Several users have reported crashes when running the PPC version of MyBattery on PowerBook 500's that have been upgraded with the NuPowr PPC upgrade. I have not been able to isolate the problem. However, the 68k version of MyBattery works fine.
Registration and disk compactors
Several users have reported that disk compression utilities can prevent proper registration. If you are using an automatic disk compression utility, you should exclude MyBattery from compression until after you have registered it. For example, if you are using AutoDoubler to compress your hard drive, you should expand MyBattery before attempting to register your copy. This problem does not appear with 窶彭rive-level窶 compression utilities, such as TimesTwo and Stacker.
CursorBeacon CDEV
Bill Monk窶冱 CursorBeacon is a freeware control panel that lets you find your cursor on PowerBook or large displays. Several users have reported that if you activate the CursorBeacon with MyBattery in the foreground, MyBattery will unexpectedly quit.
Apparently, CursorBeacon 窶徭teals窶 free memory from the current application. MyBattery has just enough memory allocated for its own use; this conflict can be easily fixed by allocating more memory to MyBattery.
1) Quit MyBattery, if it is currently running.
2) Locate your copy of MyBattery.
3) Click on the application icon once to select it.
4) From the File menu, choose 窶廨et Info窶.
5) Move the cursor to the 窶彜uggested Size窶 text field, and increase the current number by 10k.
6) Close the window.
The next time you run MyBattery, it will consume a little more memory, but the conflict with CursorBeacon will be fixed.
Menu bar conflicts
The menu bar is the one constant among all Macintosh applications. Many software programs use it to display additional information. These applications sometimes try to use the same space as MyBattery, which can cause menu bar display conflicts. For example, Apple窶冱 AppleShare uses the left side of the menu bar to indicate if information is being transmitted or received by your PowerBook over the AppleTalk network, which can interfere with MyBattery窶冱 left menu display.
There is no simple solution, other than turning off menu bar displays, which isn窶冲 much of a solution at all...
HP PaintWriter Drivers
One MyBattery user has reported a conflict with the Hewlett Packard PaintWriter driver software. He noticed an unusual problem with the MyBattery Preferences dialog. When he upgraded the drivers to a new version, the problem went away. Therefore, if you are noticing a black box being drawn in the lower right corner of the 窶弃references窶 dialog, covering the 窶廾K窶 and 窶廚ancel窶 buttons, you should upgrade your PaintWriter drivers to 3.0.7b. Thank you, Mike!
Troubleshooting
While I have attempted to test MyBattery as thoroughly as possible, there is no way of testing all the possible configurations. If MyBattery is operating erratically, it is always possible that some piece of software is interfering with it.
Occasionally, it is possible that the 窶廴yBattery Data窶 and 窶廴yBattery Preferences窶 files can become corrupted, if your Macintosh crashes while these files are open (MyBattery periodically updates these files). If you are getting internal MyBattery errors, try deleting these files from your 窶彜ystem窶 folder (or 窶弃references窶 folder under System 7). The errors should disappear.
Application interference
If MyBattery is operating erratically with other applications running, note the other applications that are running. Next, restart your computer and try running MyBattery by itself. If the problem does not appear, try running the same applications, one by one. When you isolate the problem application, drop me a note and let me know what it is!
INIT/CDEV/Extension interference
If MyBattery continues to operate erratically, an INIT, CDEV or system Extension (collectively known as extensions) may be interfering. First, restart your machine while holding down the SHIFT key. A message will come up stating 窶廢xtensions off窶. Try MyBattery; if the problem doesn窶冲 appear, it is most likely an extension causing the problem.
Isolating the offending extension can be tedious, especially if you have lots of extensions loaded. Start out by removing half of your extensions. Restart and try MyBattery. If the problem occurs, remove half of the extensions that were loaded, and try again. If the problem did not occur, swap the extensions you loaded with the ones you didn窶冲, and try again.
Continue this process until you isolate the offending extension. Drop me a line and let me know what extension was causing the problem.
Acknowledgments
Not being wealthy, every time Apple introduces new PowerBooks, I must rely on the kindness of others to provide me with the information I need to support the new machines. To all of you who have helped, thanks!
Thanks also to those who have enthusiastically responded with criticisms and suggestions for new features. MyBattery continues to mature, with your guidance.
I窶囘 particularly like to thank Rich Wolfson for providing me with the low voltage tables and other information, Marcus Wallgren of Apple for contributing much knowledge on the Duo power manager, and Joe Vantaggi for providing me with cool telephone icons instead of the icky "typewriter" icons I created. Special thanks to John Fernandez for his cool folder icons!
Special thanks to Ed Voas for his assistance with the PowerPC glue code.
Technical information and references
References
The information used to write MyBattery and this manual has been culled from various sources, including:
窶｢ Inside Macintosh, Volume VI (Apple, published by Addison Wesley). This volume contains a discussion of the Power Manager software.
窶｢ Macintosh PowerBook Family Developer Notes (Apple). Discusses technical side of PowerBook hardware and firmware.
窶｢ The PowerBook Companion (Richard Wolfson, Addison Wesley). A great book with loads of tips for PowerBook users (did you know that when Apple prepares your PowerBook hard drive, megabytes of hard drive space are unused? Buy the book and find out how to get it back!).
Development environment
MyBattery has been developed using:
窶｢ Various PowerBook models, including PowerBook 100 8/40, PowerBook 165c 8/80, Duo 210 12/80, and PowerBook 520c 12/320.
窶｢ Apple窶冱 ResEdit, version 2.1.
窶｢ Symantec THINK C 7.0.
窶｢ Symantec THINK C Reference.
窶｢ Apple窶冱 窶廬nside Macintosh窶, volumes I-VI.
Low Battery Warnings
Some of the following values have been compiled from user窶冱 measurements and other sources; your voltages may differ.
Typical First Second Final Forced
"fresh" warning warning warning shutdown
Model battery threshold threshold threshold threshold
While I have attempted to test MyBattery as fully as possible, I cannot guarantee proper operation on other computer systems. I am not liable for any direct or indirect damage caused by MyBattery. The individual using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.
If you have registered your copy of MyBattery, and are not satisfied with its operation, your registration fee shall be returned to you. You are then obligated, however, to delete all registered copies.
