Best practices when using Time Doctor Silent Tracking
The Time Doctor Silent Application utilizes a system-wide installation strategy, which means it is installed on all existing user profiles on a computer.
However, individual Time Doctor accounts are only created when users log into each profile. For instance, if a user is logged into the work profile after installation, only the work profile will have a Time Doctor account. No account is created for the personal profile until the user logs into it.
Important reminder:
☝️Each Time Doctor account requires a separate license and is considered a billable user.
☝️Multiple user profiles on a single computer can lead to multiple Time Doctor accounts being created, increasing billable user costs.
☝️To manage this, unnecessary accounts should be archived or removed from the Web app, on the Settings / Users page.
Integration with Identity and Access Management (IAM) Solutions
When using Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems such as Windows Active Directory or Entra ID (Formerly known as Azure Active Directory), Time Doctor can effectively recognize users logged into various computers with their designated logins, provided the computers are part of the same domain network. This enables the consistent identification of a single user across different devices.
However, if a user logs into a local account on a machine with the silent app installed, and the user account or computer is not part of the same domain network or listed in Windows AD/Entra ID, a separate Time Doctor user account will be created for the same user.
To optimize usage and minimize costs, it’s advisable to install the silent app on computers where only one user profile is actively used or where the computer is part of the same domain network, with user access managed by an IAM solution.
Note:
☝️The solution to detect the same user logging into multiple computers is automatically enabled for Windows Active Directory.
☝️Manual intervention is required to configure this for Entra ID. Contact support@timedoctor.com to request activation.
Time Doctor Silent App on other IAM Solutions
Time Doctor may still identify a user across multiple accounts with other IAM solutions not mentioned above, without unnecessary account duplication. Specific deployment guidance may be requested from our Support Team.
Common Scenarios that Result to Duplicate Time Doctor User Accounts
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Using Multiple Computers
Users logging into more than one computer for work where the logins are not managed through an Identity and Access Management solution or are not part of the same company domain network may result in duplicate Time Doctor accounts.
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Using Multiple Computers Connected to Different Domain Networks
An example would be when users log into their IAM-assigned accounts on different computers, but the computers are not part of the same domain, e.g., one is on abc.com while the other is on xyz.com. Although logins may be shared between the two domains, Time Doctor considers user accounts on these domains as separate, leading to duplicate user accounts being created.
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Use of Local Admin Accounts Instead of System/Domain Admin accounts
IT administrators who log into computers with local admin accounts to perform administrator tasks (e.g., installing, uninstalling, or updating applications) instead of using system accounts or domain admin accounts through group policy methods can unintentionally create new Time Doctor accounts. This is because each local admin login from different computers is treated as a separate user.
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Reformatted Computer or Reinstalled Operating System
If the user has reformatted or reinstalled the computer’s operating system, and the silent application is installed again on the same computer, unless an IAM-assigned user account is used to log in, Time Doctor will create a new Time Doctor account
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Virtual Machines or Terminal Server Profiles
Users logging into virtual machines (e.g., VirtualBox, VMware, Parallels) or remote terminal servers with the silent app installed on both their virtual environment and their host computer are likely to have duplicate profiles.
Archiving or Deleting Duplicate Time Doctor User Accounts
Admins can manage duplicate user accounts via the web application by archiving or deleting them from the Users page.
Consider merging accounts instead of deleting or archiving them if users work on different computers and activity on both devices needs to be recorded.
Contact Time Doctor Support at support@timedoctor.com for user merge requests or for guidance on identifying which user accounts to archive or delete and how to proceed.