Time left on battery indicator (thumbnail included)

[tft]

Hi - have a T42 and I'd like to know how I can setup the laptop to show the useful time left indicator when its running on batteries instead of the percentage (%) available.

In other words, it currently note,

68%

while what I'm after is how do I set it up so that when I'm running on battery it would show,

(2:37)

I've seen other T4x and T6x do that and I'm simply trying to figure out what I need to do to get the same status info. The 'Power Options' menu (winthin "Control Panel") doesn't note anything that changes how this works.

BTW: these indicators are within windows (bottom right) within a green battery image.

Thanks

[dr_st]

This option is configurable inside the Thinkpad Battery Maximizer / Power Manager, not the Windows Power Manager.

On my T60 I just click the green battery image, and select "Show" from the menu. I recall it is different on a T42, but still in the same general area.

[dorronto]

I use the Battery MIser for the T43. Works for T40-T43 models...You have the option for the icon to show percent or time remaining...


Ron

[SHoTTa35]

without being a bia -

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=31174

this is asked a lot so check the FAQs for more tips on using your system:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewforum.php?f=31

[GomJabbar]

How do I make the Battery Maximizer or Power Manager utility show "time remaining" instead of "percent remaining?"

Recent versions of Power Manager offer this. Left-click on the battery icon on your Windows Taskbar, and select the Show > Remaining time when on battery option. (Other options may include "Remaining percentage" and "Wattage when on battery.") Some versions of Battery Maximizer do NOT offer this option.

If you don't see this option, then you might try Software Installer (or System Update) to update your software.

Well, unless my T42 is different than everyone else's, this option is not included with Battery MaxiMiser 1.38. Note that davidspalding was referring to Power Manager. Power Manager is different software that is reported to work on a T42, but a T42 is not listed as a supported system for Power Manager. I also remember from reading previous threads on this issue that different model lines of ThinkPads, such as the T40, T41, T42, and T43 support different features in Battery MaxiMiser.

There is some consolation in that hovering the mouse over the green battery icon on my T42 running Battery MaxiMiser does display time remaining while operating on battery power.

This package contains the following small packages for Microsoft Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP users:

- ThinkPad Battery MaxiMiser and Power Management Features
- ThinkPad Battery Information Support Driver I, II, and III

This package enables or updates the utility programs for the following systems:
ThinkPad 570, 570E
ThinkPad 600, 600E, 600X
ThinkPad 770(*8), 770E, 770ED, 770X, 770Z
ThinkPad A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22m, A22p, A22e,A30, A30p,A31, A31p (*1)
ThinkPad G40 (*7), G41(*5)
ThinkPad R32, R40 (*4), R40e (*6), R50 (*5), R50e (*5), R50p (*5), R51 (*5)
ThinkPad T20, T21, T22, T23, T30 (*3), T40 (*4), T40p (*5), T41 (*4), T41p (*5), T42 (*4), T42p (*5), T43 Model 26xx (*10)
ThinkPad X20, X21, X22, X23, X24, X30 (*4), X31 (*4), X32 (*9), X40 (*9)
ThinkPad i Series 1157 (*1)
ThinkPad TransNote (*3)

Notes:
*1: Supports Windows 98/98 SE/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP only
*2: Supports Windows 98/98 SE/Me/2000/XP only
*3: Supports Windows 98 SE/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP only
Only the following T30 models support the Windows Me: 2366/2367-x1x, x2x, x3x, x4x, x5x, A6x and A7x except for M1x, M2x, M3x, M4x and M5x
*4: Supports Windows 98/98 SE/NT 4.0/2000/XP only
*5: Supports Windows 2000/XP only
*6: Supports Windows XP only
*7: Supports Windows 98 SE/2000/XP only
*8: No Windows XP support
*9: Supports Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP only
*10:Supports Windows NT 4.0 only

This package enables or updates the following utility program for Microsoft Windows 2000/XP users:
- Power Manager

The following ThinkPad systems are supported:
- ThinkPad R51e
- ThinkPad R52
- ThinkPad R60, R60e, R61, R61e
- ThinkPad T43, T43p
- ThinkPad T60, T60p, T61, T61p
- ThinkPad X32
- ThinkPad X41, X41 Tablet (*1)
- ThinkPad X60, X60s, X60 Tablet (*1), X61, X61s, X61 Tablet
- ThinkPad Z60m, Z60t
- ThinkPad Z61e, Z61m, Z61p, Z61t

Note:
*1 Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005 is supported.

[SHoTTa35]

well on my T42 you single click the icon in the taskbar then choose "show" then "remaining time when on battery" (i think that's what it says)

I don't keep it there tho and most of the time just have it plugged in. I have 2 AC adapters to keep me juiced up.

[GomJabbar]

Are you using Power Manager or Battery MaxiMiser? I see no such option with Battery MaxiMiser. If I hover over the icon while plugged into AC it says: Battery MaxiMiser Gauge. Like I stated previously, I am using the latest version of Battery MaxiMiser - 1.38.

[dorronto]

This link should get you there.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-61583

Ron

[tft]

This link should get you there.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-61583

Ron

i'm confused (and like GomJabbar I too don't see the menu option in MaxiMiser), does the link above resolve this issue by augmenting MaxiMiser maybe or .... ?

Thanks.

[SHoTTa35]

Are you using Power Manager or Battery MaxiMiser? I see no such option with Battery MaxiMiser. If I hover over the icon while plugged into AC it says: Battery MaxiMiser Gauge. Like I stated previously, I am using the latest version of Battery MaxiMiser - 1.38.

ok see that icon on the taskbar? Don't hover it just give one single left click and it will bring up a menu. After that then go to "show" (lower half of the menu) then click "remaining"

Battery MaxiMiser should still put that icon down there which should still give you the same option. As far as i saw, the Battery MaxiMiser is a wizard that walks you thru some steps of configuring your system while Power Manager is the same thing where you can do those manually instead of the wizard.

[tft]

ok see that icon on the taskbar? Don't hover it just give one single left click and it will bring up a menu. After that then go to "show" (lower half of the menu) then click "remaining"

As was noted ealier, in my menu (single click on the battery image) doesn't include a 'show' option and there-in is the question. What do I (we I guess) need to do to fix this ?

Thanks

[SHoTTa35]

weird then, i have no idea. I got a T42 and it's there, i don't remember if it was there on my T41 or the T40 i just bought for my friend but i thought it was always there since long ago. I just never use that taskbar thingy.

[GomJabbar]

A single left click does indeed bring up a menu (I've known that for as long as I've had my T42), but there is no "Show" in the menu.

[SHoTTa35]

i guess i must have some different one then (other than because i'm using Vista instead of XP because it worked in XP too). I am using Power Manager and this is what i get:



So maybe it's just a old version or something?

[GomJabbar]

So maybe it's just a old version or something?

If you look at the bottom of my screenshot, you will see Battery MaxiMiser. If you look at the bottom of your screen shot, you will see Power Manager. Therein lies the difference. Both are current programs. According to the download site for your model ThinkPad, you will see which one is supported for your model. I posted this information above.

Here is an old thread that explains the difference, and it does say that Power Manager will work on unsupported systems.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=23682