Below you will find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the installation, configuration and general use of Spector 360.
If your question is not answered below, please feel free to contact a product representative 24 hours a day at 1-888-598-2788 or submit
your question online.
Will the Spector 360 Recorder (Client) work with Windows Vista,
Windows XP, and Windows 2000 computers? What about Windows 98/ME computers?
Yes. The Spector 360 Recorder (Client) will work with all editions of Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional and
Windows 2000 computers. Windows XP Home and all x64 editions are not currently supported.
Additionally, Spector 360 can be installed on 98/ME computers provided a few additional items are installed on the client computers (such as Remote Registry Services and Remote Administration). Alternatively,
the Spector 360 Recorder (Client) can be installed manually or via a login script.
Will the Spector 360 Recorder (Client) work with Windows 95 computers?
Spector 360 does not officially support Windows 95. However, SpectorSoft has had customers report successful
installation of the Spector 360 Recorder (Client) on Windows 95 machines.
Does Spector 360 work with Citrix Presentation Server™ and
Microsoft® Terminal Services?
Spector 360 will record all Windows users that log in to the server using Terminal Services or Citrix
Presentation Server. When reviewing the data, simply set the criteria to view the information by user, instead of by computer, and you will be able to review the information from each Terminal Services
or Citrix user.
Can Spector 360 be used in a Windows Workgroup Environment?
Yes. This will work as long as each computer has one Administrator Account with the exact same username
and password (case sensitivity rules apply). When you wish to administer the computers, you would need to logon to the Spector 360 Control Center computer using this account.
Will Spector 360 work in a Novell Environment?
Spector 360 will work in a TCP/IP Novell Environment provided the underlying Windows Network is configured
properly.
Won't Spector 360 fill up our hard drives with data?
It is important to note that Spector 360 will be configured so that the recordings are moved to the
Data Vault and MSDE SQL Database (included components in all Spector 360 software), thus effectively taking almost no disk space on the local computer, because recordings are automatically transferred from
the local computers to the Data Vault and SQL Database several times per hour. (In those cases where the computer being recorded becomes disconnected from the network, such as a laptop traveling for business,
Spector 360 continues to record and keeps the recordings on the local hard drive until the laptop reconnects to the network, and thus to the Data Vault and SQL Database, and automatically transfers all
its saved recordings to the Data Vault and SQL Database at that point in time.)
The amount of disk storage required per day for each computer being recorded will generally range from between 2 and 20 megabytes per day, depending upon the types of events being recorded.
For example, if you choose not to record screen snapshots, the storage requirements go down substantially, perhaps to below one megabyte per computer per day.
With those computers writing to the Data Vault, won’t that
be a lot of traffic on our network?
You would be surprised at how little traffic is generated. Plus, the traffic that is generated is managed
to minimize bottlenecks. By default, every 4 minutes, each computer will automatically transfer recorded information to the Data Vault and SQL Database for no longer than 30 seconds. No information is recorded
or sent across the network after a computer is idle for 3 minutes.
In eight hours, assuming a worst case scenario whereby the computer is constantly being used and interacted with for the full 8 hours, information is transferred approximately 120 times
(every four minutes). Ten MB divided by 120 transmissions equals approximately 83 KB for each transmission.
Will I have to set up appropriate permissions for the folder where
Spector 360 stores its screen snapshots and email attachments?
All screen snapshot and email attachment recordings are saved by the Data Vault which is a Windows Service
running with Administrator privileges. You will need to change only the permissions for the Data Vault folder if you wish non-Administrators to access recorded screen snapshots and email attachments.
Can I install the software to many computers at the same time?
Yes, Spector 360 provides the ability to install and configure many computers simultaneously through
the use of logical groups. Computers are assigned to the same group and then an installation or configuration change to a group creates an installation or configuration change to all computers in the group.
For instance, if you wish to install the same configuration to all computers in the Accounting Department, you can create a group titled "Accounting" and assign the appropriate
computers to that group. Spector 360 will then allow you to push out an identical pre-configured installation to all of the computers in the "Accounting" group.
Will Spector 360 record laptops that are not always connected to
the network?
When the Spector 360 Recorder is installed on a laptop, it records activity to the network Data Vault
as does any PC. If the Client is disconnected from the network, as is the case when a laptop travels, recording will still continue on the Client and all events will be saved locally on the laptop. After
the laptop re-connects to the network, it will recognize that it once again has access to the Data Vault and SQL Database and upload the previously stored recordings.
Can I re-configure the Spector 360 Recorder (Client) installation
on several computers at the same time?
Yes. Spector 360 features a mass update tool which allows you to update the settings on several computers
at the same time, even if the computers are turned off.
I would like to install the Spector 360 Recorder (Client) while
users are logged off their machines. Is this possible?
Yes. This is possible for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000 computers. It is not
possible for Windows 98/ME computers.
In addition, Spector Recorder (Client) installations can be scheduled for any time of the day allowing an administrator to schedule an installation on a Client computer, but the actual installation would
not take place until the computer is not in use.
Is Technical Support available?
The first year of Premium Maintenance is included with the purchase of Spector 360. Premium Maintenance
provides you with both Technical Support and Product Updates. Technical Support is provided via email and telephone as well as through our online Knowledge Base. After the first year, renewal rates for
your Premium Maintenance package start at $798, which entitles you to all of the above PLUS an additional full year of product and version upgrades.
Can Spector 360 be circumvented by our employees?
Spector 360 would be extremely difficult for an employee to circumvent for the following reasons:
- The Spector 360 Recorder (Client) that resides on the user PC records in the background and does not contain a user interface that an employee may stumble upon. Thus, there are no Hotkeys by default,
desktop icons or System tray icons that might indicate the presence of the Spector 360 Recorder.
- Spector 360 does not show up in the Windows task list, and cannot be uninstalled using the Windows Add/Remove function.
- Spector 360 is designed to use very few system resources and does not slow down the desktop user.
- The recordings reside on the desktop only for a short period of time before they are automatically and seamlessly uploaded to the Spector 360 Data Vault and SQL Database.
- Even if an employee did find a way to circumvent the software, you would have the Spector 360 recordings archived that would provide proof of exactly what the employee did to undermine your decision
to monitor.
Should we inform our employees that their computer and Internet activities are being monitored?
Spectorsoft believes that in the majority of installations, it makes sense to inform your employees that
monitoring software may be used. This is especially true if your primary goal is to reduce or eliminate productivity loss caused by inappropriate or frivolous surfing, or if you are trying to eliminate
the use of company computers to propagate sexually or racially offensive emails and chats, or if you wish to eliminate company confidential information from getting into the hands of the wrong people, such
as your competitors.
Informing your employees of the fact that you are monitoring, and demonstrating the comprehensive details recorded by the software, together serve as a strong deterrent for the kind of
behavior you are trying to prevent.
However, Spectorsoft does recognize that there may be some situations where it does not make sense to inform an employee in advance. Such an example might be if you suspect an employee
of embezzling and you are looking for proof to substantiate or refute the suspicion. Another example might be if you suspect an employee of using company computers to conduct illegal acts that could pose
liability for you if you don't take action to stop it.
