Troubleshooting - HT Work Focus FAQ

How to reset or change the access password

HT Work Focus isn’t blocking certain websites

I’m not receiving email reports

I can’t access the remote dashboard

How to stop users from bypassing HT Work Focus

My antivirus gives a false positive for HT Work Focus

HT Work Focus doesn’t respond to keyboard shortcuts

How to uninstall HT Work Focus

How to Reset or Change the Access Password

If you’ve forgotten your password, you can log in using a fallback method and then set a new one:

For the registered version: In the login window, enter your license key exactly as it was provided — with capital letters, dashes, and no space at the end.
For the trial version: Enter the default password trial2013 in the login window.
To set a new password after logging in, go to 'Menu → Set Password'.

More Information

How to access HT Work Focus HT Work Focus doesn’t respond to keyboard shortcuts

HT Work Focus isn’t blocking certain websites

If a website you expected to block is still accessible, there may be a few reasons. Please review the steps below to troubleshoot the issue.

1. Check the URL

The most common issue is that the website address on your Blocklist doesn’t exactly match the actual URL. For example, to block Gmail, you need to add mail.google.com — not gmail.com. Visit the website in your browser and copy the full URL from the address bar to avoid typos. Alternatively, you can find the site in Reports, click on it, and select Block Site.

2. Avoid extra prefixes

We recommend not including http, https, or www in your Blocklist entries. These prefixes may not match the actual format used by the site, which can prevent the rule from working.

3. Update to the latest version

Make sure you’re using the latest official version of HT Work Focus. Older versions may not fully support modern browsers. To check your current version, go to Menu → About. You can download the latest update here.

4. Confirm that HT Work Focus is running

Open HT Work Focus using the hotkeys. If everything is working correctly, you’ll see a green status and the message "HT Work Focus is active."

5. Check automatic startup

Go to Settings → General Settings and ensure the option 'Run the program automatically' is checked.

6. Verify the program wasn’t bypassed

Open Reports → Timesheets to confirm that HT Work Focus was running throughout the computer session. If there’s a gap, users may have bypassed the program. Learn how to prevent this.

7. Review the History log

Go to 'Websites → History' and find the website that wasn’t blocked. Check how the URL is displayed — you may need to copy that exact format into your Blocklist.

8. Missing sites in categories

If a site that clearly belongs to a blocked category is not being blocked, add it manually to your Blocklist. Then, please contact our support team so we can include it in the next database update. HT Work Focus uses a large internal list of websites, but it’s not possible to include every domain.

Need help?

If you’ve checked everything above and still face issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team. We’re happy to help.

More Information

How to update HT Work Focus How to block websites Supported browsers

I Don’t Receive Email Reports

Open Settings → Email Reporting and click Send Test Report. Depending on the result, follow the appropriate solution:

First Case: You receive an error message.

Solution: This usually means that your firewall is blocking HT Work Focus from accessing the internet. Add the following file C:\Program Files (x86)\WF\wmime.exe to your firewall’s allowed list.

Second Case: The test is successful, but no email arrives.

Solution:In this case, the report was sent, but it likely ended up in your Spam or Junk folder. Check your Spam folder. Automatically generated emails are often classified as spam.

Third Case: No report in Spam.

Some email providers filter messages at the server level before they even reach your inbox or Spam folder. You might see a bounce message like: Mail delivery failed: returning message to the sender.

Solution: – Try using a different email address
– Or add an additional email address. You can enter multiple addresses separated by commas.

If the issue continues, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team — contact us. We’re here to help.

I can’t access the remote dashboard

Please check the following:

The monitored computer is turned on and online.
Your computer and the monitored computer are on the same network.
The name or IP address of the monitored computer was not changed. In the case of dynamic IP addresses, we recommend using the computer name as an address to access its remote dashboard.
Your firewall does not block HT Work Focus on the monitored computer.

If the problem persists, please do to hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help.

More Information

How to configure Remote Management

How to stop users from bypassing HT Work Focus

To ensure HT Work Focus can’t be bypassed, we recommend applying the following protections:

Set an access password
Go to 'Menu → Set Password' to prevent unauthorized changes to settings or rules.
Enable Enhanced Security
Block access to critical system areas like Task Manager, Control Panel, and other Windows settings.
Go to 'Rules → Enhanced Security' to activate these restrictions.
Hide the program from users
To make HT Work Focus invisible, go to 'Settings → General Settings' and enable 'Hide the program'.
This will remove all desktop and Start Menu icons.

Note! You can enable Enhanced Security for specific user accounts only. Go to 'Rules → User Accounts' to configure these settings individually.

Note! If the program is hidden and you need to open it, press Windows + R, type focus, and hit Enter in the Run dialog.

More Information

How to access HT Work Focus

My Antivirus Gives a False Positive for HT Work Focus

If you downloaded HT Work Focus from our official website — ht-vector.com — or from a trusted software distributor (e.g. Softpedia, where it holds a “100% CLEAN” award), the program is completely safe to use.

However, some antivirus software may mistakenly flag our app as a threat due to its monitoring capabilities. This is a common issue with productivity and parental control tools.

Important: Do not install HT Work Focus if you downloaded it from an untrusted or unofficial source.

Temporarily pause your antivirus.
Download and install HT Work Focus from our official website.
Add the following file to your antivirus exclusion list: C:\Program Files (x86)\WF\wmime.exe

Please write to us what antivirus detects a threat in our software. We will contact them and report the false positive.

HT Work Focus doesn’t respond to keyboard shortcuts

This means the program is not currently running in the background. You’ll need to restart it and identify the cause.

Step 1: Start the program manually
– Press Windows + R, type 'focus', and press Enter.
– Or run it directly from the installation folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\WF\wmime.exe

Step 2: Find out why the program wasn’t running
Possible reasons include:

2.1 Antivirus conflict
Your antivirus may have blocked the program. Learn more.

2.2 Bypass attempt
Go to 'Reports → Timesheets'.
If your computer was used for 8 hours but the report shows only 20 minutes, the program was bypassed. Learn how to prevent bypassing.

2.3 Autorun issue
Open 'Settings → General Settings' and make sure 'Run the program when Windows starts' is enabled.

If the problem continues, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team — we’re here to help.

More Information

How to access HT Work Focus How to stop users from bypassing HT Work Focus

How to Uninstall HT Work Focus

The program uninstallation is protected from unauthorized users. HT Work Focus is not displayed on the Uninstallation Windows menu. To uninstall it:

Open HT Work Focus and click Menu → Uninstall.

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