Critical Battery Blat on "Desktop Computer" Windows XP Pro SP2

[DaveLembke]

Hello everyone,

   This is a rather interesting problem that just started occurring. Not sure if this is a Windows Error as it seems to be confused as to if it is a Desktop or a Laptop, but occasionally I will get the error message of
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Critical Battery

[!] You should change your battery or switch to outlet power immediately to keep from losing your work.
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This computer is a ( Desktop/Tower) Pentium 4 HT 3.0 Ghz with 2GB PC3200 DDR Ram, running Windows XP Pro SP2. This problem has been happening now for last few weeks where I will go to logon to my work computer and got these messages sometimes stacked 2 or 3 deep of repeated alerts.

The power options power scheme for this system is set up as a Home/Office Desk and not set up as Portable/Laptop... SO I believe that maybe Windows is confused some how...

This system is powered through a 750VA APC UPS, but I dont have the UPS management cable attached to report back any issues with parachute software, so I know it is not that!!!

Anyone seen this before?   I'm Stumped 

Dave

[patio]

How is the UPS being listed in Control Panel/Power/Advanced ? ?

[DaveLembke]

In Control Panel/Power Options Properties/advanced there is no UPS setting that I can find. Below is all there is.

Options:
[  ] Always show Icon on the taskbar
[X] Prompt for password when computer resumes from standby

Power Buttons:

When I press the power button on my computer
[ shutdown ]

[Anodoin]

I don't believe the computer needs the cable to be able to tell that the battery's running low, it uses that for configuring battery options (such as acceptable range of voltages, etc.)

I would get that message a lot when I would run my monitor off the battery as well, because it was a 22" CRT behemoth that laughed in the face of energy star compliance. 

Try plugging the cable in and checking out the software and see what kind of load is on the battery.  If you're maxing out the battery you'll see that message every now and again.

[DaveLembke]

Ok... so Windows has the ability to monitor line voltage in to the power supply of the desktop computer  then???

Since there is no link to the UPS???

And your suggesting that the power to the desktop machine may be low or dirty(ripples) possibly?

Dave

[patio]

In Control Panel/Power Options you don't have a UPS Tab ? ?

[Anodoin]

Ok... so Windows has the ability to monitor line voltage in to the power supply of the desktop computer  then???

Since there is no link to the UPS???

And your suggesting that the power to the desktop machine may be low or dirty(ripples) possibly?

Dave

To Windows, I don't think it differentiates between laptop power and desktop power, it just sees voltage.  (Plenty of bios will report the voltage across the lines, windows is probably doing something similar)

Try plugging the battery into the computer via the link cable, it'll be able to answer questions about that better than I could.  I will say though, that with my 600watt PSU and 22" CRT plugged into the battery, the battery couldn't put out enough power to keep up with the demand for more than say 10 seconds.  So every time I had a serious brownout, or if the power flickered a few times, I'd either get that warning or my computer would hibernate.  Unplugging the monitor (thus reducing the load greatly) fixed the problem. 

And like Patio asked, do you see anything about your UPS in the control panel?