Overview

Use this SOP when Time Doctor appears to be running normally on a user's computer, but tracked time does not sync to the Time Doctor live dashboard.

This issue is most common when a computer is reassigned to a new employee after being used by someone else.

Symptoms

The user may report that:

  • Time Doctor is open and appears to be tracking locally.
  • The live dashboard shows the user as inactive.
  • The dashboard shows zero hours or missing time.
  • The issue started after receiving a recycled or reassigned computer.

Root Cause

Time Doctor stores a hidden local cache folder called SF. This folder can retain the previous user's hardware/device identity.

When the computer is reassigned, Time Doctor may continue sending the old hardware ID to the backend. If that hardware ID is still linked to a different or archived user profile, Time Doctor blocks the connection to prevent data crossover. This can result in an HTTP 403 error and prevent time from syncing.

Do not merge, rename, or reuse user profiles as a workaround. This can corrupt or confuse historical timesheet data.

Log Evidence

If you review the local Time Doctor logs on the affected machine, you may see an error similar to this:

ERROR sfproc.api - RestApiWrapper call finished with error: HTTP Status: 403 , , Qt Error: QNetworkReply::ContentAccessDenied

Resolution Steps

Step 1 — Fully Close Time Doctor

Make sure Time Doctor is completely closed before deleting any local files.

  • Windows: Open Task Manager and end any Time Doctor-related processes.
  • macOS: Open Activity Monitor and quit any Time Doctor-related processes.

Step 2 — Delete the Local SF Cache Folder

This is the most important step. Deleting the SF folder removes the previous user's cached device identity from the computer.

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Navigate to:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\SF
  1. Delete the SF folder.
If the AppData folder is not visible, enable hidden items in File Explorer.
  1. Open Finder.
  2. Navigate to:
~/Library/Application Support/
  1. Locate and delete the SF folder, or the relevant Time Doctor local application data folder if the SF folder is stored there.

Step 3 — Reopen Time Doctor and Re-authenticate

After deleting the local cache:

  1. Confirm the latest version of Time Doctor is installed.
  2. Launch Time Doctor.
  3. Have the user log in again with their credentials.
  4. Allow the application a few minutes to reconnect and sync.

Step 4 — Verify Syncing

Check the Time Doctor live dashboard and confirm that:

  • The user's status appears active/green.
  • Time is syncing correctly.
  • New tracked time appears on the dashboard.

If the Issue Continues

If Time Doctor still fails to sync after deleting the local SF folder, the device identity conflict may still exist in the Time Doctor backend.

Escalate to Time Doctor Support or the workspace administrator and request that they:

  • Clear the device identity conflict for the affected user.
  • Remove any stale hardware/device token tied to a previous or archived user profile.
  • Allow the computer to register again under the correct user.

Prevention for Reassigned Computers

When preparing a recycled or reassigned computer for a new user, always delete the local SF folder before deployment.

Deleting the SF folder during device preparation helps prevent Time Doctor 403 errors before the computer is assigned to the next user.