Battery life shortened with OS X Mountain Lion

A lot of my CPU usage is from mdworker which indexes files for Spotlight. I have a lot of numerical data I don't want indexed. Spotlight can be set not to index hard drive volumes or directores.

System Preferences --> Spotlight --> Privacy --> +

Add the directories or drives you don't want indexed with the "+" button.

Here is how you can find what is being indexed:

http://tumblr.amitgupta.com/post/262471673/stopping-runaway-cpu-usage-by-mds-mdw orker-and

My Spotlight is busy indexing data I have imported from a backup drive. I can either wait for it to finish with the power connected, or add the directory to the Privacy list in System Preferences for Spotlight.

I have to do this when I import large amounts of numerical data. I see the mdworker processes load the CPU on the Activity Monitor when I restore a backup.

Are you sure that Spotlight is done reindexing your hard drive?

I have the same issue. My MBP Mid2010 now can stay 3h with 100% charged battery... with Lion it could stay 6.

Start the Activity Monitor, press Command-1. Sort the processes by CPU usage. See what processes are using the most CPU. Quit those processes if you don't need them. X11 shortens my battery life. Shockwave flashplayer eats batteries for breakfast.

I'm also seeing a drastic decrease in battery life on my Macbook Pro mid 2009 (2.26 GHz 8GM RAM) after upgrading from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion.

Went from 5h-6h on a full charge to about 2h30.

No Time Machine backups or indexing going on either.

The highest CPU usage on Activity Monitor is by SystemUIServer and even that is at around 8%.

I am having the same problem. Activity monitor shows that the thing that is using the most CPU is Activity Monitor - at 8%. Everything else is at 0. Yet I turned on my machine 27 minutes ago at 100% and I am now down to 89%. Prior to upgrade I would still be at 97%. I do not have the problem with the fan running, but something is hogging up that battery!

I have the same problem. Also find my late 2008 MBP gets very hot - never happened before the upgrade.

I have the same problem too ! my MBP (mid 2009) overheats and battery icon suggests that I check battery. Battery life has also reduced 50% since I upgraded and it drains very fast. No time machine back up, no bluetooth connection, no indexing going on. I quit almost every software and checked CPU and nothing is high except WindowServer (?) which sometimes exceeds 10%. The only other noticeable activity is Activity Monitor itself.

Hope Apple finds a patch for this issue fast. I wonder how this will really affect battery life if the problem goes on.

Check the Mail app. I somehow think that if you go to mail preferences, and select check mail from "every 5mins" to "every hour" or "manually", your battery life should improve.

Thanks from me too. I've also changed the mail settings (and my fingers are crossed) ...

Thanks. it will indeed probably help, but as far as I'm concerned my Mail would be checked every minute with Lion and I didn't have any battery issue then. So I feel that this particular Mountain Lion issue eventually needs to be resolved with some specific patch from Apple and not by our changing the way we use our apps... :-)

Seems the number of "me too's" makes a difference. My early 2009 is depleting something like twice as fast. Activity monitor does not show any process over about 10% at any time. Graphics set to preserve batter life rather than high performance. Something going on here, Apple. Do I have to do a clean install? If so, is burning a CD the only way?

thanks to you all.

By the way - the touted "SMC reset" did not work. I'm presently at 98% power. And I'm plugged in.