Calculator widget on notification panel

Go to folder:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.ncplugin.calculator/Data/Library/Preferences

and delete the file com.apple.ncplugin.calculator.plist

(or make a backup of it and then delete it)

This file is not present in a new installation of macOS High Sierra or in the user library of a new user account. If you open it (for example with Xcode) you'll see that it contains the stuck number.

After that your calculator widget should function normally again.

Hi all,

I have found a definitive solution (or workaround, if you will), until Apple decides to fix this annoying bug introduced by High Sierra.

Using Activity Monitor to trace what was going on, I have found that the culprit is the actual plugin for the Notification Center Calculator:

/System/Library/Frameworks/NotificationCenter.framework/PlugIns/com.apple.ncplugin.calculator.appex

(responsible for writing the "stuck" file ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.ncplugin.calculator/Data/Library/Preferences/com .apple.ncplugin.calculator.plist, widely referenced in this post).

So, we will need to replace the aforementioned .appex file with a fresh one from Sierra. If you happen to still have one (I can provide you with it, if you don't), just replace that file inside the NotificationCenter.framework, reboot, and you are done! Notification Center Calculator will start saving the calculations state and you will be able to resume any operations no matter how long before last use.

Note: You might need to (temporarily) disable SIP (System Integrity Protection), in order to MacOS allow you to replace the .appex file.

You can follow this instructions, just make sure to enable it back once you are finished:

http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/05/disable-rootless-system-integrity-protection-mac- os-x/

Let me know how it goes!

P.

Parker Smith,

I too was very frustrated that Apple Engineers changed the way the macOS calculator in Notifications works now. Many people state that it is "broken", but people need to understand the difference between software being coded with an error ("broken"), and intentional programming to function as directed. The macOS calc is not broken, it was altered to function resetting the total to "0" whenever you close and reopen the Notifications window or switch to another program, then go back to it. Unfortunately, they did overlook that those upgrading from Sierra to High Sierra would have the issue of the .plist not being deleted, therefore causing the total in the calc to repopulate to the last total that was present in Sierra.

Many in this thread are mentioning the "solution" mon.fractus gave, and although it does delete the .plist file so that the calc now resets to "0" (as Apple Engineers programmed it to do now), it isn't the solution that the majority wanted. We wanted it to continue functioning as it did in Sierra where the last total given would always be present, unless we cleared the calc. But, as I stated after receiving the reply the Engineers forwarded, this is now the "normal" function of the calc in Notifications, and not a "bug".

Lastly, many also keep suggesting to use PCalc which does appear as a widget within the Notifications side window, but I don't really want to spend $10 on a calculator app/widget. Also, it has way too many scientific functions that I personally do not use. That's why I gave the suggestion of using the free app/widget PEMDAS. I don't see the issue of setting it up in Dashboard as an overlay and choosing a Hotkey for it. It actually is better, at least for me, than having it in the Notifications sidebar which would close the moment you go to any other window. My suggestion at least allows you to see your current window underneath as you enter your calculations.

In closing, the macOS High Sierra calc in Notifications will no longer function as it did in macOS Sierra. You can spend $10 (PCalc) to have a calculator in Notifications that keeps the previous total, or you can install a free app/widget like PEMDAS (or similar) and set it up as an overlay in Dashboard as I explained before.

In God's Harmony

dialabrain,

That was my post, actually. Here is the link to my reply:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8129097?start=15&tstart=0

I'll re-write for convenience:

"Well, they got back to me yesterday. Engineering department states the calculator widget in Notifications sidebar is now programmed to zero out whenever it is closed and opened, just like the app. So, the ability to retain the last total is now gone in High Sierra. Of course, unless you are aware of the plist for the container file, and delete it, you will encounter the issue of the last total to keep repopulating."

In God's Harmony

Shelia,

I understand your frustration, but unfortunately, as I mentioned here and in another post, Apple has decided to eliminate the retention of the last total when using the Calc app in Notifications.

I can suggest something similar, but it uses the Dashboard instead of the sidebar Notifications.

First, I added the following free calculator widget, PEMDAS Widget [http://www.donkeyengineering.com/pemdaswidget/index.php?v=300&r=3].

Second, open System Preferences>Mission Control>Dashboard: As Overlay. I chose "F5" to "Show Dashboard".

Then, when I press F5 I get:

As you can see, you can see through to what is underneath because of the "overlay" setting, and you can drag the widget anywhere on the screen. Pressing F5 (or whatever key combo you chose) or ESC makes Dashboard disappear. The great thing is, the calculator retains the total no matter what you do. At least it has worked for me for the last couple of years. It does have scientific functions, but your main functions are easy to get to. Hope this helps you and others looking for an alternative.

NOTE: The new updated version may have an issue, I'm using Version 3 (older) and works fine in High Sierra.

I'm sending them an eMail to verify. Will post response when I get it.

In God's Harmony

Greetings, paulo555.

I see that the calculator widget on your MacBook Pro isn't working correctly since updating to macOS High Sierra. I'm happy to help.

Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac -- Test how it responds in safe mode. If there are no issues, reboot normally and test again in your own user account. Remember this when booting in safe mode: Limited graphics performance in OS X recovery or safe mode

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac -- If the issue is also happening in safe mode, use this article to test another user account. This will demonstrate if the issue is isolated to your account, or if it's system wide.

If another user account is already set up on your Mac, you can simply log out of your account (Apple menu > Log Out) and log in with the other account. But the best way to test is with a newly created account:

Let me know how that goes and take care!

I also have this problem. I tested this by checking my friend's computers before they did the update to High Sierra. On one machine they left a value in the calculator, then did the upgrade. Now, like us, it's stuck with that value as the default value. On the other machine, we made sure it was zero before the upgrade, and it's fine, still 0.

So the issue seems to be if you had a value on the calculator widget while performing the update, it got stuck as the default.

I hope this gets fixed in a software update soon - super annoying to clear it first every time.

Parker Smith,

My comment is based on information I received at the end of December 2017 from 2 Senior Advisors at Apple after several phone conversations discussing the issue with the calculator and Notifications panel after upgrading to macOS High Sierra. They informed me that after reaching out to the engineering department in charge of this, they informed them that this will now be the intended behavior. I forwarded the link to this discussion thread, as well as two others with similar complaints. My conversations with them lasted over a week.

In God's Harmony

catherineryanosm wrote:

Same issue here, with the number 8,100

The fix proposed with ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.ncplugin.calculator/Data/Library/Preferences/ does not work for me so I don't even have the 'reset to zero' option. I just use my phone now!

For what it's worth—

Following your correct path:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.ncplugin.calculator/Data/Library/Preferences/

There is no 'reset to zero' option. You manually change the string to "0"

Hi Shelia,

I installed the calculator from launchpad to my dock. Now the opening and closing of the notification window doesn't disturb me and calculator is all the time to be seen \o/ (once again Apple's engineers are...engineers)

Hi SnickZ!

I have the same issue. I tested it in a safe mode and in another use account. It appears in the safe mode, but not in another user account. So I suggest it is related to the settings or files in my account. How can I find out what exactly causes this issue?

Thank you in advance.

Hello,

Exact same problem on an iMac and MacBook Air. Just a different number stuck on each. Talked with support and did determine it is tied to my main user account. My last instruction from apple support was remove the widget, reinstall High Sierra, it did not fix it. Waiting on support to return my call.

blahbalah,

I hope you realize that I did state that I am not in favor of paying $10 for a calc, as others wrote; that is why I suggested a free alternative.

The deleting of the .plist file is what zeros out the total, and I did mention that the last total will carry over to High Sierra when upgrading due to an oversight from Apple Engineers. So it is not really a question of "must have", it will do that because they didn't include a script to run that would delete the file when upgrading to High Sierra. This has caused all the confusion and frustration mentioned in this and other similar posts.

Hopefully the deleting of the proper files will be incorporated in some future update.

In God's Harmony

I am also experiencing the same problem, but found a temporary solution. When the Notification Center's calculator freezes, or refuses to accept keystrokes from numbers or the keypad, open the Activity Monitor, search for "notification center" and kill [force quit] the process. It will immediately relaunch, and the calculator will once again work... until the next time it freezes. Something very strange is going on with 10.13.4. Hope someone can come up with a more permanent fix.

NOTE 3: Just tried version 3.1, and it is working for me now. The calculator is white instead of charcoal gray.