Sunday, January 6, 2013

OS By Petzl - Mixed Results

Tried using the OS By Petzl software on a Core battery connected to a Tikka XP2:

  • The software doesn't work on my x220 tablet running Windows 7 (64-bit): it fails to detect that the battery is plugged in.
  • Even after trying to run the software in various Windows Compatibility modes (Vista, XP SP2, XP SP3, Windows 7).
  • It does work on another computer which is running Windows XP: can name the battery, tell it which lamp is being used, and set profiles.
  • But I can't create a custom profile. The instructions are just plain wrong.
  • Maybe a conflict with Lenovo drivers? Who knows.

Lessons learned:

  • If I had been using Windows 7 System Restore, it would have saved me a lot of trouble trying to uninstall the Petzl software and drivers.
  • Restoring from a previous backup (Windows 7 Backup and Restore) works fine, and only took about 90 minutes.
  • Was also able to use Areca to restore user documents. (Right-click on an archive, choose "Recover...", and choose a recovery option.)
  • Drag and drop of a VMWare Player Linux VM to/from a USB drive worked fine as a way to backup it up.

So, be warned. The OS By Petzl software kinda sorta works, but don't count on it. Bet the battery controller could be hacked though.

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