Subject --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble with module MAINSERV.EXE Discussion Thread --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. ------------------------------ Customer (Damir Ulovec) ------------------------------ Dear technical support, First of all, sorry for my english which isn’t perfect. :) I was purchased APC’s Back-UPS BK650EI because of my main problem with electricity (short blackouts, cca 0.5-1 sec). I left it over the night to fully charge it’s battery and I was try this morning how it works. I must say, I’m very satisfied with it’s runtime, but I have one software problem with module MAINSERV.EXE. When I simulate blackout (short or long, it’s the same), this module utilizing CPU to 100% all the time, and hibernation doesn’t work thru APC PowerChute Personal Edition 1.5. It is enabled in Windows and working well with Shut Down / Hibernate (I oftenly use main button on my computer to hibernate instead to switch off). When PowerChute signals "< 1 min left" next isn't hibernate, but something like "5 min of battery power remaining". When MAINSERV.EXE utilizing CPU, I can’t do anything with my computer, even demand for manual hibernate lasts for about 1 minute, or longer (not hibernate itself). When I start computer after this manual hibernation, MAINSERV.EXE still utilizing CPU (100%) and only solution is to Shut down or restart computer. I have Windows 2000 SP4 and all required drivers (by Windows) installed. Changing priority in Task Manager doesn’t work (Access Denied), so I try to move out MAINSERV.EXE. When I do this, APC PowerChute working, but baloon tells me that Managed PC shutdown not provided, so I return MAINSERV.EXE to it’s original location. I wonder is there a solution for my problem… I didn’t find anything about it in your Knowledge Base, and although I was registered (ID=damiru) i can’t download anything from your site. After pressing Download, my browser is redirected every time back to http://www.apc.com/tools/download/index.cfm?tsk=. I send you Technical Data of my computer, if this can help in solving problem. Best regards, 2. ------------------------------ Customer (Damir Ulovec) ------------------------------ Dear technical support, I think I'm found a solution for my problem. I used Total Commander's Plug-In (FileInfo) for all MAINSERV.EXE DLL Dependencies, and found two files missing in list: drvutil.dll and UpsControl.dll, both found in \Program Files\APC\APC PowerChute Personal Edition\. I copy those two files into \WINNT\System32\ and restarted my computer. Now everything works fine. Strange thing is that MAINSERV.EXE now sees both DLL's in \Program Files\APC\APC PowerChute Personal Edition\ folder, although I just copy it to System32 folder. Strange, but works. :) Best regards. 3. ------------------------------ Customer (Damir Ulovec) ------------------------------ Dear technical support, sorry for this long letter, I was intend to make it all clear. Again, I haved the same problem with MAINSERV.EXE (from PowerChute Personal Edition v.1.5, which came on CD with my Back-UPS). I didn't want to write anything else, until I'm 100% sure that's something wrong with software. Copying "missing" DLL-s to System32 folder solved problem till next blackout, so, it didn't solve it at all. I was carefully looking what's going on after simulated blackout. Time was set to hibernate after 3 min of blackout. After this three minutes PowerChute didn't hibernate my computer, nor shut down, but writed "Estimated battery time 12 minutes". MAINSERV.EXE utilized CPU 100% all the time (from the first moment of blackout), and manual hibernating didn't solve the problem... After "Resuming Windows", CPU was still on 100%, and was very slow, also. Only two ways to stop this behavior I know about was to uninstal PowerChute, or restart computer manually. Even worse, my 100% utilized P3 500 MHz CPU consuming about 25W of power, so estimated battery time is shorter for about 2 minutes, and CPU (thru MAINSERV.EXE) unnecessary spend precious battery power. I tried to install some older versions of PowerChute downloaded from your FTP server (ftp://apc/public/software/windows/xp/pcpe/), but some of them refuses to instal on Win2k platform (v.1.01 and 1.1). Versions 1.2, 1.3, 1.31, and 1.4 was installed (upgraded) properly, and my computer didn't have any problem with this version so far, including real and simulated blackout. I doubt it will be any problem in the future. Currend stable version is 1.4. I also noticed that in v.1.5 every simulated short blackout is noted as "Time on battery (approx) = 5 minutes, 0 seconds". (???) I didn't look what's happening about this in v.1.51 I try all versions of PCPE, and I may say: - 1.01, 1.1: Doesn't work on my Windows 2000 platform. - 1.2, 1.3, 1.31, 1.4: Works without problems on my Windows 2000 platform. - 1.5, 1.51: MAINSERV.EXE bug on my Windows 2000 platform Only differencies I see in all available GUI-s is different Help page. Bottom line by my modest opinion - it must be a bug in 1.5x PCPE software version. :) Please let me know if there's a new release with fixed bug, or tell me if I could use versions 1.2-1.4 without problems. Thank you for your answer in advance, and best regards. Damir Ulovec 4. ------------------------------ Response (Zsolt Streng) ------------------------------ Dear Damir, Thank you for your investigation in this topic. It was very usfull. We know about this 100% CPU utilization problem, but it is very rare. It is because of some software conflict with the installed software. You can use the older version 1.4 without problem; there were no major changes in 1.5. About time indicated, when the UPS turns on battery the time indication changes to show the runtime left to shutdown/hibernation in new version. We are planning to release new version from Power Chute Personal Edition, and I hope it will be free from this kind of bug. If you got any further question, do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Zsolt Streng APC Hungary Technical Support Engineer 5. ------------------------------ Customer (Damir Ulovec) ------------------------------ > We know about this 100% CPU utilization problem, but it is very rare. > It is because of some software conflict with the installed software. Software conflict with which software exactly? :) 6. ------------------------------ Response (Zsolt Streng) ------------------------------ Dear Damir, The problem is not so simple. We are planning to release a new version from Power Chute Personal Edition very soon. (We are at the end of beta tests) This new release will solve this issue. Please check regularly our download page for new release. Until that time I suggest you to use PCBE to set UPS working parameters, like alarms, low-upper transfer point, sensitivity, and get back to native UPS support in Windows. (Uninstall PCPE, restart PC) Do the shutdown settings from power options in control panel under the "alarms" tab. If you got any further question, do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Zsolt Streng APC Hungary Technical Support Engineer