Close detail of tick-arc clock geometry used as the timer mark.
Tick-arc detail for the dial used across this install guide. Tick Quill original tick-arc geometry (original geometry, not the upstream app icon).

Start from real habits

List the durations you already use in meetings and breaks. Do not invent a dozen presets on day one. Prove one countdown first: installed. First run: timer first run.

Enter and save

Use the tray flow to enter durations and save presets once the overlay works. Keep names obvious. Timeout actions should stay on a message while you learn. Timeout guide: timeout actions.

Backup before experiments

Copy config.ini before fonts, GIFs, or plugins. Local storage will not sync to your phone. Switch habits: switch from online timers. Safety: is it safe.

Keep the set small

Three solid presets beat fifteen forgotten ones. Review monthly. Home: timer home. Overlay: tray and overlay. Updates: update and uninstall.

Desk operations without noise

Write the update door on a card beside the monitor so the next person does not invent a mirror. Prefer winget id VladElaina.Catime or catime_*.exe from GitHub Releases, then prove one short countdown after every reimage before a live talk.

Shared rooms should announce which countdown tool owns the projector machine. Students improve faster when the overlay stays readable and advertising tabs stay closed.

  • Parents should prefer verified package ids because they are harder to spoof than a random download button.
  • When wifi drops mid-session, a local Windows countdown keeps going offline after the first install.
  • Keep phone apps for travel if you want them, but let the desk stay local with one honest update door.

Lab and travel cards

Classroom images should pin the exact install door beside the OS version. After every reimage, prove one short countdown before you call the machine ready.

That habit catches vanished portable folders and adware shortcuts that reappear from old bookmark exports.

Travel laptops benefit from a single documented installer door written beside the folder that holds the portable. Lab images drift when someone installs a second mirror during a blocked SmartScreen prompt.

Return to the home install panel when you need pillar links again. Releases stay on timer releases. Safe fetch habits stay on download safe. Troubleshooting stays on troubleshooting when the tray icon hides or SmartScreen blocks a portable you already verified.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import presets from a browser?

No special import file moves browser timer presets into Catime. Write down your common durations, enter them locally on Windows, and save presets after the first proof countdown succeeds so the desk habit has a clean starting set.

How many presets should I start with?

Start with three durations you already use, such as five, fifteen, and twenty-five minutes on the Windows timer. Add more only after those three feel automatic on the desk and the overlay placement already feels stable.

Where are presets stored?

Local configuration lives under %LOCALAPPDATA%/Catime/ including config.ini according to upstream PRIVACY.md. Back up that file if the presets matter across reimages or shared Windows profiles on the same machine.