Q: NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception!

Filed under Mac OS X.....since I'm betting on a software driver issue, not hardware.

-Kevin

iPhoto '11 has been awful lately. Freezing the system multiple times in a single session.

This morning just had Tweetie freeze the system with the OpenGL Channel Timeout error as well.

This is getting ridiculous. It's taking my "Pro" machine and making it close to unusable!

-Kevin

Hi,

I also filed a report through my Apple Care protection plan.

On my brand new MacBook Pro: 15", i7 2,66 GHz, 8 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics, GeForce GT 330M 512 MB, the system freezes sporadically and I have to turn it off. 3 out of approx. 20 times I got a crash report/kernel panic after restarting it.

But: if I attach my external monitor (Mini-Display to DVI), everything is fine: the last crash was on tuesday when I talked to Apple Care and since then my MacBook was stable. I will now detach the monitor and see if the issue comes back.

-Ralf

I have a genius bar appointment for this weekend. I'll report back with any findings.

Having this same issue for the last several weeks on my MacBook Pro 3,1 (GeForce 8600M GT) running OSX 10.6.5

NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! exception type = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error

It's happened a few times while I was doing nothing, this last one just happened when I switched apps, probably using Exposé. Getting the flickering strobe light screen and a hard crash, have to hold power to reboot. In the past I've had a few that just kicked me out back to the login window after a minute or two.

Saw this somewhere, maybe in this thread, but it doesn't seem like the same issue -
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

Hoping this is just a software update needed, and that it's coming soon! Hate to keep losing work like this.

Ok, I am learning to use search better but I posted a new thread, in the SL area, detailing my problem that seems to be the same thing as what you are talking about: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12764655

Is this the same type of errors that you are getting? If so, add me to the list of the frustrated.

Interesting, I've been connected to a 30" ACD as well when this has happened...

Well I think we found the connection, so my guess is we must have the same problem. Has it happened when you were using the built-in display?


Anyone else connected to a 30-inch ACD or any dual-link DVI display?

I still believe this is somehow a bug with connected dual-link DVI connections. I am going to go check in the Mac Pro area and see if there is the same problem over there. I just wish there was a way to fix it. Has anyone tried reinstalling SL as a fix? and if you did, does it solve the problem?

Edit: Nothing in the Mac Pro section about this exact problem.

Message was edited by: StephenCCH

No, I haven't yet seen it when using the MBP by itself. I've been using a 30" ACD for years with no problems, then didn't for a few months until I bought this one and have seen this issue just in the last two months maybe. First time it happened I left to grab lunch and came back to see the login screen, so it seems to be spontaneous in some cases.

I'm connected to a 23" Cinema Display.

-Kevin

Well there goes my Dual-link DVI theory.

Similar thing happened to me as well. Just in the last two months has this been a problem. I have never waited long enough to see a login screen. I am always in a rush when it freezes and shivers.

Message was edited by: StephenCCH

Generally it takes a couple minutes of flickering before it abruptly kicks me out. I don't wait anymore since I know what the outcome is...

Upon going to the Apple Genius bar, he was unable to see any problem with my hardware or graphics card. Therefore I believe it is software.

Please file a bug report at http://bugreport.apple.com and be specific! My ticket is being investigated as we speak.

My theory is that the 7300GT (and similar cards) just can't handle the OpenGL/OpenCL functionality that Apple is adding into the latest versions of OS X and apps like iPhoto. The problem is that they need to start excluding the 7300GT from advanced OpenGL functions, instead of trying to let it do things, and having the graphics driver crash.

Even Adobe, with CS5, only has the very basic limited OpenGL functionality with the 7300GT. They even note the problems it may have on their site.

These aren't failing cards. It's badly written software and drivers. Apple needs to not try OpenGL functions with the 7300GT. That would solve the iPhoto issue entirely.

-Kevin