Monitor VS

A secure, lightweight rust powered tool to track computer activity. It logs active window titles, counts keystrokes/mouse events, and takes smart, deduplicated screenshots. All logs are cryptographically signed to prevent tampering.

1. Installation

1. Download the latest release (Zip or Installer).
2. Run Monitor_VS_Setup_v0.5.1.exe.
3. SmartScreen Warning: If Windows says "Protected your PC", click More Info → Run Anyway.
4. Follow the prompts to install to C:\Program Files\Monitor VS.

2. How to Run

Basic Mode (Default)

Simply double-click the Productivity Monitor shortcut on your Desktop.

• Log Interval: Every 60 seconds.
• Screenshot Interval: Every 300 seconds.
• Note: The app runs silently in the background. To stop it, use Task Manager.

Advanced Mode (Custom Intervals)

To change the settings, you must run the application from the Command Line (CMD or PowerShell).

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
2. Navigate to the installation folder:

   cd "C:\Program Files\Monitor VS"

3. Run the monitor command with your desired flags:

   .\monitor_vs.exe monitor --log-interval 30 --screenshot-interval 300

   (This example logs every 30 seconds and takes a screenshot every 5 minutes.)

3. Verifying Logs

To ensure productivity_log.csv has not been edited manually, use the verify command via the terminal.

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
2. Navigate to the installation folder (if not already there):

   cd "C:\Program Files\Monitor VS"

3. Run the verification command:

   .\monitor_vs.exe verify

4. The application will scan the log file and the session key.

Output Meanings:

• ✅ LOG INTEGRITY VERIFIED: The file is authentic.
• ❌ INTEGRITY COMPROMISED: The file has been tampered with. The specific line number of the fake entry will be displayed.

4. Output Files

All data is stored in the installation directory:

• productivity_log.csv: The main activity log.
• screenshots/: Folder containing compressed JPEG screenshots.
• session.key: The cryptographic key used for signing logs.
  • ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Do not delete session.key, or you will lose the ability to verify past logs.

5. Troubleshooting

• Antivirus: If the file is deleted automatically, add an Exclusion in Windows Defender for C:\Program Files\Productivity Monitor.
• Black Screenshots: Banking apps, Netflix, and the Windows Lock Screen prevent screen capture for security reasons.