Since installing Catalina yesterday, multiple crashes from userspace watchdog timeout

Thank you for posting this.Yesterday I tried changing my notifications settings as you outlined and it seems (24 hours later) to have worked.

I was having a kernel panic every day, but not while I was using the computer. I'd come back and find it completely powered off and turning it on would give me the "your computer crashed, send report" dialog.

I do have an external monitor connected, but it connects via Luna Display, not a hardwired connection. I have 2 non-apple KEXTs loaded (SoftRaid for my disk array, and a VPN one for connecting to work.)

Last night, after making your changes, I left my monitor connected, and my VPN running, and no crash today. Fingers-crossed this is the solution.

The error persists for me even after the latest upgrade to 10.15.4.

Just had a WindowServer restart a few minutes back.

Process:               WindowServer [261]
Path:                  /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/Resources/WindowServer
Identifier:            WindowServer
Version:               600.00 (450.9)
Code Type:             X86-64 (Native)
Parent Process:        launchd [1]
Responsible:           WindowServer [261]
User ID:               88

Date/Time:             2020-04-05 09:14:41.906 +0200
OS Version:            Mac OS X 10.15.4 (19E266)
Report Version:        12
Bridge OS Version:     4.4 (17P4263)
Anonymous UUID:        85F304B0-7767-815B-1A50-0BD16BE47037

Sleep/Wake UUID:       CCC33AD5-A754-450C-BB3F-05417516DA73

Time Awake Since Boot: 33000 seconds
Time Since Wake:       210 seconds

System Integrity Protection: enabled

Crashed Thread:        0  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread

Exception Type:        EXC_CRASH (SIGKILL)
Exception Codes:       0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000
Exception Note:        EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY

Termination Reason:    WATCHDOG, [0x1] monitoring timed out for service
Termination Details:   WATCHDOG, checkin with service: WindowServer returned not alive with context:
unresponsive dispatch queue(s): com.apple.WindowServer.HIDEvents unresponsive work processor(s): WindowServer main thread 
40 seconds since last successful checkin, 13 total successsful checkins since wake (0 induced crashes)

Having spent half a day trying to work on the Mac Pro interactively all day since the 10.15.4 upgrade yesterday ... I can definitely say it's unhappy ... where on 10.15.3 I was seeing a hang every day or so, seen several in the last half a day. Nothing exciting running, mail, web, telegram (chat), and video render going on in background.

Still appears to be com.apple.WindowServer hanging

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff7f952f9ad5): userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from com.apple.WindowServer in 120 seconds

service: com.apple.logd, total successful checkins since load (1490 seconds ago): 150, last successful checkin: 0 seconds ago

service: com.apple.WindowServer, total successful checkins since load (1460 seconds ago): 134, last successful checkin: 120 seconds ago

Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address

0xffffff8dc881b720 : 0xffffff80147215cd

0xffffff8dc881b770 : 0xffffff801485a3c5

0xffffff8dc881b7b0 : 0xffffff801484bf7e

0xffffff8dc881b800 : 0xffffff80146c7a40

0xffffff8dc881b820 : 0xffffff8014720c97

0xffffff8dc881b920 : 0xffffff8014721087

0xffffff8dc881b970 : 0xffffff8014ec2ce8

0xffffff8dc881b9e0 : 0xffffff7f952f9ad5

0xffffff8dc881b9f0 : 0xffffff7f952f97fa

0xffffff8dc881ba10 : 0xffffff8014e54f3e

0xffffff8dc881ba60 : 0xffffff7f952f8cfe

0xffffff8dc881bb60 : 0xffffff8014e5e163

0xffffff8dc881bca0 : 0xffffff8014809bb2

0xffffff8dc881bdb0 : 0xffffff8014727328

0xffffff8dc881be10 : 0xffffff80146fdcc5

0xffffff8dc881be70 : 0xffffff8014714aa2

0xffffff8dc881bf00 : 0xffffff8014832605

0xffffff8dc881bfa0 : 0xffffff80146c8226

Kernel Extensions in backtrace:

com.apple.driver.watchdog(1.0)[99A75EFF-7734-31A0-80BF-FF8288E30D9B]@0xffffff7f952f8000->0xffffff7f95300fff

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: watchdogd

Mac OS version:

19E266

This isn't related just to external monitors.

I eliminated external monitors, booted into safe mode, and with a USB drive connected tried to back up some files to it. In about 20 minutes another kernel panic with the "userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from com.apple.logd in 120 seconds" message in the logs after a spontaneous reboot.

My next test is letting the screensaver disabled and forcing the computer not to sleep while the backup runs (for tens of hours, since I'm backing up 40K photos from the Photos.Library/Originals directory).

I'll post results here.

Dears, I have the same problem since the update of 10.15.4

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff7f99bdcad5): userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from com.apple.WindowServer in 120 seconds

I have tried to reinstall completely the MacOS, disconnect all peripherals, deactivate fusion drive, but also with a new installation the problem remain without any software installed.

The computer crashes continuously !!!

I have a iMac 21.5" 4K late 2015

I have not the possibility to downgrade with a previous version of Catalina.

This has been my CATALINA experience so far, in case it helps:

1. I was happy with my late 2013 macbook in Mojave: every thing worked perfect no hangs nor panics in many months.
2. Updated to catalina 10-15-0 -> started experiencing 2 types of panics:
   1. Sleep panics (OK, this was easy to deal with playing with configuration as I recommended in my last message).
   2. Sleep unrelated panics, more frequent when an external display was connected. Usually at least twice a day and usually with a kernel userspace watchdog message.
3. Updated to 10.15.1 -> Everything stayed "more or less" the same.
4. Updated to 10.15.2 -> Everything stayed "more or less" the same.
5. Updated to 10.15.3 -> Disaster -> At least 2-3 panics PER HOUR. 2-3 Fresh installs: same result. Computer to premium external service -> They do not detect nothing: they make stress tests and find nothing.
6. Went back to MOJAVE to keep productive -> SAME THING HAPPENING (then I was just absolutely lost). I decided to buy a new computer (16" macbook pro, I9).
7. New computer with 10.15.3 working fine.
8. Old computer again at technical service, fresh install catalina 10.15.3, my wife starts using it and she "only" experiences panics every once in a while (she just surfs the web, videoconferences and watch films)
9. I updated to 10.15.4
   1. New computer again experiencing sleep panics -> I reset SMC/VRAM and made the conf adjustments mentioned in my last post and they stopped happening. I start experiencing sleep-unrelated panics, but just occasionally (around 3 since I updated to 10.15.4)
   2. Old computer still suffering same panics but a bit more frequently

I really hope Apple can solve this situation and give us a really robust 10-15-5 to all of us so we can recover the feeling of robustness we used to have since Snow Leopard (my first MacOS) to Mojave.

My main complain, is that I am pretty sure Apple has triaged this problem, and knows at least a few "recipes" that we can use to have a minimum productivity and minimise these panics. It would be very welcome if they share some with us while they solve the problem. We all understand that bugs happen, and we all know they are doing their best, but please, do help us to config our systems to make them as reliable as possible while they solve these issues.

I continue to have the same problem on my iMac 4K late 2015, I'm convinced that it is generated by an error on graphics driver, in fact sometimes it doesn't freeze but there are artifact on screen and the menu on top disappears.

I hope the update will solve this matter soon, because it became unusable.... I started to think about Microsoft could be better... oh no...

Just an FYI, this was happening to me on Mojave as well. I upgraded to Catalina in hopes of getting rid of the problem, but it persisted. It now seems to only happen with Google Chrome, but it's happened in Safari and other processes as well. It's a Kernel Panic and Mac restart. All resulting reports have given me different corresponding processes that caused the panic in the crash reports. My setup is a 2019 iMac-27 with a 2TB PCI-based SSD internal drive, top tier CPU/GPU (8GB of GPU RAM) with 40 GB of standard RAM (8 Apple factory, 32 OWC). My point is, this isn't just a Catalina issue. My Mac is only 6 months old and I'm afraid to to do any work on it (word processing) from fear of losing it in a random crash. Apple seems to be oblivious of this issue, telling me this is the first they've heard. My issue has persisted since I first got it last October. The first one they sent me had the issue much worse and they had me send it back. IMO, Apple software is suffering from fatal flaws from sub-par engineers. This never-ending issue never would've happened under Steve Jobs watch.

Peter Galvin wrote:

While the problem is occurring is best I believe.

So as mentioned I kept a terminal window open, and when the hang started ran the sysdiagnose command in terminal as the key sequence didn't seem to get a sysdiagnose.

So still seeing these even with the very latest updates. The key shortcut for sysdiagnose is either not being seen or not completing before the watchdog reboots the systems.

Interesting that you can still get to terminal, other than mouse everything is frozen on mine.

"...Everyone in general should get the Apple Feedback Assistant app and submit this problem. The more submitted the more they might pay attention..."

No, that is only available to those signed up to the Beta or dev programs and intended for those test results.

Everyone in general can report bugs at

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

Same crash!

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff7f86ba1ad5): userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from com.apple.WindowServer in 120 seconds

service: com.apple.logd, total successful checkins since wake (1010 seconds ago): 102, last successful checkin: 0 seconds ago

service: com.apple.WindowServer, total successful checkins since wake (1010 seconds ago): 79, last successful checkin: 120 seconds ago

This happens to me today when i have an external monitor connected though though a docking station and system is idle.

On my 2018 MBP 15", even the caffeinate solution didn't always keep my machine from crashing when multiple monitors were plugged in. Then I remembered a similar problem I was having last year with my 2013 MBP 15" randomly crashing, and the solution I found to fix it from crashing: https://outluch.wixsite.com/rmbp-crash

That solution worked beautifully on the 2013 MBP 15".

I'm trying that solution out now on 2018 MBP 15" and will let this thread know if it works.

It happens. Every. Single. Time.

It can be reproduced with nothing but the docking station connected to the display. No ethernet, no keyboard, no mouse. It does seem to be dependent on the display lid being closed when the display goes to sleep. It takes a little more time this way since you have to wait the 60 seconds for no activity, where as with just the bluetooth mouse connected you can go to a hot corner and cause the display to sleep immediately.

I live in Menlo Park very close to Apple HQ and I would be very happy to drive down and demonstrate the problem live for

Apple engineers and loan them the setup if they cared to fix it. I doubt I'll be taken up on this.

anony m ouse wrote:

It happens. Every. Single. Time.

...

I live in Menlo Park very close to Apple HQ and I would be very happy to drive down and demonstrate the problem live for Apple engineers and loan them the setup if they cared to fix it. I doubt I'll be taken up on this.

Except I'm not sure anyone is there. There was a John Gruber WWDC interview with Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak where Craig and Jaws were in Apple HQ and you could see into the windows of other floors. You rarely saw anyone moving around. If there were really people at HQ, you would have seen a lot more people moving around through the windows, and around the out door spaces visible behind Craig and Jaws.

You could try contacting Apple Support with your reproducer, and offer to visit an Apple facility in the area to demo.

If you get a free Apple Developer account, you can file bugs, which is a lot closer to the engineers than this forum, feedback or even Apple Support. https://developer.apple.com

"There are users that have the watchdog timeout issue on 13" Macbook Pros which ONLY have the integrated intel graphics."

I have a MBP 13" from 2018 at work and there I rarely see those crashes – I think I've had one or two in conjunction with sleep – and I put the computer in clamshell mode and sleep and wake it several times a week. I see this watchdog kernel panic every now and then when waking from sleep on my (non supported) Mac Pro from 2010 with RX 5700 XT grapics ever since I installed Catalina which I did at version 10.15.2. I can't recall ever having it happen during use, though.