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I've updated my version (see link in #36)... now includes the alt-tab fix and an option to force aero on and off. I broke the about dialogue (oops) but it's mostly in the right direction ;)

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@EsspressoMaker....
done - source and executables are at http://blog.offbeatmammal.com/blogs/obm/archive/2007/05/09/better-battery-life.aspx

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K, exactly what does this program do, and how does it affect battery usage? I'm lazy; I don't wanna have to 1) download it 2) read the code 3) read documentation about the imports 4) research how what these imports do may affect battery life.

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love it ;)
does what it says on the can, and doesn't seem to have any nasty side effects

Less memory usage would be nice (if possible) - there's always too many things begging for resources these days

Getting rid of the form in the alt-tab task list would be super-sweet

Adding an option to let me force it to turn aero off when on mains, and force it on when on battery would also be very cool (sometimes you need to do these things!)

auto-update for new versions (perhaps distribute as a ClickOnce application) and the ability to make a perfect mohito would also not be unwelcome additions ;)

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@Clint.... get back to training the bartender (can it make a decent mohito yet?!)
If I can work out what's going on (code seems to be covering the correct events so unless sleeping on battery and resuming off battery is causing a problem - or some other weird combo) I'll post an update...

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You can hide the from of alt-tab using the main like this:
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
Form1 f = new Form1();
f.Show();
f.Visible = false;
Application.Run();

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@Bela - tried the alt-tab fix... works great thanks (@Clint - really easy to add ... I'm not even a C# programmer and I managed!)

I couldn't work out what I needed to do to try ows suggestion ;)

@Clint - hope you have time to expand this little app, but it's rpetty cool as it stands! Have fun a Makers Faire

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Could someone fix the app with the addition of the Hide Alt-Tab and post an update? Thanks in advance!

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Works like a charm! ;)

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Cool idea, but has anybody actually measured if it works?

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Works great, thanx!

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Thanks for this wonderful solution, Clint! Microsoft should make this a default setting.

One question: I noticed VistaLaptopBatterySaver.exe uses relatively much private memory (15MB), which is more than what most of the apps I run use (UltraEdit 13MB, SecureCRT 12MB, TotalCommander 10MB). Is there any chance to improve the memory usage?

Dave

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Well, since you generously released the source code along with your tool, I am sure other guys will pick up your solution and provide alternative tools.

Thanks again!

Dave

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Thank you for this great tool! You do better work than Microsoft.

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It's probably related to it being a .NET application then. It'd be the only one running on my system.

Again, no biggie, someone will port it to other languages now that you gave the idea ;)

Best,
Dave

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Works like a charm!

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If you create an empty Windows Form in .NET you'll see that the loading of runtime, assemblies and the executable will occupy about 10 MB. Most of that memory is quickly released, but until the working set is trimmed and swapped through for example a minimize or by calling SetProcessWorkingSetSize(hProcess, -1, -1) explicitly it will stay at the initial peak size.

Same goes for regular executables as well, although the difference is not as dramatical. Try notepad for example.

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I think people are bitching because they believe that aero should be considered core functionality. When core functionality eats up a lot of system resources people get pissed.

Core functionality should be effecient and well managed.

I don't believe that turning something off is technically "fixing" something but more of a work around.

Clint, you're the best.

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@Clint - I just close the lid and let it sleep. It's set to hibernate after a couple of hours but I don't think I've left it that long.
If I get 5 mins I'll have a look today, but I'm not a C# or Windows programmer (HTML and more my thing!)

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Hi I got to know about your little fix from a news letter I get here in Sweden,thanks very much it does the job very well.

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hmmm... one thing I've noticed... if I go to sleep while on battery and power back up again on mains Aero doesn't re-activate... probably just missing an event to hook into

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@OffBeatmammal

Super!
Thanks a heap!

/E

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http://meiobit.com/economizando_bateria_no_vista

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Nice program - simple, and does what it should.
Small note for people complaining about memory usage - it's how .Net works. It reserves some extra RAM, "just in case" so you may see very high memory usage for small programs, but in fact these are only numbers - it's not harmful at all. If system needs that memory, it will just cut some part of it reserved "for potential future usage". There's no need to worry that some small utility program is memory hog even if 50MB+ are allocated for it. It only improves responsiveness and that RAM would be wasted anyway.

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How ironic! On the same day you finished this app's first revision I also posted my functionally identical app "Aerofoil" (on AC/on battery), including source code, and also later updated it to 0.1.1 for manual control from the notifyicon.

I almost thought you'd ripped off the code (which is GPL 2) but I can see this is not the case. I had intended to add other features such as disabling sound, lowering task priorities etc. on battery too (anything for longer life in Vista!) Doubtful whether I'll actually do this now.

If you want to see the original ;) have a look here - you can compare source too:
http://silentdevelopment.blogspot.com/

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Yes, what gave away I mainly program java (I do enterprise serverside work for a living)?

Basically I was thinking along the lines of powersaving features not already available in the OS (i.e. reduce the sound level, idle the CPU more*, shutdown user specified tasks , run as a service etc). Granted these may not save much power but I was going to experiment first :)

* Idling the CPU more should cause it to execute the HLT command more often, however I found this may be counter productive because of the longer time needed to execute a task. Perhaps this would only be useful on background processes like a virus scanner. I did some initial (disabled) coding in version 0.1.1, but found the performance was horrible (there's a surprise)!

I actually would have used Tamir's software now if not for the fact I don't use the sidebar anyhow.

Vista on my HP dv9000 does dim the backlight with my power settings, and from what I've found (actually a user on my blog pointed it out) Vista will automatically disable glass when on battery power, but only if the specific "Power Saver" plan is used - the disable aero option isn't available for custom plans (at least as far as I can see and test).

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hello, nice app!
but i have one question.
if there's a way to switch from aero glass theme to classic windows theme?
wouldn't be better for the autonomy?

greetings from brazil.
Ricardo

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Works like Miracle

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Hey, great job on this, Clint!

I was wondering if anyone else had reported an odd little bit of behavior, of it's just my particular setup.

Everything works as advertised when all my apps are in windowed mode while plugged in, but if I maximize one of them, my taskbar becomes opaque, as if I was unplugged.

Keep up the great work!

-Mike

# re: Instead of complaining, fix the Vista Battery problem.
thanzk!! great trick!

[]´z from Brazil

# re: The end is near
Now we know, and we can see that the technology is really getting to its extent, and we can't ignore the truth. We can conclude that the bigger we experience the modernization, the nearer we are at the end.