Please Help me! Constant Crashing

[MusicalDave10]

Hi, please, please help. I've had my iMac MB418 for a little under a year and it's driving me crazy! Half a dozen crashes per day. I can't work out what's causing it! If it persists I'll have to lose the machine and go back to PCs. I spent £1200 on this machine, only for it to constantly crash. These Kernel Panics are mentioned many times on the internet, but I can't find a solution. I haven't altered the machines built in ram so I can't think it's that.

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

PS, Crash log below:

Interval Since Last Panic Report: 2166 sec
Panics Since Last Report: 2
Anonymous UUID: AC337F98-2E8C-4150-B88F-4CFC6B59B80A

Tue Jun 29 14:19:14 2010
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001AB0FE): Kernel trap at 0x00425b67, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x00000014, CR3: 0x01948000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x07432e40, EBX: 0x07bacd80, ECX: 0x00425b58, EDX: 0x004c72a0
CR2: 0x00000014, EBP: 0x07b1c804, ESI: 0x00000000, EDI: 0x00108ff0
EFL: 0x00010082, EIP: 0x00425b67, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x07b10010
Error code: 0x00000000

Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x108cf8 : 0x12b4c6 (0x45f91c 0x108d2c 0x13355c 0x0)
0x108d48 : 0x1ab0fe (0x469a98 0x425b67 0xe 0x469248)
0x108e28 : 0x1a1713 (0x108e40 0x5c01 0x7b1c804 0x425b67)
0x108e38 : 0x425b67 (0xe 0x48 0x100010 0xc60010)
0x7b1c804 : 0x78f3c04 (0x9 0x1 0x1 0x1)
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: firefox-bin

Mac OS version:
9L31a

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.8.0: Wed Jul 15 16:55:01 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.15.4~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: iMac9,1 (Mac-F2218FC8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 1584142861126
unloaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0 - last unloaded 153356374931
loaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9d0 - last loaded 22329995843
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 2.1.9f10
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 2.0.2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAPlatformDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 2.7.5
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AGPM 100.8.7
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 1.7.1a2
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 6.0.3
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 2.8.15
com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal 5.4.8
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 113
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.GeForce 5.4.8
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.NVSMU 1.1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI 1.0.1d1
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 1.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver 1.0.0d28
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 1.7.7
com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.9f10
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHIDMouse 1.2.4b3
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard 1.0.9b4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 3.5.2
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.1.1
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 2.7.91
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI 1.1.2
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 1.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 3.9.7
com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43xx 366.91.21
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 1.7.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 3.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 3.5.2
com.apple.nvenet 1.0.54
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 1.1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 1.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPCI 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 1.2.5
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.4
com.apple.security.seatbelt 107.12
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 1.6.77
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 3
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 76.2.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 199
com.apple.BootCache 30.4
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 9.4
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController 1.0.1d1
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 1.7.1a2
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 1.6.9fc5
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.1
com.apple.NVDAResman 5.4.8
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 2.3.1d1
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 1.7.3
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 1.7.3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.9f10
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 2.1.9f10
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse 1.2.4b3
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 3.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 3.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 216.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 1.5.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 3.5.2
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 1.6.1
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 1.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.5.6
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.5.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 1.2.5
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.6
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.2.0

 

[Vylen]

Hi, please, please help. I've had my iMac MB418 for a little under a year and it's driving me crazy! Half a dozen crashes per day. I can't work out what's causing it! If it persists I'll have to lose the machine and go back to PCs. I spent £1200 on this machine, only for it to constantly crash. These Kernel Panics are mentioned many times on the internet, but I can't find a solution. I haven't altered the machines built in ram so I can't think it's that.

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

PS, Crash log below:
snip

Well, if firefox-bin (i.e. Firefox) is the process that belongs to the thread where the kernel panics occur each time they happen, then its Firefox' fault, not OS X, so don't throw your machine away.

Additionally, it would be no surprise if they happen constantly, since you'd be using Firefox as your main application - correct?

Heh, a null frame pointer...

Uh, in anycase. It could be a bad build of Firefox you're running, or a bad extension that is making Firefox do bad things. Probably an extension. Either disable your extensions, or use a different browser, and see if you still get kernel panics.

If you don't get kernel panics afterwards, then slowly re-enable your extensions one at a time - if it crashes again, then that extension is at fault.

But, if you still get kernel panics (especially if you choose to switch browser), post up another log and i'll look at it.

 

[MacTech68]

Kernel Panics are very often hardware (in my experience) especially when you DON'T have a lot of third party drivers etc, installed.

If you are using bleeding edge software (developer versions - alpha, pre-release versions etc) then that may cause some kernel panics.

Firstly, check your drive's directory structure with Disk Utility. You'll only be able to 'Verify' the disk when you've booted from it.

Next I'd seriously suggest using the original DVD that came with your computer to run "Apple Hardware Test" which may pick up some problem. For your iMac (Early 2009) this should be on Disc 2. See here for more information.

Another test you may consider running is a good RAM test like Rember.

Don't be fooled into thinking that your RAM can't be bad. It may only be one cell in billions that is bad and it can happen on Macs, PCs, new and old, with expensive and cheap RAM.

EDIT: Also, It would be interesting to know if these crashes seem to occur on the same website every time. If they do, it could be some bad coding on that site. As already suggested, try a different browser.

 

[Vylen]

Kernel Panics are very often hardware (in my experience) especially when you DON'T have a lot of third party drivers etc, installed.

If you are using bleeding edge software (developer versions - alpha, pre-release versions etc) then that may cause some kernel panics.

Firstly, check your drive's directory structure with Disk Utility. You'll only be able to 'Verify' the disk when you've booted from it.

Next I'd seriously suggest using the original DVD that came with your computer to run "Apple Hardware Test" which may pick up some problem. For your iMac (Early 2009) this should be on Disc 2. See here for more information.

Another test you may consider running is a good RAM test like Rember.

Don't be fooled into thinking that your RAM can't be bad. It may only be one cell in billions that is bad and it can happen on Macs, PCs, new and old, with expensive and cheap RAM.

EDIT: Also, It would be interesting to know if these crashes seem to occur on the same website every time. If they do, it could be some bad coding on that site. As already suggested, try a different browser.

Rather than "bad coding" on the site, I doubt that can cause a kernel panic - instead it would rather be dynamic content plugins (flash for example) that can cause a kernel panic since they can require stuff like hardware acceleration to do what they need to do. Obviously then, it would be a driver issue.

Admittedly, I doubt that a kernel panic (such as an invalid frame pointer) could by caused by Firefox, but there is a slight chance. Especially after a quick google, http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11144262 that guy had kernel panics every time he started Firefox, but was resolved after he deleted preferences and the cache.

Quite odd really.

<techno-babble>A kernel panic caused by an application in user-space is somewhat unusual if it doesn't require resources such as drivers. It would be possible though for the application to overwrite part of its own memory since it does have access to it after all - and since the issue here seems to be a null frame pointer, it does seem likely it has overwritten its own memory. Not too unusual since Firefox is written in C++. Pointers and memory allocation is always fun.</tecno-babble>

Of course, this does highlight the possibility of bad RAM - ram can die. As mentioned above.

 

[snberk103]

If you are within a year, you are still covered by AppleCare. Call them, and start a case file before its a year since purchase.

Its either going to be something you installed, a 3rd party add-on, or hardware. To help eliminate the software as the culprit, add a new account and don't install any software that isn't already in the applications folder.

Test this account, and see if you can get a kernel panic. If not, then its probably something you installed.

If you are still getting kernel panics you could try cloning your hard-drive to an external HD, and then do an erase and install. Then start testing just the software that Apple installs (after the updates have been installed). If you get kernel panics now, it's almost certainly hardware, and covered by warranty - as long as you still inside your year (which why you called initially).

If you don't see kernel panics with your clean setup, start reinstalling your 3rd party applications. As much as possible try to install from the original source, though if you have to you can usually drag them from your cloned HD. But this may be re-installing the bug that caused the problem in the first place.

My experience, both personally and from spending too much time reading Mac forums, is that if you have a software problem causing serious issues.... and a kernel panic certainly counts .... the cause is almost always an "enhancer". Something that a developer has written to make the Finder, or the Dock, or something basic to the OS work better. Ever since I banished these enhancers I have never ever seen a kernel panic, and we have multiple Macs in our household are used for most of the day, everyday.

If you have a hardware problem, Apple will take care of you.

 

[MusicalDave10]

Hi, thanks for the replies. I had discounted Firefox because I only moved over to that browser after the same thing happened with Safari. However, it's interesting that people are mentioning Flash plugins - could that be the problem?

Thanks
Dave

 

[Vylen]

Hi, thanks for the replies. I had discounted Firefox because I only moved over to that browser after the same thing happened with Safari. However, it's interesting that people are mentioning Flash plugins - could that be the problem?

Thanks
Dave

Maybe?

Do you have another crash-log that doesn't mention firefox?

 

[MikieMcBikie]

Have you tried creating a new user account? Has solved wonders for me in the past, and is a free try

# Edit try it friend, seriously