Macbook Pro Kernel Error - Can't reinstall macOS after factory reset

[LumpyHead]

2 weeks ago I got a single kernel error, restarted and it seemed fine. A week later I got another kernel panic, restarted and then it happened again before the apps could even re-open. I tried resetting the PRAM but it didn't help. I tried to safe boot and find the logs but it kernel panic in safe more. I tried doing a factory reset but can't even reinstall macOS via internet. It starts to download and then goes black and shuts down. Any ideas?

 

[chscag]

How about some information regarding your Mac? Year and model? Which version of macOS is it running? And if possible, copy and paste the kernel panic log in your follow up post.

 

[LumpyHead]

Macbook Pro late 2016 Model A1708. I don't have a MacOS because I can't reinstall without it shutting down. It doesn't get the kernel warning anymore I'm assuming because it doesn't have an OS.

Is this helpful?

{"macOSProcessedStackshotData":"bm8gb24gZGlzayBvciBzbGVlcC93YWtlIGZhaWx1cmUgcGFuaWMgc3RhY2tzaG90IGZvdW5k","macOSPanicString":"panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f9b071231): nvme: \"Fatal error occurred. ID=0x843 ARG1=0xfd86 ARG2=0xf6 ARG3=0xf7 EDD0=0x10600000 EDD1=0x100000 EDD2=0x0 EDD3=0x1d400000 EDD4=0x0 EDD5=0x0 EDD6=0x0 EDD7=0x0 NANDV=0x1, DRAMV=0x2, SSDC=256GB. FW Revision=12.93.01\\"@\/AppleInternal\/BuildRoot\/Library\/Caches\/com.apple.xbs\/Sources\/IONVMeFamily\/IONVMeFamily-470.100.17\/IONVMeController.cpp:5320
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff914c5ab9e0 : 0xffffff8017b1a65d
0xffffff914c5aba30 : 0xffffff8017c54a75
0xffffff914c5aba70 : 0xffffff8017c465fe
0xffffff914c5abac0 : 0xffffff8017ac0a40
0xffffff914c5abae0 : 0xffffff8017b19d27
0xffffff914c5abbe0 : 0xffffff8017b1a117
0xffffff914c5abc30 : 0xffffff80182c1abc
0xffffff914c5abca0 : 0xffffff7f9b071231
0xffffff914c5abcc0 : 0xffffff7f9b05c362
0xffffff914c5abe20 : 0xffffff8018232329
0xffffff914c5abe90 : 0xffffff8018232249
0xffffff914c5abec0 : 0xffffff8017b5c605
0xffffff914c5abf40 : 0xffffff8017b5c131
0xffffff914c5abfa0 : 0xffffff8017ac013e
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.iokit.IONVMeFamily(2.1)[28183FA3-6A50-3611-BC20-A0717B657AAC]@0xffffff7f9b04e000->0xffffff7f9b090fff
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity(1.0.5)[CA079DB9-6FDB-3AB5-A5E5-506459E3F12E]@0xffffff7f989fe000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[B130A8B7-967F-330E-942F-E0BB93C71C56]@0xffffff7f98531000
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM(2.1)[D9C4809C-7B20-3663-A9C8-4DBC261AAD86]@0xffffff7f98d42000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily(2.1)[3581A46A-F3F3-3CE7-BA52-7046E8D66C32]@0xffffff7f98710000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily(47)[8F7948CF-5C25-33F4-A687-67F8A5B7906E]@0xffffff7f98aa7000

 

[chscag]

The kernel panic report doesn't really tell us anything except that a fatal error occurred.

What do you mean - you don't have macOS installed? What happened to it?

Have you tried booting the machine to Recovery? (Command + R) And from there run First Aid?

How about Safe Mode? (Press Shift key while starting up)

 

[matram]

The stack trace seems to say that the fatal error occured in the NVM (non volatile memory) driver.

Resetting NVRAM and PRAM could be worth trying.

 

[Fishrrman]

If you have a brick n mortar Apple Store nearby, it might be worth taking it to them, even though it's out-of-warranty...

 

[bbstanfield]

I had a similar issue with a mid 2014 MacBook Pro. It had been unused for a few months then when I picked it up it needed several updates which went fine. However, when it went to sleep it would randomly restart. The error logs showed a kernel panic. I reset NVRAM and PRAM with no success. I then ran the recovery diagnostics and it fixed a lot of errors pertaining to broken links and so forth, but nothing truly pointing to why the kernel panics.

Apple support chat recommended the recovery diagnostics, (already done), and reinstall the OS. OKAY, ran the internet recovery OS install and it failed for lack of disk space. Really? Checked and it had about 25.X GB free out of 250 GB.

It should be enough, but said it was about 220 MB short. OKAY, reboot the existing OS, remove all my data files to an external HD. Checked space available, now it's at 18 some-odd GB. What? That can't be right.

It got to under 17 GB free but showed about 70 GB purgeable. What is purgeable? Researched what that really meant, had about 1/2 dozen snapshot backup files of many GB each hidden away. Opened up Terminal, ripped out the snapshot backups and rebooted again. Still only about 17 GB free. Really, again?

Rebooted and suddenly I have about 70 GB free. Great, back to the recovery OS install just in case. Restarted and it was fine. Took about 45 minutes but it installed the current OS version and had no errors. Total space available, 183+ GB. So far no more kernel panics and nothing I found in any forum went down this path. Having the free space is nice but not directly related to anything other than the re-installation of the OS. What caused the kernel panics per the Apple support guy was likely a problem with the video card. I have no idea if it's entirely fixed or the root cause. Time will tell.