PowerChute software connects less than half the time

[lmacmil]

I am running the latest version with my BE600M1.  More than half the time when I try to run it (from the tray icon) I get a "This site can't be reached.  Local host refused to connect."  I am running Google Chrome but I get the same error with Firefox.  There's nothing different in my system when it does connect vs when it doesn't.  See attached screenshot.

[Ascathon]

Which version are you using? Feels like this started with 1.6.

Not only unresponsive, when you restart the service and then get into the webpage, you can see there also isn't any logging. So the service didn't really start.

[lmacmil]

I just updated to 1.6 but it did the same thing with the previous version.  Today it ran on the first try.  It's very inconsistent.

[Teken]

If you haven't done so please go through this check list:

https://www.se.com/ca/en/faqs/FA163608/

Obtaining Power Chute Logs:

https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA241061/

If none of the above trouble shooting steps have resolved or helped isolate the problem. Use the second link to obtain the PCSS logs and forward the same to APC Technical Support for review and assistance. You'll obviously need to create a service request for them to review the same.

NOTE: It can not be stressed enough that the target machine's power save / energy management / USB port  settings are well defined and not the root cause. 

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[Ascathon]

There are no logs.

It has nothing to do with USB power management or any connection.

The Windows service application is not responding until it gets killed an restarted. 

[Teken]

What are the results going through the check list?!?! What information is present in the PCSS logs provide them here for review.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[lmacmil]

The sc query apcpbeagent command returns nothing.  The start command returns nothing.  Device Manager shows the American Power Conversion USB UPS and the 3 HID drivers are listed.  The USB selective suspend setting shows disabled.  Services shows PowerChute Serial Shutdown running with startup type automatic (delayed start).  PCSS.log attached.

[Teken · Accepted solution]

Contact APC Technical Support and provide them the same PCSS Logs. They’ll probably ask you to uninstall PCSS and reset all Windows USB parameters given all the errors seen in the PCSS Logs.

In the interim you may complete a brain dead reset as outlined here:

https://www.se.com/ca/en/faqs/FA158947/

As they will ask you to do the same during the trouble shooting process as it’s assumed the unit may be in an unknown state.

They may also ask you to connect the unit to another computer running PCSS / PCPE. To see how the unit behaves and if the problem goes away or persists.

If the problem goes away on the other computer system it points to the target computer and not the UPS.

I also suggest you ask them to provide you with the last copy of Power Chute (PCPE) to see if there’s a difference in behaviour on the target computer system.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[lmacmil]

This is more trouble than it's worth.  As long as PCSS connects occasionally, I can live with the times it won't connect.

[Ascathon]

I also don't know who marked that as solution. 🙂

Obviously it is not a UPS device problem. We both already stated it is the Windows service.

Also probably hard to understand there are _no_ logs because the software _isnt_ running at all.

But well whatever, guess it is only us then.

[Under_Dog]

@lmacmil 

Does the issue happen when you start or wake the PC? Its possible the service has not restarted since you have it set for delayed start. Also, have you you mentioned when running the command sc query apcpbeagent return nothing that indicates the service does not exist. If the service is present the command would return that the service is off. 

Another question is, are you turning the UPS off when not in use? 

[lmacmil]

I marked it as the solution because it didn't appear we were going to get any more help in this thread and I'm not going to pursue it further.

[lmacmil]

Attached are some screenshots from my system.  Strangely, the PCSS has been starting up more often than not lately when I select the icon from the system tray.  I don't know why the APC service isn't starting and won't start with the command but everything else seems to be working as expected.  I never turn the UPS off.

[lmacmil]

This was the response from Gemini when I asked about it.  Apparently it's running as it should.

"You are good to go! PowerChute Serial Shutdown is APC's newer, redesigned software that replaced the old PowerChute Personal Edition, and it changed how the background architecture works.

In the older software, the background process was explicitly named APCPBEAgent (or apcpbeagent.exe). In PowerChute Serial Shutdown, Schneider Electric consolidated the service structure—so the running PowerChute Serial Shutdown service you are seeing in services.msc is the agent itself handling all communication.

Since the service is active and your dashboard is successfully pulling live data from your BE600M1, the background process is running properly and monitoring your UPS."