Suggestions For Troubleshooting Kernel Panics

A kernel panic refers to a very specific type of computer freeze. A variety of things can cause kernel panics. Below is a description of how your Mac behaves when it experiences a kernel panic so you can recognize it if this happens to you.

When your Mac experiences a kernel panic it will abruptly freeze, unsaved changes are lost, and your Mac displays an error message indicating that the Mac needs to be restarted. After 60 seconds your Mac will restart automatically.

This article is not intended to be an exhaustive reference on pinpointing the cause of a kernel panics. Instead, it offers a brief explanation of kernel panics and lists a few common causes.

Historically, kernel panics were often, but not always, a sign of a failing hardware component. Starting around 2017 Apple began making some changes to the Mac operating system (macOS) that affect how it handles system extensions. The impact of these changes is that I’ve seen a big increase in the number of Macs  experiencing kernel panics. Rather than being hardware related, however, these kernel panics are often caused by having some older, incompatible extensions installed, such as older printer drivers or similar software.

Whether one’s kernel panics are caused by failing hardware or incompatible system extensions, further action is often appropriate. If this is the first kernel panic that your Mac has experienced or if it happens rarely, like once every few months, then just restart your Mac, get back to work, and forget about it. On the other hand, if you are experiencing kernel panics frequently, such as every day or every week, the issue should be investigated.

Kernel panics can be challenging errors to troubleshoot given their intermittent nature.

Here’s a list of some possible next steps:

  1. If you recently set up a new peripheral like a printer, scanner, or drawing table, then it’s possible the driver that controls the peripheral is the culprit.
  2. If you recently installed RAM, this could be the cause of your kernel panics. If it’s easy to get into your Mac, you could temporarily remove the recently added RAM to see if the kernel panics cease.
  3. If you recently upgraded your Mac’s operating system within the past week or so, then the cause could be an outdated system extension or driver. Contact your IT person and ask them to review which system extensions and drivers are installed.
  4. Disconnect any external hardware connected to your Mac, such as printers, scanners, keyboards, tablets, monitors, etc. If the kernel panics cease then one of the external devices is the cause, or more likely, the system extension driver for that external device is likely the cause. Another similar technique would be to restart your Mac in Safe Mode and see if the kernel panics cease.
  5. If your Mac is still covered by AppleCare you could take your Mac to an Apple Store and ask them to test the hardware. If a problem is found Apple would repair your Mac for free.

If you’d like to read more about troubleshooting kernel panics, please consider these resources. Perhaps these resources are best for your IT person if they’d like to develop a deeper understanding of kernel panics and common causes.

Eclectic Light’s article about how to read a kernel panic report and get clues from it.

Apple’s tech support article about kernel panics.

MacWorld’s 2013 article about troubleshooting kernel panics.

The Xlab’s detailed article about troubleshooting kernel panics, which hasn’t been updated since the mid-2000s, is still useful.

LifeWire’s article about troubleshooting kernel panics.

Apple’s Developer article about understanding and debugging kernel panics.

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