How can I display hours and minutes remaining on the Windows XP battery icon?

January 28, 2006 6:50 AM

WindowsXPFilter: How can I make the power meter icon on my new laptop display the time remaining in addition to the percent of battery power left?

On an older Windows XP laptop, the battery icon in the system tray would display both the time remaining before the battery would die (in hours and minutes) and the percentage of charge remaining in the battery. On my new laptop, the battery icon only shows the percentage remaining. How can I add the hour and minute display? I've looked through all of the options that I could find and have Googled extensively, but couldn't find anything! Help!

posted by richardhay to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Right-click on the battery icon, click Open Power Meter, and make sure "Always show icon on taskbar" is checked.

No idea why it only shows time remaining if this is checked, but it works for me.
posted by matthewr at 7:13 AM on January 28, 2006

Just mouse over the icon, you'll see the time remaining.
posted by furtive at 7:18 AM on January 28, 2006

Matthewr: Thanks for writing. That box is checked. The icon displays, but it just shows percentage remaining. I would like it to also show time remaining.
posted by richardhay at 7:19 AM on January 28, 2006

Furtive: No. That was how it was on my old laptop. On my new laptop, I _only_ see the percentage remaining--even on the mouseover.
posted by richardhay at 7:20 AM on January 28, 2006

There are a number of Yahoo widgets that might work for you, if you're interested in using the Yahoo Widget Engine.

Yahoo Widgets Gallery - System Utilities
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:28 AM on January 28, 2006

It may be that the advanced power management of your new laptop makes accurately calculating time remaining impossible. If the new laptop can dynamically change CPU speed depending on the tasks it's performing, actual time remaining will depend, to a large degree, on what you're using the machine to do, and will be difficult to calculate without making assumptions about your immediate-future usage.
posted by orthogonality at 7:50 AM on January 28, 2006

Mine only shows the remaining time if the computer is running on battery; if the power brick is plugged in, it just shows the percentage. The time estimates are very inaccurate on mine, erring on the high side.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:57 AM on January 28, 2006

Notebook Hardware Control will put an icon on the taskbar that shows both a graphic of a battery, with the fraction of power remaining, and the time remaining. If this is what you want, you can then disable the Power Meter icon in taskbar (unless you want them both).

Also remember to go into your BIOS to calibrate your battery.
posted by Brian James at 10:47 AM on January 28, 2006