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Upgrading to Version 4.5 of Personal Timeclock™

Starting with version 4.4. Personal Timeclock expects to find your log file, project file, and other data files in the My Documents folder (on Vista, it is called Documents). Version 4.3 and earlier of Personal Timeclock stored these files in the same folder where the programs were installed.

Why did this change?

Starting with Windows Vista, programs are not supposed to write any information to files within the Program Files folder. This practice was also discouraged in Windows 2000 and XP, but most user accounts on those systems had administrator privilege so the programs that did it still worked.

Windows Vista is designed so that user accounts do not need administrator privilege. This is safer because it limits the damage that can be caused by viruses and other forms of malware. Consequently, we have had to move the data files to this new location.

Do I have any choice of where to store my data?

Yes. Most people will find that the default location works fine, but here are some notes on how to get Personal Timeclock to store its data elsewhere.

How do I move my old data?

For specific instructions, click the statement below that best describes your current installation of Personal Timeclock:

1. It is installed in Program Files\Personal Timeclock (this is the default location) or some other folder within Program Files.
2. It is installed in some folder that is not within Program Files.

Personal Timeclock installed somewhere within Program Files

You will have to move at least some of your data files in order for Personal Timeclock v4.4 to find them. Here is how to do this:

1. Install the version 4.4 update.
2. Start Personal Timeclock: it will create the new folder My Documents \Personal Timeclock (on Vista, it will be Documents\Personal Timeclock) . It will say you don't have any projects and categories, and ask you if you want to create some. Say No.
3. Exit Personal Timeclock.
4. Start the Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files\Personal Timeclock (or wherever you installed Personal Timeclock).
5. Move all of the files and folders you find here EXCEPT THOSE LISTED BELOW to My Documents\Personal Timeclock (on Vista, Documents\Personal Timeclock):
   
   Do not move any applications: security.exe, tcrept32.exe, timclk32.exe
   Do not move the compiled HTML help file: timeclk.chm
   Do not move the uninstall files: uninsNNN.dat, uninsNNN.exe (note: NNN is any sequence of digits)
   Do not move the tutorial folder: Tutorial
   Delete the obsolete classic help files: timeclk.cnt, timeclk.hlp, timeclk.fts, timeclk.gid
   
   All other files and folders should be moved to My Documents\Personal Timeclock (on Vista, Documents\Personal Timeclock). You will see a couple of cases where there is already a file in the new folder with the same name as an old file: you want your old files to replace the new ones.
    
   
6. If you are upgrading a Windows Vista computer, navigate to C:\Users\your-username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Personal Timeclock. If this folder exists, move any files it contains to the Documents\Personal Timeclock folder. You may find that some files you are moving already exist in the Documents\Personal Timeclock folder. Here is how to handle them:
   
   timeclk.log: this is your latest check-in/check-out data. If you want to keep the earlier check-in/check-out data, rename the file that is already in the Documents\Personal Timeclock folder to "old.log", and then move "timeclk.log" to the new folder.
   
   all other files: the version from the VirtualStore folder should replace the version already in the Documents folder.
   
   
7. Start Personal Timeclock and verify that your projects and categories are displayed correctly.
8. Start Personal Timeclock Reporter and verify that your check-in/check-out data is found.

Personal Timeclock installed somewhere outside of Program Files

Personal Timeclock v4.4 will find your data files in this location; nothing needs to be moved after installing the update.

How to store your data somewhere other than the default folder

If you want Personal Timeclock to store its files somewhere other than the default folder, you have a couple of options.

1) Using the Options menu in Personal Timeclock, enter pathnames for the log file and project file. These two files will be stored in the folders you specify, but other information (such as each user's individual preferences) will be stored in the default folder.

2) Either create new shortcuts for Personal Timeclock and Personal Timeclock Reporter and modify them, or modify your existing shortcuts. In the "Start in" box, enter the pathname to the folder in which you want your data stored. All data will be stored in this folder, so if you have more than one user, be sure each user has their own separate folder.

3) Install Personal Timeclock somewhere outside of C:\Program Files. In this case, all data files will be stored in the same folder as the programs. This is not recommended, as Windows cannot protect programs installed outside of the Program Files folder from attack by viruses or other malware.