Topic : Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception

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Larry K

Posts: 1
From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jul 30, 2007
Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Aug 1, 2007 4:14 PM
 

I'm having the most annoying problem. My display sometimes locks up without warning. Sometimes I get the following output in my system log file:

kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x8 = Fifo: Watchdog Timeout Error
kernel[0]: 0000000c
kernel[0]: 00000010 00005097 0000047c 00000000
kernel[0]: 00000486 00001528 00000000 00000003
kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 00000000

I'm not running games or anything graphic intensive -- sometimes just mail and Safari. It's not reproducible; there isn't 1 single thing I can do to get it to happen. I've reset pram, the PMU...

Does anyone have thoughts on whether this is a driver problem or a hardware problem? Thanks

MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
iVmichael


Posts: 6,662
From: QLD, Australia
Registered: Dec 3, 2004
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Aug 1, 2007 5:23 PM   in response to: Larry K
 

I'd suspect a hardware fault, have you run the tests from Install DVD1 (hold d at Boot) to see if it shows anything ?

Assorted Mac's and PC's, 60GB iPod - OSX 10.4.10 WinXP RedHat -      
quantumstream

Posts: 7
Registered: Jun 29, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Aug 5, 2007 8:40 AM   in response to: iVmichael
 

I'm having the same problem with mine, and the hardware test said there were no problems. Mine only happens when playing games. I think it is a driver issue, since the same games and pretty much everything else works in Windows in Boot Camp. This is an OpenGL problem in OS X.

MacBook Pro, G5 Tower   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
rmustard

Posts: 1
From: Austin, TX
Registered: Sep 24, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Sep 24, 2007 7:33 PM   in response to: quantumstream
 

I'm having the same issue when I play Mac OS X games. Doesn't seem to be an overheat or hardware issue because the same games play fine on windows. I don't understand what is taking so long though.

MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
evilppc

Posts: 6
From: California
Registered: Feb 23, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Sep 24, 2007 9:19 PM   in response to: rmustard
 

Same here! I get the lock only while playing games. I have one entry of the NVChannel timeout. I ran the extended hardware diagnostics and it came back peachy. A fix would be appreciated. :-)

MBP SR 2.2   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
egoens

Posts: 2
From: Indianapolis, IN
Registered: Aug 10, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Sep 27, 2007 8:18 PM   in response to: Larry K
 

I am having the same issue as well. My screen gives me strange behaviors and soon after locks up. The only fix I have discovered so far, is using a second monitor. I was using on the laptop at home and was repeatedly getting a lock up, but I connect to two monitors at work and no problem. I was certain it was a network issue, but it has proven to be the second monitor plugged into the DVI port that has "fixed" my issue. However, this does not bode well for a "mobile" killer laptop. Any suggested fixes on this manner would be nice for me as well.

Power Mac G4   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
nick2006

Posts: 4
Registered: Apr 29, 2006
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Oct 10, 2007 11:14 PM   in response to: Larry K
 

Same problem here, with or with-out external monitor. Will apple fix the drivers or is this a hardware error?

From system log:

Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: 00200000 00005039 00000474 00000000
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: 00000484 00000100 00000000 00000003
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 00000141
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: ath_rx_proc: NO RX Packets for 5 contiguous interrupts first DS Vaddr 0x63112000 Paddr 0x193b8000
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x6 = Fifo: Parse Error
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: 0000000b
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: ath_rx_proc: NO RX Packets for 5 contiguous interrupts first DS Vaddr 0x63112000 Paddr 0x193b8000
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - Error: attempting to clip to a position more than one buffer ahead of last cl
ip position (148b,5ec)->(148e,24ed).
Oct 10 23:49:59 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - adjusting clipped position to (148e,5ec)
Oct 10 23:50:03 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - Error: attempting to clip to a position more than one buffer ahead of last cl
ip position (1495,27d8)->(1497,2ea).
Oct 10 23:50:03 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - adjusting clipped position to (1496,27d8)
Oct 10 23:50:06 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - Error: attempting to clip to a position more than one buffer ahead of last cl
ip position (149f,20be)->(14a1,3366).
Oct 10 23:50:06 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - adjusting clipped position to (14a1,20be)
Oct 10 23:50:07 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - Error: attempting to clip to a position more than one buffer ahead of last cl
ip position (14a2,1f66)->(14a4,200d).
Oct 10 23:50:07 zoom kernel[0]: IOAudioStream0x7449a00::clipIfNecessary() - adjusting clipped position to (14a4,1f66)
Oct 10 23:50:08 zoom kernel[0]: ath_rx_proc: NO RX Packets for 5 contiguous interrupts first DS Vaddr 0x63112000 Paddr 0x193b8000
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: ath_rx_proc: NO RX Packets for 5 contiguous interrupts first DS Vaddr 0x63112000 Paddr 0x193b8000
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00200000 00005039 00000474 00000000
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00000484 00000100 00000000 00000003
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 00000041
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00200000 00005039 00000474 00000000
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00000484 00000100 00000000 00000003
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 00000041
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: ath_rx_proc: NO RX Packets for 5 contiguous interrupts first DS Vaddr 0x63112000 Paddr 0x193b8000
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00200000 00005039 00000470 00000000
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00000484 00000100 00000000 00000003
Oct 10 23:50:26 zoom kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 00000000

MacBook Pro 15.4" 2.4GHz 256MB Video Ram   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    

CT-JFK

Posts: 9
From: United States
Registered: Oct 15, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Oct 19, 2007 10:18 AM   in response to: nick2006
 

I see the same thing in my console log after a display freeze up. Both times it happened, I had iTunes playing an album -- which kept on playing. The first time, it happened when I inserted a CD (another song was playing). The second time, I was starting VMWare (it was not even running the first time through).

Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 19 12:26:55 xxxx-computer kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!

Note: I replaced my computer's name (which is my name) with xxxx in the log above
- Jim

Message was edited by: CT-JFK

Message was edited by: CT-JFK

MacBook Pro 17   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
viskom

Posts: 7
From: Austria
Registered: Sep 7, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Oct 24, 2007 2:28 AM   in response to: Larry K
 

I have exactly the same problem. The display freezes, mouse freezes, and I cannot other thing but to restart the machine. I have no clue what's going on. I don't play games. This (MacBook Pro 2.4) is my work computer. As non-Apple software I am running Matlab (from Mathworks), which runs under X11. No more other 3D intensive stuff.

My Log:

Oct 22 16:13:20 Teide kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!
Oct 22 16:14:19 localhost kernel[0]: hi mem tramps at 0xffe00000
Oct 22 16:14:19 localhost kernel[0]: PAE enabled
...

MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    
pierre l'morte

Posts: 5
Registered: Apr 7, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Oct 25, 2007 10:30 PM   in response to: Larry K
 

My brand new MacBook Pro is doing the same:
Oct 26 13:04:49 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 0000000c
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00200000 00005097 0000047c 00000000
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000486 000015e0 00000000 00000003
Oct 26 13:05:06 COMPUTERNAME kernel[0]: 00000000 00000000 01bf8001

Only seems to happen when I run FinalCut Pro 6.01 or iShell - editing/running (admittedly very large) video (2000x750 pixels) across two 24" displays via a Matrox Digital Dual Head to Go at 3840x1200 resolution. Other non-intensive apps seem fine (eg mail, safari etc)

Completely freezes and I can't even force quit - have to manually power-off and on again. Haven't tried Motion yet, but I suspect this will crash too.

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B02
SMC Version: 1.18f2
Serial Number: W874203DXA9
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

MacBook Pro 17" Intel Core Duo   Mac OS X (10.4.10)    

sergeytodorov

Posts: 7
Registered: Feb 15, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Jan 15, 2008 2:35 PM   in response to: Larry K
 

My MacBook Pro 15" (Santa Rosa chipset) freezes occasionally too.

At first I thought it was a problem when connecting an external display, but it happens even when I have not hooked anything to the DVI port. The freezes occur in plain OS X (not a game or anything special) and I think I have traced the issue to something related to the graphics card. Each time the system freezes, I have the following error in the system.log

Jan 15 16:27:40 Suuuju kernel[0]: NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel timeout!

The MacBook passes the Apple Hardware Test in both the default setting and the extended test without a problem. I also tried MemTest in a single-user environment and the Mac passes that too.

The problem could be heat-related in some way because when the MacBook freezes, its base (the underside towards the screen) is on the hot side. Most times I had an internet video (for instance YouTube) playing or some other Flash animation in Safari. I can reproduce the problem pretty consistently by opening one pretty intensive Flash site. www.group94.com is the site in question, and if you go Work at the top there (click cut the crap at the bottom after that) and open for instance the Experiences + Web Campaigns sections, there is some pretty intensive graphics action. After 10-20 minutes on this, the MacBook would freeze.

The freezes are like this: the screen is completely frozen (cursor not moving), but if there is an iTunes track playing it would continue playing. Also the Caps Lock and the Num Lock buttons work (i.e. they light-up their respective diodes). Command + Option + Esc does nothing.

My full MacBook Pro specifications are as follows

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B05
SMC Version: 1.16f10

Mac OS X Leopard, 10.5.1 fully up-to-date

Please, if anyone has info on the problem or a possible solution... please let me know.

MacBook Pro   Mac OS X (10.5.1)   2.2 GHz, 4GB RAM, NVidia 8600M GT  
yw40

Posts: 53
From: California
Registered: Dec 25, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Jan 17, 2008 8:58 AM   in response to: Larry K
 

Does anybody have this issue resolved?

MacBook Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.11)  
atomicbomb

Posts: 17
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Feb 14, 2007
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Jan 18, 2008 6:50 PM   in response to: yw40
 

Hi all,

I'm having this same issue, thought it's taken me a while to find the Console.app.

I've done a 4 hour diagnostics loop with no reported errors, but load up a game like World of Warcraft wait for the problem to occur then check console output and there are literally hundreds of these types of messages

19/01/08 1:06:55 PM kernel NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x6 = Fifo: Parse Error

I've spent the last hour on the phone to apple support and they have spoken to their senior ppl and basically desided that it's a hardware fault and i need to arrange an onsite repair.

I will post back here with the outcome when i have it.

Intel Core Duo iMac 24" (Late 2006)   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   2Gb Ram - 80Gb Video iPod  
Patlaj

Posts: 10
Registered: Dec 15, 2006
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Jan 19, 2008 3:14 PM   in response to: atomicbomb
 

Hi atomicbomb - I've been having the same problem (same Mac as you too I think - late 2006 24" iMac with the NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT).

I can launch any app that uses OpenGL and watch the graphics channel exceptions start appearing in system.log. I use iStatPro to monitor the temp of the GPU, and it doesn't really increase; so I don't think it's heat.

I had this problem in Tiger, and hoped that it would be gone once I upgraded to Leopard. Of course, it's not, so it doesn't seem like it's a software issue (unless they're still using the old drivers?).

I'm really eager to hear what exactly they end up doing to get your Mac working. I was thinking about just getting a new graphics chip installed (~$300 - no AppleCare), but I'm reluctant since I'm not really sure that that will solve the problem. Please, please do let us all know what it takes to get it fixed. (Please, please let it just be the chip). ;)

BTW, it is possible to restart the graphics after a graphics channel timeout, but you need another computer (or anything that can run an SSH client). If you can SSH into your Mac with the crashed graphics and run:

sudo /usr/bin/killall -HUP WindowServer

...you'll restart the graphics and unfreeze your Mac. Unfortunately, that also immediately force-quits all of your apps and logs you out, so it may not seem any better than just a shutdown and restart. You might also want to try "kill"ing the app that's likely causing the timeout, but I never had much success with that.

Patrick

White iMac 24" (Late 2006)   Mac OS X (10.5.1)    
kbalazs

Posts: 1
From: Pécs
Registered: Jan 20, 2008
Re: Display freezing - NVChannel(GL): Graphics channel exception
Posted: Jan 20, 2008 4:02 AM   in response to: yw40
 

The only solution: shut down the PC, connect the new display and then turn on again :)

my MBP Santa Rosa 15" freezes EVERY TIME when I connect an external display or peojector. then reset, then "it works"...

params:
  • MBP 3.1 15" 2.2ghz
  • bought november 2007

I filled out the form on http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html maybe You all can do it without the hope of the "personal answer".
no comment.

MBP 3.1 15" 2.2   Mac OS X (10.4.11)   grey