Install the app

The Busy Meter app is free and runs on Windows. It sits in the notification area of the taskbar (by the clock) and keeps your meter in sync.

Download and install #

Go to thebusymeter.com/start and download the installer.
Open the downloaded file. It installs for your Windows account only, so it shouldn't ask for an administrator password.
The app starts by itself and opens setup. Carry on with Add your meter.

If Windows shows a warning #

The app is signed, so Windows can check who published it. Windows SmartScreen can still warn about apps from a publisher it hasn't seen much of yet, which is the case for a new product. If you see "Windows protected your PC":

Click More info.
Click Run anyway.

If your company's IT blocks unknown apps, ask them to allow it, or install it on a personal PC.

Start with Windows #

The app starts when you sign in to Windows, so your meter is in sync from the start of the day. To change this: Settings › About & updates › Start when you sign in to Windows.

Closing the Settings window doesn't quit the app; it keeps running in the tray. To quit, right-click the tray icon and choose Quit Busy Meter. Quitting turns the meter off.

Updates #

The app updates itself. It checks for updates when it starts and every 6 hours, downloads them in the background, and installs them the next time you quit the app. To install straight away, open Settings › About & updates and click Restart now when it says an update is ready. Check now looks for one immediately.

Stable or beta #

Settings › About & updates has a menu with Stable updates and Beta updates.

Stable updates (the normal choice): tested releases only.
Beta updates: new features earlier, with a higher chance of rough edges.

If you installed the app from a beta download, it starts on Beta updates; otherwise it starts on Stable updates. You can switch at any time.

Uninstall #

Open Windows Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find Busy Meter, and choose Uninstall.

Uninstalling removes the app, its logs and your saved sign-ins (Microsoft, Slack, Teams pairing and calendar links). It keeps one small settings file, so if you reinstall, your meters, sources, levels and look come back. That file holds no passwords or sign-ins. To delete it too, remove the folder %APPDATA%\BusyMeter (paste that into the File Explorer address bar).