Softpedia >Windows >Network Tools >Network Monitoring >SoftActivity Monitor >  Changelog

SoftActivity Monitor Changelog

What's new in SoftActivity Monitor 14.1.2 Build 6455

Mar 20, 2024
  • What’s new in the on-premise version 14.1:
  • Image Format Upgrade: Switched screenshots to the new WebP format from JPEG. It reduces images size taken by screenshots by up to 50% without the loss of quality. The WebP format is supported by all web browsers and most image viewers.
  • Server Space Optimization: Free up space on the server. Now it removes old screenshots that are not in the database anymore, as well as old thumbnail images.
  • Numerous performance improvements, fixes and security updates.
  • SoftActivity Monitor for workstations:
  • Monitor app: to help admins in resolving connection issues, it now shows the resolved IP address of a remote computer, even if not connected. For connected computers, it shows the connection IP address.
  • Monitor app: will now clean up duplicated computers from the list. Host name now must be unique. Computer name is provided just for reference.
  • TS Monitor for terminal servers:
  • In multi-server configurations improved checking for available space on the main server when uploading screenshots, to avoid low space issues on the server.
  • Improved reliability when recording a lot of user sessions.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 14.0 Build 6235 (Sep 12, 2023)

  • upgraded PostgreSQL database engine from version 9.6 to 15 (x64). This brings improved performance, security, and reliability of data storage.
  • Note: Upgrade to PostgreSQL 15 will cannot be performed automatically. Please follow the steps in our guide for admins here: Migrate database from PostgreSQL 9.6 to 15
  • improvements and fixes in screenshots recording.
  • webapp: fixed real time alerts in browser
  • webapp: improved Attendance report export to pdf and sent by email. Added visual session duration representation
  • fixed security vulnerabilities found in older Python version by upgrading to the latest Python 3.11.
  • official support for secure TLS connection to PostgreSQL servers. Bundled server does not come with
  • TLS enabled, but if you have an existing PostgreSQL server that supports TLS, SoftActivity will utilize the secure connection. TLS connection should be used when connecting to any other databases than on localhost.
  • webapp: dropped support of IE11 browser.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.9.2 Build 5777 (Jul 12, 2022)

  • [improved]: Attendance report now shows an end of session immediately after a remote computer is shutdown, put into sleep mode, or a laptop lid has been closed. Previously it was not shown until the next day, and some sessions remained active. PDF was showing end of session “unknown”.
  • [fix]: email alert was sent even if it’s disabled for the alert rule.
  • If the client app is in Visible mode (Notify Users option is ON), the UI now does not cover part of the user’s screen. Instead of an always-on, on-screen badge, it will now just remind them daily with a system notifications and show an icon in tray. We encourage customers to switch the client app into Visible Mode, which helps protect employees’ privacy rights.
  • improved security: increased passwords complexity requirements.
  • improved support of high-DPI monitors, and multi-monitor setups with different DPI scaling (100%, 150%, etc.).
  • other fixes and improvements.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.8.2 Build 5613 (Mar 3, 2022)

  • [web console] Attendance PDF report – added total sessions duration for a user for the whole period of a report.
  • SoftActivity Monitor desktop app now supports rounded corners when running on Windows 11.
  • Fix: Internet browsing history log – on rare occasions website visit duration was incorrectly recorded as very long, sometimes longer than a day.
  • Don’t record website visits of less than one second.
  • [web console] fix: occasional error 500 when exporting PDF report from Dashboard. Email report was also not being sent sometimes.
  • [web console] An obsolete Chat view has been removed from the web console, since recording of chats has been previously discontinued.
  • Support of the latest versions of web browsers
  • Other fixes and improvements.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.7.2 Build 5501 (Nov 10, 2021)

  • SoftActivity is announcing the release of new version 12.7 of its user monitoring software, SoftActivity Monitor and TS Monitor, used by organizations for insider threat detection and employee productivity tracking.
  • SoftActivity Monitor adds support of Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022. Customers can now install Agent client app and Monitor on any version of Windows starting with 7.
  • SoftActivity TS Monitor adds supports of Windows Server 2022. Customers can now record user sessions on any version of Windows Server starting with 2008R2.
  • Other changes in version 12.7:
  • Agent (SoftActivity Monitor Client App) setup program is now more intuitive with more options and explanations in UI, allowing admin to install Agent in visible mode for monitored users, with on-screen warnings. On-screen warnings can turned Off and On in Monitor app later by the admin.
  • Silent installation from command line, and remote installation are still supported and will install Agent in hidden mode.
  • minor fixes and improvements, including support of the latest web browser versions.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.6.2 Build 5335 (Jun 12, 2021)

  • TS Monitor 12.6 has now switched version numbering to the same as Monitor, to better indicate inter-compatible versions. TS Monitor version prior to 12.6 was 6.5. Download multiple selected screenshots. Can be used to keep a copy of images as evidence, or for reporting purposes.
  • Improved quality and increased size of thumbnail images for screenshots.
  • Fix: PDF export of Attendance report filtered by a group did not work.
  • Fix: alerts counter will update in real time and a popup notifications should appear in browser for alerts.
  • Fix: errors on Top programs (now Applications) & Top websites (now Websites) views.
  • Numerous UI improvements in web console.
  • New command line option to force run cleanup of logs and screenshot files older than a set retention interval:
  • Sawebsrv.exe --cleanuplogs
  • Keylogger (keystrokes recording option) is now OFF by default for new installations to help protect users’ privacy. It can be enabled by the admin in Monitor app if your organization requires this.
  • Chat recording feature has been removed from the product since it only supported Skype, which is not widely used on business desktop computers anymore. Chat history in any messengers can be viewed on screenshots in web console – Applications view. Chat view still remains in web console to view old messages, and will be removed in the next version.
  • Other fixes and improvements
  • New Users Dashboard view in web console:
  • See all monitored users next to each other with the remote screen image, latest website and app.
  • It is similar to Dashboard view in Monitor desktop app, but this does not require installing the app.
  • Screens update close to real time, with around 1 min delay, depending on how often you set to take screenshots.
  • Does not require refreshing the web page manually.
  • Filter users by a group, last active time, name, and signed-in status.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.5.2 Build 5222 (Mar 18, 2021)

  • [web console] export of Attendance report: select a standard range of dates, such as last 7 days, etc. instead of just two dates.
  • Fix: [web console] export of Dashboard to PDF the same number of records as on screen. Previously was always 10.
  • Fix: [web console] export of Attendance to CSV had incorrect format of date and time for some records.
  • Fix: sometimes it failed to clean up old logs on the server.
  • Fix: remote Agent installation via PowerShell script failed.
  • Fix: updating Agents sometimes required Windows restart in the end.
  • Improved Powershell scripts to install & uninstall Agent remotely. See agentinstall-agent-remotely.ps1 and agentuninstall-agent-remotely.ps1
  • Dropped support of Windows Vista for security reasons. Minimum version supported now is Windows 7.
  • * if support of Win Vista is needed, we advice to continue using version 12.4 numerous other improvements and fixes in web console, desktop app and Agent.
  • [web console] added the following info into Attendance (also in PDF export and email reports) to help estimate employee productivity level:
  • Daily idle time (when a user is logged-in but inactive);
  • Idle percentage;
  • Number of typed keystrokes;
  • And average hourly keystrokes rate.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.4.2 Build 5091 (Dec 8, 2020)

  • New:
  • Idle time tracking. Attendance view in web console now shows idle intervals, i.e. for how long a user was away. This lets you track if employees are away from their computers, or actually working. Adjust the idle timeout in minutes in All Agents – Properties – Monitoring tab in Monitor app. Default idle timeout value is 5 minutes.
  • Attendance view in web console: Zoom to Sessions button to quickly switch to a work day, instead of manually selecting start & end times.
  • fix: [web console] clean up of old logs previously could take a lot of RAM on the server and fail.
  • other fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.3.2 Build 4919 (Jul 16, 2020)

  • Support of new versions 83+ of Microsoft Edge browser for internet tracking.
  • Fixed: broken remote screen view on some Win7 computers.
  • Minor fixes and improvements.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.2 Build 4852 (May 21, 2020)

  • Improved image quality of screenshots and remote screen view.
  • Reduced CPU and RAM usage by Agent, even further reducing Agent footprint on a monitored PC. It now uses GPU for hardware-accelerated image processing.
  • Fixed: occasional crashes in Agent (samimpl.exe) on some computers.
  • Fixed: in some rare cases, download-cache folder was growing on the server and taking a lot of hard drive space.
  • Fixed: black box on the screen on a monitored computer around the mouse cursor, when users connect to their workstation remotely via RDP.
  • Minor: brought back an option to capture screenshots even when a user is idle, which allows recording screen history of idle computers.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.1 Build 4714 (Feb 6, 2020)

  • Desktop app:
  • New: shows estimated space required for screenshots, at the bottom of Screen tab.
  • Improved IntelliSnap smart mode of taking screenshots based on users actions.
  • New: Copy and Paste buttons in Agent Properties on Privacy and Files tabs in the lists, for easier editing of long lists.
  • New: added Japanese localization of the software thanks to our new partner in Japan, Technoblest
  • A lot of improvements and minor fixes
  • New: Change screenshots capture frequency in Agent Properties – Screen tab
  • Admin can adjust how often screenshots are recorded.
  • Reduced storage space requirement on the server, compared to the previous versions.
  • Admin can increase frequency for some users if more detailed logs are required.
  • Web console:
  • New: added Keystrokes column to CSV export.
  • Multiple bug fixes and improvements.
  • New: added Japanese localization (switch languages in bottom right corner)

New in SoftActivity Monitor 12.0 Build 4488 (Jul 22, 2019)

  • Admin can create a list of private apps and websites.
  • SoftActivity will NOT record screen copies, typed keystrokes and window name for private apps and websites.
  • It will only record a fact and duration of usage for private apps.
  • Edit Private apps list in Agent Properties – Privacy tab for All Agents or on individual level. By default, it’s populated with popular financial websites and password managers.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 11.8 Build 4277 (Jan 25, 2019)

  • Improvements in version 11.8:
  • New:
  • Multi-select in Agents list. Select multiple computers in the list and drag them to a group or dashboard, delete them, or right click and perform other actions: as assign to a group, send a message, shut down selected computers, etc. This could previously be done only with one Agent at a time.
  • Search in Agents list. Click Search or press Ctrl+F in Agents list.
  • Agent update is now optional in some releases. For example, current version 11.8 of Monitor supports previous version 11.7 of Agents and does not require an update. (To force update of Agents manually, right click any Agent and click Update/Repair Agent, select Do this for all computers check box)
  • Fix: incorrect duration displayed in Top Programs and Top Websites in webapp if longer than 24 hours.
  • Other fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 11.6 Build 4146 (Dec 4, 2018)

  • Product name has now been changed to SoftActivity Monitor from Activity Monitor, in order to be more recognizable and include our brand. It’s a maintenance release that includes a number of important optimizations and fixes. Upgrade is recommended to all users.
  • Performance improvements and optimizations in Agent
  • View attachment names on Email tab in real time monitoring window in the console app;
  • Minor fixes

New in SoftActivity Monitor 11.5 Build 4047 (Jun 28, 2018)

  • View reports on your phone, if it’s connected to the local network, or if your webapp is installed on an Internet facing server and served via HTTPS;
  • Improved: reduced storage space requirements on the customer’s server for storing screenshots. IntelliSnap mode now records 20-50% less screenshots, will avoid some duplicates, but without missing any important actions by a user;
  • Improved: deleting a user in the web console now deletes their screenshots as well to save hard drive space. You can delete a user with all their data in Admin Panel – Monitored Users tab – User
  • Improved: support of slow network speed for connection with Agent, down to 8KB/s or slower, that may be the case for remote users connected via VPN. Previously slow connections could be dropped and it would not download logs;
  • Uninstaller: added option to remove the data folder, in order to free drive space;
  • Improved: show correct icon and application name for Windows Store Apps;
  • Fix: removed Keystrokes field from CSV format export, since it was breaking CSV format;
  • Numerous improvements and fixes
  • Discontinued support Windows XP by Agent. Users with Windows XP are advised to upgrade to Windows 10 or continue using Activity Monitor version 11.2 (the last version that supports it).
  • New: Alerts triggered by user actions:
  • Admin can create a set of alert rules in the web console. If a user breaks a rule, their manager or the admin will get an instant alert;
  • A number of useful pre-defined alert rules are supplied with the system, such as social media websites, files copied to USB, so you can start getting some alerts right out of the box, and start adjusting those rules;
  • Alerts can be based on: visited websites, used applications, typed trigger words (keystrokes), or file operations;
  • Alerts are displayed in the web console and optionally can be sent by email. Alert emails are not sent less than 5 minutes apart, to prevent “alert fatigue”. This interval can be adjusted in settings, in order to receive quicker alerts or to get less emails;
  • In order to start receiving alerts by email, an admin needs to enter SMTP server details in the web console’s Admin Panel. SMTP is used by the system for sending emails securely. Also the admin and managers need to go to Edit Account and enter their name and email address, and make sure “I want to receive alerts by email” check box is on;
  • Managers can see what exactly action by a user has triggered an alert and see screenshots of the violation;
  • New Alerts page allows you to see all alerts (policy violations) in the system and filter them by users, computers, and days interval.
  • New: Complete redesign of the web console with improved user interface:
  • Fits more information on the screen and is easier to navigate.
  • Mobile friendly design: better support of mobile browsers on phones/tablets.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 11.2 Build 3927 (Mar 29, 2018)

  • Improved: support of the latest versions of Chrome browser for Internet recording, which stopped working since Chrome v65;
  • Improved: support of new Skype Windows Store App for chat recording;
  • Fix: screenshots missing in web console for some monitored computers. After applying this update, most screenshots should be downloaded and will appear in the web console. Refresh the web browser;
  • Fix: improved stability and performance of SalogSrv service (Activity Monitor Server, responsible for downloading logs and screenshots from Agents);
  • Fix: export to Excel (CSV format) in correct encoding for non-English characters;
  • Other fixes and improvements.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 11.1 Build 3819 (Jan 13, 2018)

  • New features and improvements in version 11.1:
  • new: web console: export Dashboard to HTML with company-wide computer usage statistics;
  • new: support of the latest Firefox version 57 for recording of Internet history;
  • new: full screen view of screenshots in web console. Previously screenshots were sometimes hard to see on computers with low resolution since an image was small. Click Full Screen button when viewing a screenshot.
  • improved: keystrokes are now recorded in Windows Store-type of applications in Windows 10. Previously only desktop applications were recorded.
  • improved: user sessions recording for Attendance report is now more reliable. Will record even a previous logon before Agent has been installed. Previously sometimes logons were not recorded. Also shows Remote Client name and IP for RDP sessions;
  • improved: web console: long values that don’t fit into a column are now shown in tooltips;
  • improved: substantially reduced CPU usage by Activity Monitor Server (SalogSrv service). Previously could use up to 100% CPU in some configurations with a lot of computers;
  • fix: web console: list of users and computers on the left side is now correctly sorted;
  • fix: web console: email message bodies were not shown on Email tab in IE browser;
  • fix: Attendance report: short sessions that are just few minutes long were not displayed;
  • fix: ability to install a standalone webapp server component without admin console app;
  • other minor improvements and fixes in web console and desktop console application;

New in SoftActivity Monitor 11.0 Build 3696 (Sep 28, 2017)

  • SoftActivity is excited to announce a major update of Activity Monitor, a leading user monitoring software for companies. New version 11.0 of Activity Monitor is now officially available.
  • Now it includes completely new Web Console for viewing logs and reports in a web browser. Admins and supervisors in your organization can easily and securely access logs in any web browser without installing Log Viewer application. Activity Monitor now uses PostgreSQL, a high-performance enterprise-class database server, for storing logs. Performance and storage capacity are now much improved compared to previous versions.
  • New features and improvements in version 11.0:
  • new: SoftActivity Web Console for viewing reports, logs and screenshots in web browser. Web Console features:»Dashboard with company-wide stats of computer usage: top used programs, websites, most active users, etc.
  • track users Attendance. View user sessions daily with log in/log off time, duration, top programs and more;
  • access control: accounts for multiple supervisors/managers with limited access only for viewing certain users or groups. Admins can view all users and manage access;
  • view screenshots timeline of all actions and browse full size screenshots like a slide show; save a screenshot as .jpg file;
  • you can still view all the same reports as previously in Log Viewer application: programs, Internet history, files, email, chat, etc.
  • export reports to Excel (CSV) or HTML for further printing or saving as PDF;
  • filter the reports by dates, users, user groups or computers;
  • search all reports;
  • Web console is installed on-premise on a customer’s server (or a computer);
  • SoftActivity Log Viewer/Reports desktop application is still included for viewing old logs from previous versions, but now has a legacy status. To view the old database click View menu – Open Legacy Central Log DB. Old data is not automatically transferred to the new web console;
  • new: now using PostgreSQL high-performance and free database for storing logs from all computers. Database server is included in Activity Monitor installation package and runs on premise on a customer’s server.
  • new: completely new remote installer for Agent that can deploy Agent application to multiple computers at once:»select computers for installation from Active Directory, network or a list in clipboard;
  • quickly and silently deploy Agent on all selected computers with one click and start monitoring them right away;
  • Domain Admin or similar user rights are still required for remote installation of Agent;
  • view installation progress and detailed error messages with recommendations in case of failed installations;
  • imports groups (OU) from Active Directory into Agent list:
  • new: integration with SoftActivity TS Monitor for terminal servers. Combine logs from workstations and Terminal servers and view the reports in one place in the new SoftActivity web console. To achieve this point both products to the same database in PostgreSQL;
  • new: to improve reliability of recording, Agent’s SamSvc service automatically restarts daily;
  • support of latest updates in Windows 10, including Creators Update;
  • support of latest versions of Edge and Opera browsers for Internet recording;
  • support of Windows Server 2016 by Activity Monitor Server and console;
  • fix: sometimes Agent goes offline and connection to the remote computer is lost until restart of the remote computer;
  • improved compatibility with antivirus products. Remote installation and update of Agent now use Agent’s folder for extracting temporary files. Previously for some anti-viruses WindowsTemp folder had to be excluded;
  • multiple fixes and improvements in reliability and security;
  • removed support of legacy Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 by Activity Monitor console. Agent still supports monitoring of Windows XP computers.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 10.5 Build 3305 (Oct 7, 2016)

  • IMPROVEMENTS:
  • fix: problems downloading logs from some computers (related to “heartbeat” error in debug log)
  • improved: notify the administrator when problems downloading logs by SalogSrv service have been detected in Windows Event Log
  • support of the latest browsers versions
  • other minor fixes and improvements
  • new: DASHBOARD with live tiles that show screens of remote computers next to each other:
  • drag any computers, any group, or from the list to Dashboard to see their screens
  • click any computer on Dashboard to go to full screen monitoring window for detailed monitoring
  • drag Dashboard tab to a separate monitor and constantly keep an eye on all computers, like with a surveillance camera
  • easily scroll the Dashboard to see up to hundreds of computers

New in SoftActivity Monitor 10.4 Build 3202 (Jul 6, 2016)

  • Improvements in the new version 10.4:
  • improved: update of Agents now should not require computer restart in most cases and should be much faster;
  • new: records Rename file operation with the names before and after;
  • new: records the source and destination folders for Move file operation;
  • improved accuracy of time tracking for visited websites;
  • new: notify the administrator when logs are not being downloaded because of SalogSrv service stopped;
  • fix: in some cases, mouse pointer was blinking in the monitoring window;
  • improved support of computers with host names containing non-English characters;
  • new: support of Dutch UI language in Skype;
  • fix: Delete file operation was not being recorded on Windows 10;
  • fix: sometimes cleanup of old records in Central Log Database did not work;
  • removed recording of legacy unsecured POP3/SMTP protocol and chat in Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, ICQ and IRC. Outlook and Skype are still fully supported. This improves the program’s overall stability, performance and compatibility;
  • new: added PowerShell scripts to install/uninstall Agent remotely. Look for .ps1 files in Activity MonitorAgent folder or click Install Agent->Locate Agent Installer. Makes it easier for administrators to manager large deployments of Agents in their Windows Domain.
  • improved: switched to using DNS name as a computer name instead of a legacy NetBIOS name limited to 15 characters;
  • support of the latest browsers versions;
  • other minor fixes and stability improvements;

New in SoftActivity Monitor 10.3 (Jul 6, 2016)

  • Improvements in Activity Monitor 10.3:
  • new: redesigned screenshot stamp with user name and date/time that does not cover window caption
  • improved screenshots of mouse clicks. Now records whole window instead of small rectangle around the click point;
  • improved Agents update: progress of update is shown on Agent icon; shows notification if the remote computer restart is required to finish updating;
  • improved: support of non-English characters in host names of remote computers;
  • improved: clean up empty screenshot folders when cleaning up old log;
  • fix: possible duplication of Agents in the list;
  • new: support of Hungarian language in Skype;
  • improved: application files are now digitally signed with SHA256 in addition to SHA1 for improved security;
  • support of the latest versions of browsers, IM and email clients;
  • other improvements, fixes and security enhancements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 10.2 Build 2866 (Jan 4, 2016)

  • We are glad to announce the release of Activity Monitor version 10.2 with full support of Microsoft’s new Window 10. Activity Monitor now records Internet history in new Edge browser, user’s activity in store-style apps and more.
  • NEW FEATURES:
  • improved support of high-DPI monitors and systems with different per-monitor DPI settings
  • support of new Outlook 2016 for email recording
  • other improvements and fixes
  • official support of Windows 10, including:
  • recording of new Windows Store apps;
  • recording of Internet history in new Edge browser;

New in SoftActivity Monitor 10.1 Build 2795 (Jul 29, 2015)

  • Tear off a monitoring tab and move it to another monitor, like tabs in popular browsers. You can do this by dragging a tab and dropping it outside the main window. You can also drop the tab inside the main window to split it and display 2 or more computers next to each other (Watch Video);
  • Refresh Screen button has been re-added due to requests by our customers. It was previously removed in version 10.0;
  • Tested with Windows 10 Preview. Official support is to be announced upon Windows 10 release;
  • fix: recording of Outlook on Windows XP machines was broken a few versions ago;
  • A number of fixes and stability improvements;

New in SoftActivity Monitor 10.0 Build 2711 (May 25, 2015)

  • New and improved network communications system:
  • connects to all computers in the list at once;
  • improved stability of network communications;
  • support of IPv6 in addition to IPv4;
  • performance improvements, taking full advantage of multi-core CPUs; can connect to more than 1000 computers in the list;
  • now asks for Agent password just once, can use Activity Monitor main password for connection to Agents;
  • no more computers with a lock icon in the list;
  • ability to specify custom TCP port for Agent. This allows you to setup NAT port forwarding to monitor computers behind a router. To set a custom port:
  • on the monitored computer open regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SoftActivity;
  • create registry value “agentport” of type DWORD;
  • enter port number. can be set to any number from 81 to 65535. Default port is 15163. We recommend custom ports 15165, 15166, 15167,…
  • in Activity Monitor open Agent Properties and enter port number in host:port format
  • Groups of Agents with inheritance of settings:
  • organize a huge list of Agents by hierarchical groups. Drag Agents and groups to organize;
  • change monitoring settings for a group once and they will apply to all Agents in the group;
  • perform actions on a group of computers;
  • Operating mode for Activity Monitor:
  • 1st mode is Server and Management Console. This is the main mode with all functionality available. It should be selected only on one server or computer with Activity Monitor where Central Log Database is stored.
  • 2nd mode is Monitoring Console. Only live monitoring and viewing of the database. This is a simplified mode with limited functionality. User cannot make any changes to Agents settings, download logs, install/uninstall Agents, etc. Select this mode when installing Activity Monitor on other managers’ computers. You can select the database path from the server via shared folders for viewing;
  • you can select an operating mode when installing Activity Monitor or change it later in Options;
  • to switch Activity Monitor mode, user requires Administrator permissions on the computer;
  • Service for downloading logs that works in Server mode:
  • downloads logs and screenshots constantly in background from all computers. No need to setup download schedule anymore or download logs manually;
  • download performance improved 5+ times. Can easily download logs from hundreds of computers on one server;
  • logs appear in the database with just a few minutes delay from real time; Just press Refresh in Log Viewer to see the latest reports and screenshots;
  • service name in Windows Services for Activity Monitor server is: SalogSrv
  • Turn off un-needed monitored events both in live view and for Central Log Database in Agent Properties -> Monitoring tab in Server mode. For example, disabling Keystrokes once for All Agents group will disable recording of keystrokes on all computers at once;
  • Turn off Search for new Agents in the network in Options (screenshot). This allows a manager to setup a list of computers from their department and then turn off search to avoid finding computers from other departments. Managers from different departments can keep individual lists of computers they monitor independently.
  • improved: now supports non-default accounts and IMAP email accounts in Outlook, that were not previously recorded;
  • fix: some computers with Agent and Outlook connected to Exchange were showing authentication popup window on startup;
  • support of the latest versions of browsers, IM and email clients;
  • screen tab moved to the first position in a monitoring window;
  • numerous improvements and fixes

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.8 Build 2410 (Oct 9, 2014)

  • fix: Internet history and Outlook email could stop recording on some computers after a random interval of time
  • added support of recent versions of Internet browsers and Skype
  • fixed possible Heartbleed vulnerability by switching to the latest version of OpenSSL
  • minor fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.7 Build 2275 (May 23, 2014)

  • new: if Activity Monitor password is set, it is used for connection to Agents by default. Set the same password in Activity Monitor Options - General tab and for Agents to avoid entering passwords multiple times
  • improved: if Agent password is not set, Activity Monitor will not ask you for a password. Warning! It's highly not recommended to install Agent without a password
  • improved: now can record multiple events on Programs tabs at the same second, as time resolution increased from seconds to milliseconds
  • fix: when updating Activity Monitor from version 6.5 or earlier, Agent password was lost

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.6 Build 2186 (Apr 11, 2014)

  • new: improvements in our IntelliSnap technology of screen recording:
  • new: record screenshots of mouse clicks
  • new: record a screenshot of every typed word
  • new: live view of a remote screen now updates more in real time, almost like a video
  • new: restart of remote computers is not required anymore when updating or uninstalling Agent in most cases (Starting from the next update on top of this version)
  • new: monitored users now have an ability to move the optional warning window from a default top right corner of the screen
  • fix: on some monitored computers with Windows XP was showing user SYSTEM and not recording any activity
  • fix: sometimes Skype messages were recorded with duplicates
  • support of the latest versions of browsers and messengers
  • minor fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.5 Build 2111 (Jan 9, 2014)

  • new: improved support of latest versions of Chrome browser
  • new: support of latest version of Skype
  • minor fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.4 Build 2003 (Oct 5, 2013)

  • new: support of Windows 8.1. We recommend to install this version of Activity Monitor and Agents before upgrading your computers to Windows 8.1
  • fix: crashes when downloading logs
  • important fix: version 8.4 build 1981 contained a critical bug: after uninstalling Agent on a monitored computer repair of Windows could be required. Do not uninstall the previous version 8.4. Download and install this new version on top to apply the fix.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.3 (Oct 5, 2013)

  • improved: support for web browsing history recording in new version 29 of Google Chrome browser
  • fix: fixed an error message in Windows Live Mail
  • minor fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.2 (Oct 5, 2013)

  • new: Brazilian Portuguese user interface localization added
  • new: added Login/Logoff information to export from Central Log Database
  • fix: no screenshots displayed in SoftActivity Reports - Top Programs tab if path contains non-English characters
  • minor fixed and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.1 Build 1775 (Jun 12, 2013)

  • new: Added Clear button to remove filter by program/website on Screenshots tab in SoftActivity Reports Viewer
  • new: Added Next/Previous buttons on Screenshots tab in SoftActivity Reports Viewer to navigate screenshots easier
  • new: Polish localization added. Thanks to our Polish reseller SIRTOM
  • new: Japanese localization added. Thanks to our distributor in Japan NETTOOL
  • new: Copy to clipboard menu command added on all tabs in SoftActivity Reports viewer. You can copy the report as a table to Word or Excel, for example
  • new: Go to Screenshots menu command added in Top Programs and Top Websites tabs in SoftActivity Reports
  • new: Download Logs from All Computers button opens a separate window that shows download progress. It will download logs from all computers in the list, not just connected ones as previously
  • fix: improved reliability of logs download process
  • minor fixes and improvements
  • build 1775, April 2013) fix: some email messages not recorded
  • build 1775, April 2013) fix: error message when user logs in on Windows 8 (64-bit) with Outlook installed
  • build 1775, April 2013) fix: characters typed with AltGr (in languages such as Polish) were not recorded

New in SoftActivity Monitor 8.0 (Jun 12, 2013)

  • new: support of Windows 8 (except Windows RT on ARM based CPU)
  • records usage of Windows Store Apps
  • records visited websites in Internet Explorer store app
  • both the monitoring console and Agent support Windows 8 and run as a desktop app
  • monitoring console supports Windows Server 2012
  • new: Auto cleanup of Central Logs Database. Select a number of days/months you want to keep in Options - Database tab. Older data and screenshots will be deleted automatically to save disk space.
  • new: support of 64-bit edition of Outlook for email recording. Added support of Outlook 2013
  • Fixes since version 7.0:
  • fix: errors with downloading of logs and screenshots. Some screenshots could be missing in central logs DB.
  • fix: Dates filter panel disappears in SoftActivity Reports sometimes when there is an invalid date found in the database
  • other numerous fixes and optimizations

New in SoftActivity Monitor 7.0 (Jun 12, 2013)

  • new: View screenshots in sync with reports in Central Logs Database:
  • select a program and view all screenshots for this program in Top Programs report
  • select a website and view a history of screenshots taken during visits of this website in Top Websites report
  • view screenshots at the bottom of the screen as you navigate through history of used programs, emails, chats, etc.
  • double click a screenshot thumbnail in the bottom panel to view it full size
  • zoom in/out screenshots, view as slide show
  • recommended setting now is to take screenshots from active window only instead of full desktop. It is now default
  • new: View History button added in every tab in the Monitoring window that opens Central Log Database for this computer and user
  • new: screenshots from remote computers are now downloaded together with logs. Get Agent Screenshots command removed. Click Get Agent Log instead
  • new: Options - Location tab: removed folders for screenshots and exports. Screenshots are now stored in the Central Log Database folder under \SCR subfolder
  • new: Improved compatibility with antivirus products. Now it's easy to exclude Agent folder from scans in your antivirus to avoid any positive detection with future updates of your antivirus product
  • Fixes since version 6.5:
  • fix: database conversion error on some computers: "error in statement near s"
  • fix: Activity Monitor crashed on some computers when monitored PC's IP address changes
  • fix: Adobe Reader hanged on some computers with Agent installed resulting in user unable to open PDF files
  • fix: compatibility issue with Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus caused extremely slow file downloads and copying
  • fix: rare crashes when displaying some HTML email messages
  • fix: on some monitored computers Administrator users could find recorded screenshots by searching for jpg files in Windows
  • improved: support of more than 65K rows for export to Excel 2007 or newer
  • fix: error message on computers with MS Outlook 2010 64-bit about no default email client

New in SoftActivity Monitor 6.5.2 Build 1215 (Dec 7, 2011)

  • new: Documents security: records file operations on all types of drives: local, network, removable. Select monitored folders and change other settings in Agent Properties on Files tab
  • new: recognizes external hard drives as removable and records file operations on such drives connected via USB or Firewire 1394 interface
  • new: export File operations report to Excel
  • new: added "Do not restart remote computer" option for installation of Agent update. Note: will work only for future updates. During update to this version remote computers may still restart to finish installation. It's recommended to update Agent when users are not at their computers
  • new: improved and most reliable keystrokes recording algorithm, especially on 64-bit Windows editions
  • new: correctly records group chats in Skype
  • new: grouped display in Reports Viewer that is easier to read (no duplicate lines)
  • new: Next/Previous buttons in Agent Properties window for quick navigation between Agents. Makes it easy to view and change settings for multiple Agents
  • new: (minor) Ability to start Activity Monitor minimized to system tray (notification area). To do it: open Activity Monitor shortcut Properties in Start menu or on your Desktop, select Run: Minimized instead of Normal Window; in Activity Monitor Options select Minimize to system tray check box,
  • fix: email messages in KOI-8 (Russian) encoding are displayed correctly
  • fix: chat in Windows Live Messenger sometimes was not recorded
  • fix: minor fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 6.0 Build 1148 (Oct 25, 2011)

  • Stealth mode: no processes in Task Manager and no filed on hard drive

New in SoftActivity Monitor 6.0 Build 936 (May 5, 2011)

  • Completely stealth. Agent now works invisibly even for advanced users. There is no process in Tasks Manager, no Windows service and no files visible on hard drive for monitored users. No SoftActivity\AmSys folder in Program Files anymore on monitored computers
  • File operations tracking support on 64-bit Windows editions (32-bit systems were supported since version 5.7)
  • Support of Skype 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 for text chat recording
  • NoKeys command line parameter to turn off Keystrokes tab in monitoring window. (Requested by users who don't wish to view keystrokes typed by employees)
  • Now records keystrokes in elevated processes (Run As Admin) on Windows 7/Vista
  • Better handling of IP address changes by DHCP
  • Occasional duplication of Agents in the list
  • Occasional problems when monitoring window remained in "Connecting" state but could not connect to Agent
  • Filter by custom dates in Log Viewer did not work correctly if single day was selected
  • Other fixes and minor improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.7 Build 781 (Jan 13, 2011)

  • new: Documents security: record file operations on removable drives (Only on 32-bit Windows. 64-bit support is coming soon). Allows to track files potentially stolen on flash drives or external HDD's. View results on Files tab in Log Viewer
  • new:chat recording support for Skype v.5
  • new:chat recording support of Windows Live Messenger 2011
  • new:express installation of updates with less setup pages
  • new: command line parameter /forceconnect to connect to all computers on startup. It will display currently logged on user in Agents List when it's in Details mode
  • fixes and minor improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.6 Build 691 (Oct 28, 2010)

  • fix: in Internet log for IE browser page title sometimes was recorded from another tab or browser window
  • improved compatibility with antivirus products
  • fix: scrolling on Email panel was slow for large emails
  • new: Duration column for visited websites in HTML export
  • more minor fixes

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.5 Build 587 (Aug 26, 2010)

  • new: recording of Microsoft Exchange email sent/received in Outlook
  • new: recording of secure POP3/SMTP email sent/received in Outlook (previously only non-secure was supported)
  • new: recording IMAP email in Outlook
  • new: collect of Agent logs feature now uses Windows Scheduled Tasks. This allows for unattended downloads of logs and screenshots, i.e. when Activity Monitor is not open.
  • new: Agent in Aware Mode (when you want to inform users about monitoring) displays semi-transparent warning window in the top-right corner of the screen

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.4 Build 495 (May 28, 2010)

  • new: recording of Skype instant messages; both sides of conversations
  • new: recording of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) chat; both sides of conversations
  • new: collect recordings from Agents by schedule without keeping Activity Monitor running
  • new: View Screenshots button that allows to view all screenshots recorded for a selected computer
  • new: view Agent screenshots one by one or as a slide show
  • improved: no flickering of Agents list when connected to a machine with Activity Monitor via Remote Desktop
  • fix: unable to type accented characters in Firefox on Winodws XP/2000 with Agent

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.3 Build 432 (Apr 15, 2010)

  • new: added user interface languages:
  • Italian
  • French
  • Russian
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • Turkish
  • improved: added Duration field for visited websites in export to Excel and CSV file
  • fix: error message "The parameter is incorrect" when installing/updating Agent from Windows 2000 computer
  • fix: minor fixes and improvements

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.2 Build 361 (Feb 26, 2010)

  • new: check for updates command in Help menu. Option to automatically check for updates weekly.
  • new: automatic update of Agents to the version of Activity Monitor. Agent since version 5.2 will support automatic updates for future versions. Agents still need to be updated to version 5.2 using regular installation method as before
  • new: Update/Repair Agent command that reinstalls Agent on the remote computer to fix problems with missing files etc.
  • new: monitoring of Guest user accounts in Windows is supported now
  • improved: saves network traffic by stopping update of screen view for invisible tabs

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.1 Build 302 (Jan 16, 2010)

  • fixed: remote Agent installation was in some cases installing Agent of previous version causing this error in Activity Monitor: Agent of old version is found on the computer XXX
  • improved: faster start of Agent service SamSvc
  • fixed: on computers with imaged systems Agent ID was not unique resulting in duplicating of computers in Activity Monitor's list
  • fixed: sometimes error 0xC000041 appeared on Win XP computers with Agent during system shutdown

New in SoftActivity Monitor 5.0 Build 283 (Jan 8, 2010)

  • new: secure connection between Monitor and Agents using SSL. All monitoring data is securely
  • encrypted for network transfer
  • new: redesigned architecture that makes the software more reliable, secure, scalable,
  • and easier to add new features in future
  • new: more than one Monitor can connect to the same Agent computer and simultaneously watch
  • activity in real time
  • new: ability to connect to a remote computer when no user is logged on. Screen tab
  • will show a logon screen. You can use such commands as Turn Off, Restart Computer,
  • Transfer Files from Agent, Change password
  • new: download logs when no user is logged on to monitored computers. If a user logs off
  • from Windows at the end of the day before leaving, Monitor can still download logs and
  • screenshots
  • new: filter in Agents list view: Show Only Online Agents/Only Offline/Show All
  • new: improved reliability of Agent service. If monitoring process stops due to crash
  • it will restart automatically and monitoring continues
  • new: full usage of multi core capabilities of modern CPUs for improved performance and UI
  • responsiveness
  • new: Agent uses less memory (RAM) and CPU resources
  • new: Agent uses only one TCP port #15163 and one UDP port #15164 for communications.
  • This makes it easier to setup firewall exceptions. In firewall rule for Agent allow
  • all network activity for amsvc.exe process. Such rule is created automatically in Windows
  • Firewall during setup
  • new: support of Google Chrome browser for Internet monitoring
  • new: collecting recordings in Activity Monitor from remote computers silently in background
  • without popping up Download progress window
  • new: uninstall Agent remotely on any OS and not dependant on what user is logged on
  • new: support of Windows 7
  • new: view user activity in remote desktop (RDP) sessions on the monitored computer. This
  • means you can now monitor even when user logs in to his office computer remotely from home.
  • new: monitored users can not see files with recordings. There are no access rights to
  • files with recordings that are temporarily kept on their computers
  • new: view logon screen of the remote PC when no user is logged on
  • new: Licensing change: now the license is required also for computers where monitoring part of
  • the software is installed, i.e. for manager's PC. For example, to monitor 10 employee computers
  • by 2 managers from their computers an organization needs 12 computers license

New in SoftActivity Monitor 4.41 Build 2252 (Jun 4, 2009)

  • Logs encryption;
  • Top visited webistes report

New in SoftActivity Monitor 4.41 (Feb 20, 2009)

  • fixed: sometimes user actions were not recorded after fast user switching on Windows XP
  • fixed: incorrect fields shown in the bottom part on Email tab in Reports Viewer
  • fixed: Agent Description field was always getting replaced with computer name
  • fixed: Computers could show up as offline in some situations in a network with Windows Domain
  • fixed: Agent Log not recording on computers with international versions of Windows containing non-English characters in "Application Data" folder name
  • fixed: Agent log not recording if no Agent password is set

New in SoftActivity Monitor 4.4 (Aug 14, 2008)

  • new: Log Viewer: Top Websites report that shows a list of most visited websites per user
  • new: Log Viewer: Search reports on current tab and all tabs
  • new: Log Viewer: Filter by date range: today, yesterday, custom range, etc.
  • new: Log Viewer: Report tables are divided by days
  • new: improved security - password protected and encrypted Central Log Database (strong AES encryption) Set strong Activity Monitor password to have database securely encrypted
  • new: improved security - logs stored on monitored computers are strongly encrypted
  • new: improved security - list of Agents is stored in encrypted format, icnluding remembered Agents passwords
  • improved: improved security - password protected login to Activity Monitor
  • new: IntelliSnap technology for Screenshots. Activity Monitor takes screenshots based on user actions and not just every few seconds, like in previous versions. This advanced technology allows you to view remote screen in near live mode without using much network traffic
  • new: export/import of Agents list. Copy a list with all Agent settigs to Activity Monitor on other user account or computer
  • new: view list of open Applications or all Processes in monitoring window similar to Tasks Manager
  • new: Applications tab shows program icons
  • new: wizard to manage Central Log Database. Move database or select new file
  • new: recording of web pages visit duration
  • new: Agent works as Windows service now for improved security and reliability
  • new: support of Windows Server 2008 added
  • improved: select what data to export in Log Viewer (web pages, emails, etc.)
  • improved: Agent List tooltips have an updated look
  • fixed: unreadable characters in e-mails with different encodings
  • fixed: unreadable characters in AIM and ICQ chat clients in some languages
  • fixed: mouse pointer disapearing in Monitor when users type text on the remote computers
  • available only in English language. For multi-language user intface of Activity Monitor download previous version 4.3. Next version will be multi-lingual.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 4.3 (Aug 12, 2008)

  • New: Log Viewer: Top Websites report that shows a list of most visited websites per user
  • New: Log Viewer: Search reports on current tab and all tabs
  • New: Log Viewer: Filter by date range: today, yesterday, custom range, etc.
  • New: Log Viewer: Report tables are divided by days
  • New: improved security - password protected and encrypted Central Log Database (strong AES encryption) Set strong Activity Monitor password to have database securely encrypted
  • New: improved security - logs stored on monitored computers are strongly encrypted
  • New: improved security - list of Agents is stored in encrypted format, icnluding remembered Agents passwords
  • Improved: improved security - password protected login to Activity Monitor
  • New: IntelliSnap technology for Screenshots. Activity Monitor takes screenshots based on user actions and not just every few seconds, like in previous versions. This advanced technology allows you to view remote screen in near live mode without using much network traffic
  • New: export/import of Agents list. Copy a list with all Agent settigs to Activity Monitor on other user account or computer
  • New: view list of open Applications or all Processes in monitoring window similar to Tasks Manager
  • New: Applications tab shows program icons
  • New: wizard to manage Central Log Database. Move database or select new file
  • New: recording of web pages visit duration
  • New: Agent works as Windows service now for improved security and reliability
  • New: support of Windows Server 2008 added
  • Improved: select what data to export in Log Viewer (web pages, emails, etc.)
  • Improved: Agent List tooltips have an updated look
  • Fixed: unreadable characters in e-mails with different encodings
  • Fixed: unreadable characters in AIM and ICQ chat clients in some languages
  • Fixed: mouse pointer disapearing in Monitor when users type text on the remote computers
  • Available only in English language. For multi-language user intface of Activity Monitor download previous version 4.3. Next version will be multi-lingual.

New in SoftActivity Monitor 4.2 Build 2173 (Oct 2, 2007)

  • new: Activity Monitor keylogger supports most international keyboard layouts now! Our keylogger records, in addition to English keystrokes, any characters in Asian languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and recognizes accented characters in such languages as German, Spanish and Portuguese, for example.
  • new: Keystrokes tab in real time monitoring shows program and window name where text has been typed.
  • new: saving of keystrokes tab in .rtf format with preserved colors and fonts
  • improved: update of large Agents list does not take much CPU and does not freeze Activity Monitor. This allows to work with lists of computers as large as several hundreds.
  • improved: naming of computers in list. Agent name in list renamed into Description. Computer name, host name or IP address is shown in list instead. To view description, switch to Details mode and enable this column. User can change only Description, and not Name.
  • new: "Don't resolve host names to IP addresses" setting in Activity Monitor Options. Allows to turn off resolving for the network setups where it resolves incorrectly. For example, in some types of VPN, all hostnames are resolved to the same IP address according to user reports
  • new: Quick Start tutorial has been included. Opens when Activity Monitor is started first time
  • new: support of different international encodings in emails. Activity Monitor will correctly display emails that use any international encoding
  • fixed: computers sometimes duplicated in list
  • fixed: Enter Agent Password command is not available for the remote computers in offline state
  • improved: scheduled collection of logs. Download windows do not pop up if Activity Monitor is minimized
  • fixed: users list in Log Viewer was empty in some cases
  • fixed: work time in applications was recorded incorrectly after system time change
  • improved: shows when active program opens new window or window caption changes. For example, it now records when programs open "Save As...", "Enter Password" window or web browser's title
  • changes for different websites
  • fixed: Log Viewer correctly shows activity for users/computer with names containing non-English characters

New in SoftActivity Monitor 4.0 build 2134 (Jun 22, 2007)

  • works on Windows Vista now; does not support Windows 98 anymore.
  • record email sent and received by users. Includes POP3/SMTP mail using email client software
  • new: record chat conversations in instant messengers. Supports MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo messenger, ICQ, IRC. Both sides of all conversations are recorded;
  • new format of log files
  • SoftActivity Log Viewer for viewing recorded logs
  • Central Log Database for keeping recordings from all computers in one location
  • Automatic collecting of logs and screenshots from all computers. Collection schedule can be adjusted.
  • Refreshed program look
  • improved support of international characters