UPS Causes Double Battery/Power Icon in Menu Bar - 10.6

[gr8tfly]

edit: (In 10.5, there are normally two icons, but they are different - one for power/battery and the other for the UPS. The icons I'm discussing here are identical, and incorrectly rendered.)

With UPS plugged in (APC) via USB, there are two "plug-in" icons - side by side. When power adapter is removed (on battery), it changes to two vertical rectangles with two dashes within each. When UPS is unplugged from USB, these change to a "battery and a half" - in other words, a normal horizontal battery indicator plus half of one to the right. The same will happen when on a/c - you end up with a normal horizontal "plugged in" status plus half of one to the right.

Toggling the "Show battery status in the menu bar" will return the icon to normal - as long as the UPS remains unplugged from USB.

Bottom line - as long as the UPS in connected via USB, there will be an incorrect power status icon. With it connected, a double display; when disconnected, one and a half normal status icons will be displayed, until the "Show battery..." is toggled.

Hopefully, this will get picked up and make it into 10.6.1 (or some earlier discrete patch). It's definitely buggered.

images, left to right:

• power adapter, UPS connected
• power adapter, UPS disconnected
• battery, UPS connected
• battery, UPS disconnected

 

[Morod]

Does rebooting get rid of the extra icon?

 

[gr8tfly]

Does rebooting get rid of the extra icon?

Toggling the "Show battery status in the menu bar" will fix it, but only if the UPS is disconnected from USB. I have restarted with it connected, and there isn't any difference. At first, I just thought they were displaying the UPS status differently (in 10.5, there are normally two icons, but they are different - one for power/battery and the other for the UPS).

 

[gr8tfly]

Still broken in 10.6.1

Update: Still broken in 10.6.1

 

[Silverstring]

STILL Broken in 10.8.0 ML

Update: Still broken in 10.6.1

Sorry to dreg up this old post, but it's the only one I could find on the subject.

Amazingly, still broken in Mountain Lion 10.8.0!!!

 

[dusk007]

I don't think that has anything to do with the OS.
I suppose the app that installs drivers for the UPS (to auto hibernate I suppose) place that icon there. It wants to tell you something that way and might be intentional from the suppliers of the UPS.
Shows only half to point to the dangerous nature maybe or a bug. I doubt it is an OSX thing.

 

[gr8tfly]

I don't think that has anything to do with the OS.
I suppose the app that installs drivers for the UPS (to auto hibernate I suppose) place that icon there. It wants to tell you something that way and might be intentional from the suppliers of the UPS.
Shows only half to point to the dangerous nature maybe or a bug. I doubt it is an OSX thing.

Drivers for UPS are built-in, though you can (if you find them) install 3rd party apps for more info/options.

I can also verify the problem still exists in 10.8. I still think it's the scenario of using a portable with a UPS. Considering all the options to use a portable as a desktop, this should have been tested. Oh well… The UPS will still power my external drives fine until I unmount them - if I'm home to notice the power failure.

 

[Silverstring]

Drivers for UPS are built-in, though you can (if you find them) install 3rd party apps for more info/options.

I can also verify the problem still exists in 10.8. I still think it's the scenario of using a portable with a UPS. Considering all the options to use a portable as a desktop, this should have been tested. Oh well… The UPS will still power my external drives fine until I unmount them - if I'm home to notice the power failure.

Yep, I am also using a portable, so that makes sense. I have not installed any 3rd party software, just have the UPS plugged in to the Thunderbolt display.