SmokingGun.Net   Download Free Trial Version! - Product Summary - Product Detail - Quick Start Guide

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Getting Started

Getting Started

How soon can I get SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

SmokingGun.Net is available for immediate download.   You can purchase, download and install SmokingGun.Net within minutes.

Is SmokingGun.Net compatible with my computer? (top of page)

SmokingGun.Net is compatible with computers running Windows 2000, NT 4.0, and XP.

How do I download SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

Click here to download SmokingGun.Net.   Either save the setup file to your hard drive or run if from our server.

How do I install SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

Run the smokinggun_setup.exe file you downloaded.   This will launch the SmokingGun.Net installer.   Follow the steps in the installer and SmokingGun.Net will be installed on your machine.  Note that you must be logged on as an administrator to install SmokingGun.Net

My spyware monitoring software complains when I install SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

This is good because it means your spyware software is working properly.   SmokingGun.Net installs components that run automatically when your computer starts up - this is how SmokingGun.Net automatically records all activity without requiring you to start it every time the computer starts.   Typically your spyware protection software will give you the option of installing the component or not - for SmokingGun.Net to function properly you must allow its components to be installed.

How do I start using SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

SmokingGun.Net was designed to be extremely easy to use.   Most users simply install SmokingGun.Net with the default settings and let it start recording.   However, if you wish to change the way something works in SmokingGun.Net there are extensive configuration options available via the menu.

How do I uninstall SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

On most computers, go to the Control Panel and then to "Add or remove programs".   There will be an entry in the "Add or remove programs" dialog called "SmokingGun.Net" Click on this entry and follow the instructions to uninstall.

How do I register SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

Go to the Purchase page on this website.   Fill out the required information to make the purchase and within minutes and email wil be sent to you containing registration information.   Enter this information exactly as it appears in the SmokingGun.Net registration dialog and the product will be in Registered Mode.

What is the difference between Trial Mode and Registered Mode? (top of page)

When you first install SmokingGun.Net it will run in Trial Mode.   The only difference between Trial Mode and Registered Mode is that certain logs will not be viewable until SmokingGun.Net is registered.

How long will SmokingGun.Net run in Trial Mode? (top of page)

There is no limit on how long SmokingGun.Net will run in Trial Mode.

Using SmokingGun.Net

How do I schedule screen shots? (top of page)

Go to the Screen Shots menu item, and select Schedule Screen Shots.   The Schedule Screen Shots dialog allows you to schedule the time of day and interval in which to take screen shots.

How do I view log files from one of my employee's computer in my own office? (top of page)

Register for PC Sentinel's WEB ACCESS - it's free! Log files are then viewable through any broswer. You are responsible for adhering to all legal requirements concerning monitoring the actions of others.

Can I automatically delete old log files? (top of page)

Yes.   Go to the File menu item, then to Settings.   Within the "Manage SmokingGun.Net Log Files" section of the Settings dialog you can specify how long to keep log files before Smoking Gun automatically deletes them.

How do I stop other people from changing SmokingGun.Net settings? (top of page)

Go to the File menu item, then select Settings.   Within the Settings dialog there is a section called "Require Password to Launch SmokingGun.Net" Complete this section and SmokingGun.Net will require a password to launch.   Note that even though password protection is in place, all logging is still taking place.

How do I view different types of logs? (top of page)

Under the menu items is a window pane containing five buttons.   Clicking on one of these buttons shows the logs for that type of activity.   For example, clicking on "View Web Sites Visited" displays a list of web sites visited for the target day.

How do I turn off logging? (top of page)

In the menu items for the various types of logging there are provisions for turning off logging.   By defauly, all logging is enabled.

How do I delete recorded content? (top of page)

Open SmokingGun.Net and click on the "File" menu item and then "Manage Log Files".   A window will appear that lists log files for the different recording modes( IM, Web, App Usage, Web Usage, Keylog). Select the files to be deleted and click the "Delete" button.

Why are some screenshots all black? (top of page)

The most likely cause is a screen saver was running.   SmokingGun.Net does not capture the screen saver image, and views what would normally be on the desktop as being black.

How much memory do I need to install and operate SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

SmokingGun.Net requires a minimum of 64Mb of RAM.

Does SmokingGun.Net take up a lot of space on my hard drive? (top of page)

This depends on how you configure SmokingGun.Net and how actively the computer is used.   Screen shots take up the most memory.

Will SmokingGun.Net slow down my computer? (top of page)

No.   The user should notice no difference in the performance of the computer.

Can I use SmokingGun.Net with any internet connection? (top of page)

Yes.   SmokingGun.Net can be used regardless of the way you connect to the Internet.

Are SmokingGun.Net log files encrypted? (top of page)

Yes.   SmokingGun.Net log files can only be viewed with SmokingGun.Net The prevents unauthorized persons from either viewing the log files or tampering with them.

Privacy

Does SmokingGun.Net send your personal information to PC Sentinel Software or anyone else? (top of page)

Absolutely not.   SmokingGun.Net does meter license use, but this is limited to knowing how many machines a particular license has been used on.   Absolutely none of your personal information is sent anywhere by SmokingGun.Net.

Will people know they are being monitored by SmokingGun.Net when they use a computer with SmokingGun.Net installed on it? (top of page)

Only if choose to show a warning message when the computer starts up( go to the File Menu, then Settings, then check "Warn users at start-up SmokingGun.Net is installed").   Unless you choose this option SmokingGun.Net is entirely invisible to the user - SmokingGun.Net does not appear as an icon on your desktop, in the Windows system tray, and will not be revealed in your Windows task list.   However, by the terms of the License Agreement you are required to notify users SmokingGun.Net is installed on a machine they use and you are responsible for adhering to any legal requirements in your jurisdiction.

Can I install SmokingGun.Net on a computer owned by someone else? (top of page)

Unless you have the owner's written permission, this would be a violation of the License Agreement and prohibited.   Furthermore, you are responsible for adhering to all applicable laws and legal regulations concerning monitoring the actions of others.

Miscellaneous

Is SmokingGun.Net spyware? (top of page)

No.   Spyware is software that is a)installed without your knowledge and b) transmits personal information about you to a third party without your knowledge or consent.   SmokingGun.Net does neither of these things - obviously, you know you have installed SmokingGun.Net and SmokingGun.Net only stores log files on the computer it is installed on or on another computer selected by you.   SmokingGun.Net sends absolutely no personal information about you to any third party.

I'm not very good with computers.   Will I still be able to install SmokingGun.Net and use it properly? (top of page)

Absolutely.   We designed SmokingGun.Net to be so easy to use even novice PC users will have no problem install and using the software.   Simply download SmokingGun.Net and run the installer - that's all you have to do.   Once installed, SmokingGun.Net is actively recording every keystroke!

What are my payment options? (top of page)

Credit Card( Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Solo), Check, Cash.

Why are there no refunds? (top of page)

Aside from masking the contents of the log files, SmokingGun.Net is fully functional in Trial Mode.   This allows the user to use SmokingGun.Net for as long as they wish before purchasing the software.   However, once Registration occurs and we issue a Registration Key we have no way of guaranteeing SmokingGun.Net has been uninstalled once a refund has been made, so we cannot offer refunds.

Is SmokingGun.Net an Internet filtering system? (top of page)

No.   Internet filtering software scans incoming data and blocks it if it breaks certain predetermined usage rules.   Filter systems are also ineffective because they often block information that is useful and was not intended to be blocked.   SmokingGun.Net advanced internet monitoring software lets you witness captured screen shots of the actual websites visited and e-mails received.   You can review the internet activities of your spouse, partner, children and employees.

What types of activity does SmokingGun.Net record? (top of page)

Smoking Gun records web sites visited, takes screen shots, logs which applications were used, and records keystrokes and the window they were typed into.

If I already have an Internet Filtering system on my PC, can I still install SmokingGun.Net? (top of page)

Yes, and what's more, you can even run SmokingGun.Net and your Internet Filtering program at the same time.