Deploying to Windows users - ManicTime Documentation

Deploying ManicTime with preconfigured settings

On a server with the old sign-in system, this only works with Windows authentication - Windows users. On a server with the new sign-in system, see Deployed clients on a server with the new sign-in system.

To deploy ManicTime to multiple machines you need ManicTimeSetup.msi file, which you can get on our download page. Then you need to create deployment file (ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json), which needs to be in the same folder as ManicTimeSetup.msi.

The easiest way to create ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json is to use your ManicTime server installation. Visit the server with the browser, then go to Administration -> Client settings -> Deployment file. Only administrators can open this page and download the deployment file.

On the Deployment file page, make sure that URL to the server is correct. This must be an URL which will be accessible from the machines where ManicTime tracker will run. Copy the generated file in the same folder as ManicTimeSetup.msi.

You can put the ManicTimeSetup.msi and ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json to some folder on a shared drive and install it from there, or you can use Active directory to automatically push the installation to specific clients.

When ManicTimeSetup.msi is executed, it will check for this file, find the server's URL and connect to the server.

Test before deployment

On one machine you can double click on ManicTimeSetup.msi (ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json should be in the same folder) to install it. Once it is installed, it should connect and automatically send data to the server.

When you have verified that it works OK, you can then use Active directory or some other deployment service to deploy it to other machines.

ManicTime Server v2026.3 has a new sign-in system. See Sign-in methods. The clients must be v2026.3 or newer.

On a server with the new sign-in system, a deployed Windows client signs in automatically as the user who is logged on to Windows. It does not open a browser and does not ask the user anything. This is called silent sign-in.

For silent sign-in, the server must have one of these sign-in methods:

Windows
Entra with a native client ID. See Microsoft Entra sign-in.

The client tries the default sign-in method of the server first, then Windows, then Entra.

The Deployment file page shows how deployed clients sign in:

Deployed clients sign in as the currently logged in user. - silent sign-in works.
Deployed clients cannot sign in. Enable Windows sign-in, or Entra sign-in with a native client ID. - the server has no method for silent sign-in.
If Create users automatically is off for every method that deployed clients can use, the page shows that only users who already exist on the server can sign in with these methods.

Silent sign-in is available only for ManicTime for Windows. On Mac and Linux, the user signs in through the browser.

Warning: The new sign-in system does not support a fixed user in the deployment file. The Data is sent as option is not available. Clients deployed with a file that sends data from all users as one user stop sending data after the switch. Create a new deployment file and deploy it to these clients.

If the deployment file on a client names a user, the client shows that the user is set in the deployment file and cannot be changed. The client cannot sign in until you deploy a new file.

When more than one user is using the same computer

On normal ManicTime installation, ManicTime will run after setup. When it first runs it adds a registry key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

which ensures that it starts at startup.

If you install ManicTime on a machine which is shared by a lot of users (like terminal server), then ManicTime client needs something to start when a new user logs in, otherwise it will only start at startup for the user who installed it.

To make sure it starts for all users at startup, copy this file in the same folder as ManicTimeSetup.msi and ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json:

https://cdn.manictime.com/setup/custom/ManicTimeSetup.ini

ManicTimeSetup.ini will ensure that ManicTime will run for all users at startup, it will create a registry key to run ManicTime at start up here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

If you already installed ManicTime client and just want to create the registry key, you can run this file:

https://cdn.manictime.com/setup/custom/ManicTime_Run_For_All.reg

Deploying with Following user

This option is available only on a server with the old sign-in system.

This is only useful if you want to anonymize the data, so that all clients will send the data under the same user. When you create a deployment file on ManicTime Server, choose Following user under Data is sent as. Then click Check user to check the username and password. Only administrators can use Check user.

Group policy settings for deployment

Initial deployment

Put ManicTimeSetup.msi and ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json files on a shared folder. Then:

Run Group Policy Management (gpmc.msc)
Right-click on domain and select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here...
Enter ManicTime and click Ok
Select newly created group policy object
On the right pane in the Security Filtering section select users you wish to assign ManicTime to
Right-click on newly created group policy object and select Edit...
Open User Configuration, Policies, Software Settings
Right-click on Software installation, select New, Package...
Select ManicTimeSetup.msi - it should be on a network drive than can be accessed by all users
Select Advanced and click Ok
Select Deployment tab, select Assigned radio button and check Install this application at logon

Next time a user turns on his computer and logs in, ManicTime should be installed.

Upgrading to new ManicTime version

First, remove the current installation:

Run Group Policy Management (gpmc.msc)
Software installation -> right click ManicTime -> All Tasks -> Remove -> Allow users to continue to use the software
Follow the steps for first installation

Deploy changed ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json file, without deploying new version

Run Group Policy Management (gpmc.msc)
Right-click on group policy object and select Edit...
Open User Configuration, Preferences, Windows Settings, Files
Right-click on Files, select New, File...
Select Action "Replace"
Select source file location for ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json - it should be on a network drive than can be accessed by all users
Select destination file C:\Program Files\ManicTime\ManicTimeTrackerSettings.json for the default 64-bit installation. If ManicTime is installed elsewhere, use the folder containing ManicTime.exe.
Select Common tab, check "Run in logged-on user's security context"
Click OK

On the client you can issue this command for changes to take affect immediately.

gpupdate /force

You can also wait an hour or so and the file will be deployed automatically.