Process "kextcache" is using almost 100% of the CPU

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Level 1

145 points

Process "kextcache" is using almost 100% of the CPU

I installed Leopard on my 12" PB about 2 weeks ago. Long story short, lots of Kernel Panics and helpful troubleshooting from some very intelligent people. I was looking at Activity Monitor this evening, and I noticed that a process named "kextcache" is using almost 100% of my CPU.

Is there a way to stop this, or is something weird causing it?

Thanks!!

PowerBook G4 12 1gHz, Mac OS X (10.5.4), 1.25 GB RAM

Posted on Aug 13, 2008 5:52 PM

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Answer 1

glsmith

Level 3

875 points

Aug 13, 2008 9:05 PM in response to Josh Glover

Hi Josh,

kextcache is a system process that is used to rebuild/update the system's kernel extensions caches. It's run by the system automatically, or can be run manually I suppose.

The fact that it is using all of your system resources to do its job is worrisome. If we were just talking about any old system caches, I might be inclined to say wipe them and have the system rebuild them. However, we're dealing with kernel extensions and I don't really know what's safe to touch and what's not.

The first thing I would recommend would be to backup your data if you haven't already. Once that's done, I don't think an archive and reinstall would be a bad thing.

p.s. If your system still has kextcache running out of control, you can safely kill this with Activity Monitor or "killall" from the command line. However, you might find that it restarts at some point...

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Answer 2

Josh Glover Author

Level 1

145 points

Aug 14, 2008 7:27 AM in response to glsmith

Thanks for the advice.

I tried killing the process. It helped a bit. I had turned Spotlight off because it would crash every time it tried to index. This morning it made it all of the way through, but then I got another KP with the following report:

Thu Aug 14 10:17:58 2008

Unresolved kernel trap(cpu 0): 0x400 - Inst access DAR=0x000000000A472000 PC=0x000000003389633C
Latest crash info for cpu 0:
Exception state (sv=0x2b2bdc80)
PC=0x3389633C; MSR=0x40009030; DAR=0x0A472000; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x2A673C80; R1=0x241D3A70; XCP=0x00000010 (0x400 - Inst access)
Backtrace:
0x33BBD290 0x2A674224 0x33BBDA58 0x2A61F624 0x2A67FC58 0x33BD0B28
0x33A4DA38 0x33A399E4 0x00357748 0x003569AC 0x00356A60 0x000B05D4
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.nvidia.nv30hal(5.2.8)@0x2a602000->0x2a6c0fff
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(5.2.8)@0x33a34000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4.1)@0x2429c000
com.apple.NVDAResman(5.2.8)@0x33a34000->0x33cb4fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.5.2)@0x243df000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4.1)@0x2429c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.5.2)@0x243b9000
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x2b2bdc80)
previously dumped as "Latest" state. skipping...
Exception state (sv=0x2437a000)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
9E17

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.4.0: Mon Jun 9 19:36:17 PDT 2008; root:xnu-1228.5.20~1/RELEASE_PPC
System model name: PowerBook6,2
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xFFFF0004): 0x400 - Inst access
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x0009B498 0x0009BE3C 0x00029DD8 0x000AF390 0x000B2A78
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x2b2bdc80)
PC=0x3389633C; MSR=0x40009030; DAR=0x0A472000; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x2A673C80; R1=0x241D3A70; XCP=0x00000010 (0x400 - Inst access)
Backtrace:
0x33BBD290 0x2A674224 0x33BBDA58 0x2A61F624 0x2A67FC58 0x33BD0B28
0x33A4DA38 0x33A399E4 0x00357748 0x003569AC 0x00356A60 0x000B05D4
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.nvidia.nv30hal(5.2.8)@0x2a602000->0x2a6c0fff
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(5.2.8)@0x33a34000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4.1)@0x2429c000
com.apple.NP

Any ideas?

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

glsmith

Level 3

875 points

Aug 14, 2008 9:53 AM in response to Josh Glover

Hmm, I don't have any better advice than archive your data and do a fresh install, then an update to the latest 10.5.x. Looks like your graphics card is implicated in the back trace, so there could be a bug somewhere in the driver or in the OS X kernel. Or, it could just be that due to the integration of the graphics card and the kernel, it's expected to be part of a panic back trace (which means its presence there means nothing).

Sorry I don't have anything more specific...

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Answer 4

Josh Glover Author

Level 1

145 points

Aug 14, 2008 10:19 AM in response to glsmith

Still, I appreciate your responses. I am zeroing out the HD right now to do a fresh install from my retail disk. My HD is only 40GB, so I didn't have enough room for an Archive and Install.

Thanks!

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Answer 5

Josh Glover Author

Level 1

145 points

Sep 4, 2008 2:40 PM in response to Josh Glover

Thanks to everyone! For some reason, my PB is now working (10.5.4) as long as I have a mouse plugged in.

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