Computer Use Reporter

Computer Use Reporter is a software program for Windows computers that records what programs are used on a computer. Specifically, it records the text in the title bars of any programs that are run on a computer. The title bar is the blue bar at the top of most windows. This title bar almost always contains the title of the program (hence the name, title bar) such as "Internet Explorer". In addition, on most programs it also contains information about what file the program is currently accessing. Of particular importance is that Web browsers include the title of the Web page being viewed in that browser. For example, if you were viewing the Leithauser Research home page in Internet Explorer, the title bar would be "Shareware Software by Leithauser Research - Internet Explorer." This means that you can track what Web sites are viewed on a computer that has Computer Use Reporter installed.

Computer Use Reporter records the date and time the title bar is first opened, and the date and time each time it changes. If there are several users who have access to the computer, it records which user is using the computer at the time the program is used.

You can view the report on which programs were used using the Computer Use Reporter control program. This program lists the contents of all titles bars, giving the tile and date each title bar was first displayed. If you click on an item on the list, it shows you the user name of the person on the computer.

Note: Computer Use Reporter cannot record activity of a user who has restricted authorization to write files to most folders. For example, it cannot record activities of a user on an XP computer if the account type setting for that user is "limited", which causes XP to block them from saving files. Likewise, it may not save the report for some restricted Windows 2000 users, depending on the user properties. This is because these settings block Computer Use Reporter saving the report information while that user is on the computer.

Using the Computer Use Reporter control program

Main screen

The main screen of the Computer Use Reporter control program has a list box that shows a list of dates and times, followed by the text of the title bar of the program started at that time and date. The date and time given are the time when that title bar first appeared (when you first run the program), or the time the text in the title bar changed. If (for example) the program running is a Web browser, the text in the title bar will change each time you view a new Web page. Thus the list box of Computer Use Reporter is showing the time the user first loaded that Web page. Word processors, like WordPad, often show the name of the file being edited in the title bar. Thus, Computer Use Reporter not only tells you what programs a person is using on the computer, it can often give you a good idea of they are doing with those programs.

If you place the mouse cursor over an item on the list and press the left mouse button, the name of the user who was signed onto the computer at the time that program was run will appear in blue above the list box. This is useful if a computer is configured to have several different users, and you want to use Computer Use Reporter to determine which one was using the program listed. Warning: There is a small problem with this feature. On some computers, you can have several users signed on at the same time. One user can sign on, and then you can switch to another user without the first user actually signing off. Both users are logged onto the computer at the same time, even though only one is operating the computer. If this is the case, if both users are being monitored, Computer Use Reporter may have trouble determining which user is actually running the program. In this case, Computer Use Reporter may mistakenly report that one of the other users who is signed on in using the program, rather than the one who is actually in control of the computer at the time the program is run. If you have set up Computer Use Reporter to monitor several users on one computer, you should instruct them to log off completely before handing over the computer to another user, to make it clear to Computer Use Reporter who is running the computer at any time.

You can resize the main screen by moving the mouse cursor to the side or top or bottom of the screen (at which point it will turn into a two-headed arrow), holding down the left mouse button, and moving the mouse. The list box will automatically adjust to fit the screen. This allows you to expand the text so that you can read long items in the list box, or reduce the screen so it takes up less room. You can also maximize or minimize the screen.

Printing the Report

You can print a copy of the list of computer uses by clicking on the File menu and then on the Print Report. Be sure the printer is turned on before you do this. The report is automatically printed on your default printer.

Saving the report

You can save the list of computer uses by clicking on the File menu and then on Save Report. The list will be saved to a text file with the name CURReport.txt. If possible, this report will be placed on your desktop, where you can view the report by double clicking on it. Once you are viewing it in your text editor, you can print it using the editor's Print function. When you are finished with the file, you can simply drag it to the recycle bin and drop it there to delete it. If Computer Use Reporter has any technical difficulties in saving the file on the desktop, it will save the file in the C:\Program Files\CUR folder. You can load this file into any text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad, to view it or print it.

Saving the report as a spreadsheet file

You can save the list of computer uses in the form of a spreadsheet by clicking on the File menu and then on Save as Spreadsheet. The list will be saved to a spreadsheet file with the name CURReport.csv. If possible, this report will be placed on your desktop, where you can view the report by double clicking on it. Once you are viewing it in your text editor, you can print it using the editor's Print function. When you are finished with the file, you can simply drag it to the recycle bin and drop it there to delete it. If Computer Use Reporter has any technical difficulties in saving the file on the desktop, it will save the file in the C:\Program Files\CUR folder. You can load this file into most spreadsheet programs, to view it or print it. The first column of the spreadsheet will be the date/time, the second will be the computer program being used at that time. This allows for easier sorting of the information.

Refresh option

When you run the Computer Use Reporter control program, it automatically loads the report file and displays it in the list box. It does not automatically update the list box, however. This is not normally an issue if you are using Computer Use Reporter to monitor use of one computer, because the person you are monitoring would not be on the computer at the same time as the person who is checking the Computer Use Reporter report. However, Computer Use Reporter can be used to monitor other computers on a network (which is explained later in this manual). This means that the person being monitored might be using their computer while the person doing the monitoring is checking the report. In order to allow you to check the current activity, Computer Use Reporter has a Refresh option at the top of the main screen. Clicking on this (or pressing the R key while holding down the Alt key) will reload the report file, allowing you to see an up-to-date report.

Clearing the report file

The report file can naturally become quite long over time. In order to clear it (erase all previous contents), you can click on the File menu and then click on "Clear current report file". This will erase all the listed activity in the report file you are currently viewing. Before Computer Use Reporter allows you to clear the report, however, it will ask for the administrative password. This is to prevent the person being monitored from clearing the report of his or her own nefarious activities.

Selecting the Report File to view

If Computer Use Reporter is being used to monitor several computers on a network, each computer will generate its own report file. (Setting this up is explained later in this manual.) In this case, you will need to select which report file you are currently viewing with the Computer Use Reporter control program.

To select which report file to view, click on the File menu and then on "Select Report File to view." This will display a screen containing a list box showing all the available report files. Click on the report file you wish to view and then on the OK button, or simply double-click on the file name. Computer Use Reporter will switch to viewing that file, and return you to the main screen. Note: If your computer is set to save its report in the default file, one item on the list may be "Default". This simply means the default file for your computer.

(Note that setting the report file being viewed does not change the file where this computer stores its report.)

Exiting the Computer Use Reporter control program

You can exit the Computer Use Reporter control program by either clicking on Exit under the File menu or by clicking on the little X in the upper right corner of the main screen. Exiting the control program does not turn off monitoring

Changing your administrative password

If you suspect that someone has learned your password, you can change it by clicking on the Configure menu and then clicking on "Change Password." Computer Use Reporter will first ask for your current password. Assuming you input the correct current password, Computer Use Reporter will ask you to input the new password you want. Be sure to remember this password. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. This means, for example, that "Good" is not the same as "good" or "GOOD". Be sure to remember the EXACT password you select, including capitalization.

Setting the report file for this computer

In order to set or change the name and location of the report file that Computer Use Reporter generates for this computer, click on Configure and then on "Set Report File." Computer Use Reporter will ask for your password. You will then see the report file configuration screen. Note that setting the report file for this computer is not the same thing as selecting the report to view. In setting the report file, you are setting the name and location (folder) of the report file generated by this computer. Selecting the report file to view merely means selecting which existing report file to view on the Computer Use Reporter main screen.

If you are simply using Computer Use Reporter on an individual computer, it is usually best to simply allow it to use the default file. This is simply a preselected file name and location built into the program, and selected to be as inconspicuous as possible.

In a business environment, however, you might want to monitor many computers in a network and view the reports from one computer. You can install Computer Use Reporter on many computers in a network and then check the records from one station.

To do this, select a folder on one computer in your network (usually the server) that is accessible to all the others. This must be a folder that all the computers are able to write to. You will use that folder to store the report files in. You might want to great a special folder just for this purpose, or use an existing one.

Install Computer Use Reporter on each computer you want to monitor separately. On the "Set Report File for this computer" screen, select "User Defined." In the Path text box, input the file path where you want to store the Report File as this folder appears on this computer. For example, if the desired folder appears as "G:\Info" on Fred Jones's computer, set the path to "G:\Info\ ". You must use the same folder to store the files for all the computers on which you install Computer Use Reporter. However, this folder might not appear the same to all the computers. For example, the folder "Records" on the network server might appear as "G:\Records" on one computer on the network and as "F:\Records" on another computer. Just make sure that all the computers store their files in the same folder, regardless of what it is called on each computer.

Input a unique name on the "File Name" text box. Select a name for the file that will indicate which computer the file refers to. Do not use the same file name for each computer on which you install Computer Use Reporter. Do not include an extension, because Computer Use Reporter will provide its own.

Once you have installed Computer Use Reporter on each computer you want to monitor, you need to install it on the computer from which you want to monitor the other computers. Set the Report File Folder to the same folder you set the others to, even if you are not interested in recording activity on this computer. You need to do this to view the Report Files from that computer. Setting the report file for the computer where you monitor the other computers from to this folder simply tells Computer Use Reporter where to look for the report files.

Once you have set up the computers this way, when you run the Computer Use Reporter viewer program, the File menu will include an option to Select Report File to View. The default when Computer Use Reporter first runs is always the Report File for the computer you are on. However, selecting this option under the File menu will bring up a list of Report Files. Select the one you want to view from the list and click on the Ok button. Once you have selected a file other than the report file for this computer, the name of the file will show on the main screen above the list of viewed sites to help you keep track of which file you are viewing.

Uninstalling Computer Use Reporter

If you decide that you do not want to use Computer Use Reporter, click on the File menu and then on "Uninstall Computer Use Reporter". Computer Use Reporter will ask you if you are sure you want to do this. IF you click on the Yes button, it will ask you for the administrative password. If you provide the correct password, Computer Use Reporter will be totally removed from your computer. You should only use this option if you have decided that you do not want to use Computer Use Reporter ever again. This is the ONLY way to uninstall Computer Use Reporter. Please do not try to uninstall Computer Use Reporter by manually deleting files. Doing so will not only fail to uninstall Computer Use Reporter, it will make it very hard to actually uninstall Computer Use Reporter.

Register

If you have not yet registered Computer Use Reporter, this option will appear on the top of the window. Clicking on it will display the registration screen, which also appears when you first run Computer Use Reporter until it is registered.

From the time you first run Computer Use Reporter, you have a 30-day trial period to evaluate it. During that time, Computer Use Reporter will be fully functional. If you decide you like Computer Use Reporter, you should register and pay for it. At the end of the trial period, if you do not pay for Computer Use Reporter and input the unlock code you receive, Computer Use Reporter will cease to function. It will stop recording computer activity, and most functions of Computer Use Reporter (such as displaying a list of sites viewed) will be disabled. These will be reactivated when you input the unlock code. The price of Computer Use Reporter is $25.00 for each computer you install Computer Use Reporter on. If you install Computer Use Reporter on networked computers, this includes each computer being monitored and the computer from which you view the reports. Details of how to register Computer Use Reporter are provided at the end of this manual if you have not already registered.

Bug reports, help requests, suggestions

If you need help with this program, have found a bug, or have a request for additional feature, please contact Leithauser Research. The best way is to send an email to [email protected]. You can also call Leithauser Research at 386-410-6769 .

If you are suggesting an additional feature or other improvement, we will make these changes and release a new version soon if we believe these improvements would have broad appeal. You will be notified when the new version is released. If we feel that the changes you suggest are not commercially viable, we can still create a custom version of Computer Use Reporter for you for a fee. Contact Leithauser Research if you are interested in this.

Registering Computer Use Reporter

From the time you first run Computer Use Reporter, you have a 30-day trial period to evaluate it. During that time, Computer Use Reporter will be fully functional. If you decide you like Computer Use Reporter, you should register and pay for it ($25). At the end of the trial period, if you do not pay for Computer Use Reporter and input the unlock code you receive, Computer Use Reporter will be deactivated. That is, it will no longer prevent the computer clock from being reset. It will be reactivated when you input the unlock code, which you will receive when you pay for Computer Use Reporter.

There are several ways to pay for Computer Use Reporter. The easiest way to register a single copy is to go to the LeithauserResearch.com site. From there, you can go to the payment page (links are in the third paragraph on the home page). Scroll down the page to the place where Computer Use Reporter is listed. Input the serial number that appears on the registration screen for Computer Use Reporter (the screen that asks you to register and input your unlock code) and then click on the "PayPal buy now" button. You will be sent the unlock code by email. You will normally receive this code within a day, although it may take a little longer under unusual circumstances (Internet problems, etc.).

You can also pay for Computer Use Reporter by clicking on the Print button to print a form. You can then mail this form to the address given on the form or fax it to the fax number given on the form. You can pay by enclosing a check or by filling out the credit card information on the form. You can also pay by phone using your credit card. The number to call is 386-410-6769.

Volume discounts are available. Call 386-410-6769 or send an email to [email protected] with information on how many copies you want to license for a price quote.

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