important point, your project names must be EXACTLY identical among users. For instance, if one user had previously entered a project named 'Green martians' on his computer, and your shared list has a project named 'Green Martians' then an error will occur when you try to run a report incorporating that user's data. Why? Because of the upper/lower case difference in the word 'Martians'.

I want to upgrade my Standard TraxTime registration to a Manager's registration. How do I do that?

The price is $25.00. Click here for the registration upgrade order page.

Click here for detailed information about the Manager's Edition.

I want to configure a backup utility to create automatic back ups my TraxTime data. Which files contain my data?

Your data files are the ones that are named with your initials. For instance, George Washington's data files are named GW01.isd, GW02.ism, etc. There are about a dozen of them, and all of them are necessary for TraxTime to run.

WARNING: Do not attempt to manually view or edit the contents of any TraxTime data files. You will foul up the data and render TraxTime inoperable.

With TraxTime v.5 and above, the default location of these data files depends on the version of your computer's operating system and its designated "application data" folder.

• For Windows 7 and Vista, it is usually
  c:\users\<your username>\appdata\roaming\traxtime
• For Windows XP and 2000, it is usually
  c:\documents and settings\<your username>\application data\traxtime
• For Windows NT4, it is usually c:\winnt\profiles\<your username>\application data\traxtime
• For Windows ME and 98, it is usually c:\windows\application data\traxtime

Most of these folders are set by Windows as "hidden" by default, so if you cannot find the folder described above, then you'll need to set your copy of File Explorer to view hidden folders. Contact us by e-mail if you need help viewing hidden folders, and be sure to mention which operating system you are running (Windows 7, Vista, etc.).

NOTE: Before TraxTime v.5, the default location for TraxTime's data files was the same location as TraxTime's program files "C:\Program Files\TraxTime". If you ever ran a pre-version 5 edition of TraxTime on your computer, you may see data files in that folder. However, they are almost certainly out-of-date. Look for your current data files in the folder described above.

My Calendar has its day numbers mixed up with its month numbers. Today is 1/7, but the calendar shows it as 7/1.

- OR -

When I try to edit an earlier date or print a report I get a "Type Mismatch" error. What's going on?

These problems usually indicate a problem with your Windows system's storage of your date format settings.

Here's how to reset them (These instructions are for Window Vista, you may have a slightly different view of things depending on your operating system) :

1. Exit TraxTime, if it is running.
2. Click the Windows START button and select CONTROL PANEL.
3. Click CLOCK, LANGUAGE AND REGION.
4. Under REGIONAL AND LANGUAGE OPTIONS, click CHANGE THE DATE, TIME OR NUMBER FORMAT.
5. Change your CURRENT FORMAT setting  to something completely different, like Icelandic.
6. Click APPLY to save the changes.
7. Now reset the CURRENT FORMAT to your original country/language and click the OK button.
8. Try running TraxTime now.

My co-worker was screwing around with his TraxTime data files and now they don't work. Worse yet, Mr. Computer Genius doesn't have any backup copies. Can you help?

The moral of this sad story is to back up your data files regularly. How frequently? Well, a handy rule of thumb is to figure out how many days' worth of data you can afford to lose. That's a little harsh, but true.

The best solution is to install a backup software program that's designed to back up all of your computer's important files on a regular basis. These backup programs are often bundled with external hard drives that plug into your computer's USB or firewire port. For most people, these external hard drive/software combinations are the best way to safeguard against a disastrous loss of data. Check with your favorite computer accessories or office supply store for more details and recommendations.

The second best solution is to use TraxTime's Backup feature, found under TraxTime's FILE menu, to manually make copies of TraxTime's data files whenever you feel like it.

TraxTime uses a very solid database engine, but you never know when or how disaster will strike. We've heard tales of TraxTime users in mid- punch when the electricity was shut off, networks went down, Godzilla stomped on workstations, and worst of all, users opened TraxTime data files in a word processor 'just to take a look around.' Oh, the horror.

If disaster does strike, and—sigh—you have no backup files, fret not. Salvation is in sight.

We offer a data repair service. The charge is a flat $39.95. If we are unable to restore your TraxTime data, then there is no charge.

If you'd like to take advantage of our data repair service, simply click here to order it.

What's your company's tax ID number? Can I get a W9 form from you?

If you used a credit/debit card to purchase your software licenses after August 1, 2009, you should use the Federal Tax information for our credit card processing partner, FastSpring.

Click here to view the W9 form for FastSpring in .PDF format. (You need a copy of Adobe Acrobat to open it.)

However, if you mailed a check directly to us to purchase your licenses or used a credit/debit card before August 1, 2009, you should use the Federal Tax information for Spud City Software Co.

Click here to view the Spud City W9 form in .PDF format. (You need a copy of Adobe Acrobat to open it.)

I've got an idea for a new TraxTime feature. Do you want to hear it?

Yes! We use a lot of ideas from our users. Just send us an e-mail message at traxtime@spudcity.com