Calculator widget auto populates 26.2166 every time it's opened

Try shutting down your mac and launch into safeboot mode then inspect your disk to see if there’s any problem with it. Try contacting the apple support as they can assist you firther.

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FWIW, you might be duplicating it. It can also populate the value zero so it looks normal. However, in the past when you calculated a value it would retain the results until manually cleared or a new calculation is done. Now it "zeroes" out or some random number is displayed.

Do you experience the problem with the Calculator widget or the Calculator app?

I rely on PCalc also so I'm no expert with Calculator, but when I use Calculator.app it's the app and not the widget. Even then I use RPN mode so whatever is left on the stack doesn't matter to me.

I don't know if it's supposed to start with 0 all the time or not, but that's what it does on my Macs.

John Galt wrote:

Do you experience the problem with the Calculator widget or the Calculator app?

It's the same with the notification widget and the app.

The only reason it matters whether either retains a calculation is if you have to search for additional values not at hand.

Interesting. Although my Calculator always opens with 0 in the x register, the paper tape is not cleared.

Also, roll up returns the x register's contents prior to quitting. Other registers appear to be forgotten though. x<>y does nothing (or just exchanges 0 with 0 depending on how you look at it).

macOS Calculator always seemed half baked to me, and the iOS version doesn't even do RPN (as far as I know). They're not very useful.

I don't know what you mean by "progressing code rot". In fact the Calculator app appears to have been completely rebuilt in HS, probably for iOS consistency like everything else appears to have been with macOS lately, so a new bug wouldn't be surprising at all.

After I upgraded to High Sierra, same thing started happening to me with the Calculator widget (I swipe left from magic trackpad to open from right side of screen). The last total before upgrading the OS now keeps being the default total. If I open a folder on my desktop or open any application, then go back to the calc widget, it will revert to the same total. Pressing "AC" or doing any new calculation will only stay current as long as the widget is open. The moment I close and do any of the above, it reverts to the same total. I went through 3 Apple advisors over the phone yesterday. I had deleted all plists, container list, lock files, reset SMC, zap PRAM, reinstalled High Sierra via Command+R, and it still does it. The advisor had me screen record what happens, and sent a "capture data. They were not aware of this happening. They sent it up to engineering department.

It is frustrating, but all who are experiencing this issue in any form really need to call and report so more will be done.

In God's Harmony

Luis,

I did see the proposed solution, but, as the other poster stated from that link, it is not a good solution since it now reverts everything to zero. The original function prior to High Sierra was that it retained the last total until you pressed "AC" to clear it. I've already contacted Apple Support, and spoke to 3 advisors who have now forwarded a series of screen video clips and data packages from my system to the engineers. I also included this thread and a few others to them.

In God's Harmony

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

Is there a fix or is it a flat-out bug?

I can't duplicate it, but others have reported the same: Calculator always starts with 60

There was a similar thread recently. See if the solution proposed by mons.fractus in there works for you:

Re: Calculator widget on notification panel

It seems to be a bug. I use PCalc.

Show Paper Tape?

The Paper Tape zeros out as well when you quit the app. At least when I checked it last, a week or so ago because of the other posts.