Mavericks - power use / service battery

I am convinced the problem is real. A huge feature of Mavericks was the dynamic power management to preserve battery life. If there was an error in the algorithm, or if certain hardware configurations cause the algorithm to fail, then of course you could shorten battery life. My Macbook 2009 is far slower than it was under Mountain Lion, mainly because it tends to lock up with the spinning beach ball for 10-40 seconds at a time. The fan starts going (thus *something* is using a boatload of power; the fan never used to need to come on), and everything grinds to a halt. If I hadn't already migrated a tremendous amount of my daily work life to the new Pages, I would return to using ML.

My battery was giving me 6-8 hours of life before Mavericks. I installed Mavericks and within a month, I was down to 2-3 hours of life. I replaced the battery and have been tracking battery capacity weekly under Mavericks. The battery life is definitely down already, but not consistently.

I'm one of these anal-retentive types who read the "how to treat your battery" Apple articles when I bought the laptop, and I've been scrupulous about following the instructions to the letter, which is why I'm pretty convinced the problem lies in the intersection of the power management software and the particular hardware configuration.

That said, if it isn't affecting a large-enough number of users, Apple won't devote resources to investigating or solving the problem. :-(

You have the symptoms of a runaway or incompatible process using up processor cycles, thus decreasing performance and increasing power consumption, have you checked what is running?

I don't know what to look for. I can start Activity Monitor but don't know what would be out of the ordinary. Safari almost always causes the beachball. I don't know if Safari it's is to blame, or whether it is simply using too much memory and kicking in the new memory compression routines and somehow thrashing in memory management.

Start by downloading a copy of Etrecheck, run it and post the report here.

www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

When you run Activity Monitor, what color is the memory graph readout?

(Csound1, thank you!! I am on iPhone right now. Will download and run diagnostics when I get home tonight)

Post it here when you run it, I will get a notification.

Hi, CSound1,

1) memory "pressure" graph is green (but I just logged out of my roommate's account and into mine to run these diagnostics)

2) new battery, 100% charged when I sat down. I disconnected the power cord. According to Activity Monitor Energy pane (seen below), after just 25 minutes, I have only 2 hours' estimated battery life yet. (I should have 4-6 hours left)

3) output from EtreCheck is below.

If anything below points to any specific runaway-ness, I'd love to know.

Thanks!

Hardware Information:

MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009)

MacBook - model: MacBook6,1

1 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores

4 GB RAM

Video Information:

NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - VRAM: 256 MB

System Software:

OS X 10.9.2 (13C64) - Uptime: 22 days 15:17:49

Disk Information:

Hitachi HTS545050B9SA02 disk0 : (500.11 GB)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB

disk0s2 (disk0s2) <not mounted>: 499.25 GB

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB

MATSHITADVD-R UJ-898

USB Information:

Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

FireWire Information:

Thunderbolt Information:

Kernel Extensions:

at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch (4052 - SDK 10.8)

com.Cycling74.driver.Soundflower (1.5.1)

com.techsmith.TACC (1.0.2 - SDK 10.7)

com.parallels.virtualsound (1.0 22731.929773)

com.github.osxfuse.filesystems.osxfusefs (2.3.1)

Startup Items:

DynDNSUpdater: Path: /Library/StartupItems/DynDNSUpdater

ParallelsTransporter: Path: /Library/StartupItems/ParallelsTransporter

VNCServer: Path: /Library/StartupItems/VNCServer

Launch Daemons:

[System] at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.cocoatech.pathfinder.SMFHelper.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.cocoatech.pathfinder.SMFHelper7.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.flipvideo.FlipShareServer.launchd.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.parallels.mobile.dispatcher.launchdaemon.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.parallels.mobile.kextloader.launchdaemon.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.stclairsoft.DefaultFolderXAgent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.gpgmail.patch-uuid.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.macosforge.xquartz.privileged_startx.plist 3rd-Party support link

Launch Agents:

[System] at.obdev.LittleSnitchUIAgent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.adobe.CS4ServiceManager.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.amazon.sendtokindle.launcher.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.divx.dms.agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.divx.update.agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.ecamm.iglasses3agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.flipvideo.FlipShare.AutoRun.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.google.keystone.agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.parallels.mobile.prl_deskctl_agent.launchagent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.realvnc.VNCServerd.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.realvnc.VNCServersd.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.teamviewer.teamviewer.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] ConferenceRS.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.gpgmail.enable-bundles.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.gpgmail.patch-uuid-user.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.Libmacgpg.xpc.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.macgpg2.fix.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.macgpg2.gpg-agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.gpgtools.macgpg2.updater.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] org.macosforge.xquartz.startx.plist 3rd-Party support link

User Launch Agents:

[not loaded] com.crashplan.javacheck.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.digitalrebellion.SoftwareUpdateAutoCheck.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.google.Chrome.framework.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.netputing.airprintactivator.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.parallels.mobile.startgui.launchagent.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.spotify.webhelper.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.valvesoftware.steamclean.plist 3rd-Party support link

User Login Items:

Bartender

BetterTouchTool

TextExpander

Activity Monitor

Synergyd

DragonDrop

BetterSnapTool

Alfred 2

Keyboard Maestro Engine

Dropbox

Internet Plug-ins:

Flash Player: Version: 12.0.0.44 - SDK 10.6 Outdated! Update

DivX Web Player: Version: 3.1.1.9 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

AdobePDFViewer: Version: 9.0.0 3rd-Party support link

googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.2.4.18058 3rd-Party support link

Scorch: Version: 6.1.0 3rd-Party support link

iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0 - SDK 10.8

hpvirtualrooms-plugin: Version: (null) - SDK 10.7

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 12.0.0.44 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

wkDimdimControl: Version: 1.01

nplastpass: Version: 2.0.15 3rd-Party support link

Musicnotes: Version: 1.18.8 3rd-Party support link

OVSHelper: Version: 1.1 3rd-Party support link

Silverlight: Version: 5.1.20913.0 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9

Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.4.4.2 3rd-Party support link

o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.2.4.18058 3rd-Party support link

SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.3.9 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 7 Update 51 3rd-Party support link

OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.3.2 3rd-Party support link

Safari Extensions:

Clip to DEVONthink: Version: 1.2.2

DoNotTrackMe: Online Privacy Protection: Version: 3.1.1064

B4G_Safari: Version: 1.0

AdBlock: Version: 2.6.18

1Password (beta): Version: 3.9.21.b1

Open in Internet Explorer: Version: 1.0

AllMyTube: Version: 4.1.0.0

LastPass: Version: 3.1.0

Ghostery: Version: 5.1.0

Audio Plug-ins:

BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9

AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9

AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9

iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9

iTunes Plug-ins:

Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9

User iTunes Plug-ins:

SoftSkies for iTunes: Version: 1.1.4

G-Force for iTunes: Version: 1.1.5 3rd-Party support link

Aeon for iTunes: Version: 3.1 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

User Internet Plug-ins:

Move-Media-Player: Version: npmnqmp 07074032 3rd-Party support link

WebEx64: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

WebEx: Version: 1.0 3rd-Party support link

fbplugin_1_0_3: Version: (null) 3rd-Party support link

Picasa: Version: 1.0 3rd-Party support link

Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 3rd-Party support link

CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 3rd-Party support link

RealPlayer Plugin: Version: (null) 3rd-Party support link

3rd Party Preference Panes:

BusySync 3rd-Party support link

RCDefaultApp

Default Folder X 3rd-Party support link

Déjà Vu 3rd-Party support link

Flash Player 3rd-Party support link

Flip4Mac WMV 3rd-Party support link

GPGPreferences 3rd-Party support link

Java 3rd-Party support link

Launchpad-Control 3rd-Party support link

Perian 3rd-Party support link

SynergyKM 3rd-Party support link

Old Applications:

None

Time Machine:

Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU:

19% ScreensharingAgent

11% WindowServer

3% Safari

2% Little Snitch Agent

1% Little Snitch Network Monitor

Top Processes by Memory:

282 MB Safari

111 MB soagent

102 MB systemstats

70 MB CalendarAgent

66 MB Finder

Virtual Memory Information:

87 MB Free RAM

1.12 GB Active RAM

1022 MB Inactive RAM

638 MB Wired RAM

23.72 GB Page-ins

2.85 GB Page-outs

You have an awful lot of 3rd party apps loading in the background, and you have insufficient Ram (2.85GB of page outs is the clue there)

Reboot to Safe Mode and use the Machine for several hours that way, check speed and battery useage.

19% of your CPU time is being used by a screensharing agent, do you need that?

Repost the Activity Monitor report, select the CPU tab this time.

CSound1: The screensharing is becaues I'm actually running the diagnostics remotely using ScreenSharing (I'm not at the same physical location as the laptop at the moment). Normally, I'm not screen sharing this machine.

Also, most of those 3rd party apps are dormant most of the time. (GPGMail is only active when I have mail open, which is almost never, since I use the web interface. TeamViewer and ScreenSharing are both screen sharing I only use when giving demos or doing remote diagnostics, etc.)

This is, however, the exact same set of apps I had running under ML and the system was snappy and robust and had long battery life. Right now, DropBox appears to be a big CPU suck, though whether that should decrease battery life by hours [when it ran just fine under ML] doesn't make much sense to me.

This is, however, the exact same set of apps I had running under ML

And you have verified that everyone of them is compatible with Maveriscks, or have installed an udtaed version if one is available?

51% of the cpu time for Dropbox is an unusual figure, on my machine it's about 0.8%

Let's see how it runs without all that stuff if possible. Start by doing a safe start, the start itself will take longer and the performance after starting will be marginally reduced, use it that way for long enough (hours rather than minutes) to get an idea of the battery consumption. The estimate on the toolbar will be useless as far as time goes (it's an average, and it's based on your normal usage).

I'm having this short battery life as well.

seeing 3-4hrs fully charged. and I'm using SSD.

Late 2011 12" MBP with 2.8ghz i7.

Battery cycles at 42.

I don't use this laptop very often.

I received the same service battery alert after updating my mid 2011 macbook air to Mavericks. I went from 7-8 hours of battery to no more than 2.5 hours, and it would not charge past 28%.

I'm absoulutely sure that it is Mavericks because after I reinstalled a clone of my 10.7.5 hard drive from before the upgrade the issue disappeared. I'm again able to fully charge the battery and the "service battery" message is gone.

For me this was definitely not a "too many apps running in the background" problem, and we really shouldn't have to reset the SMC or any of the other ridiculousness I've seen discussed in this thread. Please fix this Apple, this is unacceptable.

Same problem with my macbook air as well (late 2010 model). I live in India and the tech support is clueless about this.

MBA is slower, hotter (really hot!) and charge lasts a lot lesser in time. Sometime charges very quickly and sometimes very slowly.

Kernel_task takes 400mb of RAM and just does not let go of the RAM through out. Support asks me to do a fresh re-install and that it should work. I dont think it will. I think its an issue with Mavericks and Apple needs to provide a patch to this.

What is the procedure to even know if Apple knows and cares about it?

400MB (not mb) is not high at all, I generally run with a Kernel task load of about 800MB (or more)

What backgroud processes are you running, any antivirus software (or cleaner/optimizers)