The release of Version 6 of Time Clock MTS has gone reasonably smoothly but our users have thrown up a few problems that we’ve had to resolve with the release of Version 6.0.2 today. This minor release addresses these issues:
The first run routine of the Time Clock MTS Client software threw an error for our users. This has been fixed and it now asks you to connect to a data file as expected the first time it is run (see image below).
On the Edit Time screen an error was thrown if no Time Note was selected and the Edit Time Note button was clicked.
Fixed up some bad SQL that was being passed to SQL Server or MySQL. Only affected users of the Network PLUS Edition of the software.
Added some debugging to the Load Settings code to try to debug a regional issue for users of the software in Norway.
Today sees the release of Version 6 of Time Clock MTS, the culmination of what has been 6 months of work. You’ll only have to take a quick look at the new release of the software to understand how much has changed, the biggest areas being the user interface and the reporting engine.
The New Employee List
User Interface
Every form and screen in Time Clock MTS has been upgraded to reflect the latest look and feel that you’re used to seeing in Windows 10 and Windows 8. I won’t bore you with the details but we’re talking about nearly 100 screens and nearly 10,000 screen components that have been improved. Additionally we’ve made just about every button, list, check box, drop down box and label bigger and easier to read, as well as using a clearer font. This makes the software much more pleasant to use on large, high resolution monitors. It’s also much easier for employees to use on touch screens, whether they have big 24” touch screens or are using a 10” screen on a Surface Pro tablet.
You’ll probably also notice that a lot more elements on Time Clock MTS screens provide more instant feedback to your actions. That’s because we’ve upgraded many components with more modern versions that provide you with more responsive interface.
The New Report Display
Reporting
We bit the bullet here and tossed out the old report display and printing engine in Time Clock MTS and re-built it from scratch. The reports you’re used to are still there, but they are now all displayed in an attractive print preview screen which allows you to customize the look and feel of your reports. There are proper tables, grid-lines, headers, footers, and pretty much anything you’d expect to see. Reports can be emailed easily directly from within the software as PDF files or via various Excel formats. Reports can also be easily exported to PDF, HTML, RTF, Excel, CSV, Plain Text and to various image formats such as JPG and GIF..
Registration Keys
The software registration key system has been overhauled. The need to enter the number of clients and employees has been removed and some smarts have been put in place to automatically fill in the registration screen if you’ve copied your registration keys from one of our emails. It certainly works more smoothly and will prevent a lot of frustration for users new and old who are trying to register their software. It should also stop the registration details being dropped from time to time as Windows rolls out major updates.
As is usual with any major version upgrade of Time Clock MTS any user with a current support contract or who has purchased it within the last 12 months is eligible for a free upgrade. You’ll receive an email explaining how to upgrade, or you can view this page for instructions. If you don’t have a current support contract you’re still eligible for a 40% upgrade discount, just contact us and we’ll give you an upgrade coupon.
Other Changes
There’s been a bunch of other things changed in the software that I won’t bother detailing in full here. You can read the full release notes here for more details. However, here’s a few key things that may be of interest:
The system used to get the time from our internet time server has been re-written a removed to an external component.
The Add Punch and Insert Missing Punch have been enhanced to allow for easier data entry.
Jobs can now be entered on the Bulk Add Time screen.
The size of text on the Employee List has been increased and an extra large text size option added.
The employee bulletin screen and all the logic behind it have been rebuilt. The way the screen worked before was, uh, interesting, now it’s a lot more logical.
This is an upgrade guide for users of older versions of Time Clock MTS wanting to upgrade to Version 6. To perform the upgrade please follow these steps:
1. Gather Required Information
Note down the following information:
The current version of Time Clock MTS you’re using, that information can be found on the Help->About menu.
Your current registration details. You will need your registration name, key, employees and clients. All this information can be found on the Help->Registration menu within Time Clock MTS.
You will need to know where your current Time Clock MTS data file is. This location can be found on the Tools->Options->System Options menu in Time Clock MTS.
2. Backup the Time Clock MTS Data File
While Time Clock MTS is running you can backup your time clock data file using the Tools->Backup Database menu. Alternatively you can make a manual back using Windows Explorer and the location of the database you noted down in step 1. You’ll need to close down Time Clock MTS before you do a manual backup using Windows Explorer.
3. Download the Upgrade Installer
Download the Version 6 upgrade installer from here: Version 6 Upgrade Installer and save it somewhere you can find it later.
4. Install the Upgrade
Once the upgrade installer is downloaded it needs to be run. When the upgrade installation is complete choose to run Time Clock MTS.
Time Clock MTS Version 6 Upgrade Warning
5. Complete the Upgrade Process
This section does not apply if you are upgrading from Version 5 of Time Clock MTS
If you are upgrading from Version 4 or earlier of Time Clock MTS then you’ll see the above warning the first time you run it after upgrading. This screen is warning you about changes that are about to be made to your time clock data. You can read more about these changes here. If you’re happy to complete the upgrade click the Upgrade Now button.
6. Get a New Version 6 Registration Key
You’ll get 30 days to trial Version 6 of Time Clock MTS after you upgrade at which time you’ll need a new registration key to continue using it. Anyone who purchased the software prior to the release of Version 6 will either get a free upgrade or access to an upgrade discount. The Version 6 Registration Key page can be used to check if you’re going to get a free upgrade or not. Your current registration key is required to be able to use that page, if you cannot find your key then contact us for help.
Once you’ve got your new registration key you’ll have to register the Time Clock MTS program on the Help->Registration details screen.
After more than 6 months of work we’re ready to release version 6 of Time Clock MTS this Wednesday, 18 May. During the day we’ll be uploading the new version and updating our website to reflect the look and feel of the new software. On Thursday we’ll be emailing all existing users of Time Clock MTS explaining how they can upgrade and obtain a registration key for the new version. As usual, those users with a current support contract will be eligible for a free upgrade, while those who do not have a current support contract will get a discounted upgrade price.
We’ve got a blog post ready to go explaining all of the changes in the new version, the biggest of which is a complete overhaul of the reporting system. Here’s a video showing some of the changes you’re going to see in the time clock reporting areas of the software:
If you’re an existing user of Time Clock MTS using a version prior to Version 6 and you’re currently using Version 1, 2, 3 or 4 then there’s a warning you should keep in mind. If you’re currently using Time Clock MTS Version 5 you do not need to worry.
The first time you run Time Clock MTS after upgrading changes are made to YOUR time clock data. After the changes are made your time clock data cannot be used with earlier versions of the software.
Precaution Prior to Upgrading
Backup YOUR time clock database BEFORE upgrading. You can do this via the Time Clock MTS Tools menu or by speaking to your time clock administrator.
At least then if you decide that the latest version of our timeclock system is not for you then you can just downgrade to the earlier version and restore your time clock data backup if needed.
After Installing the Time Clock MTS Version 6 Upgrade
After you’ve installed the Time Clock MTS Version 6 Upgrade you’ll get one more chance to back out. The first time you run the software after upgrading you’ll see this screen:
\
Time Clock MTS Version 6 Upgrade Warning
I’ve Upgraded and Used Version 6 But I Want to Go Back To an Earlier Version
If you want to go back to an earlier version of Time Clock MTS (perhaps you saved your original installation files) then you’re going to have to restore the data backup you made BEFORE upgrading to Time Clock MTS Version 6. You did make a backup didn’t you? If you didn’t then your data file will simply not work in the earlier version.
But any data you’ve recorded in Time Clock MTS Version 6 while evaluating it will be lost.
Remember that WE DO NOT KEEP A COPY OF YOUR TIME CLOCK DATA so if you fail to backup your data prior to upgrading then you’re not going to be able to roll back to an earlier version.
