"BAD MAGIC! (flag set in iBoot panic header)" — Catalina freezing all the time!

This question has already been answered in the thread, this bug has no regional limit.

What defines this kernel panic :

• Recent hardware with T2 chip on MacOs Catalina (starts late 2018, includes new MBP16 & new MacPros) Some reported the same bug with a different name on HighSierra
• Common triggers : sleep-wake mode + external devices connected (any device, from hub, to screens and hard drives)
• Some have short burst of high temperature + maxxed fans + global freeze, right before sudden reboot
• Non working fixes : Flashing T2 firmware / Changing unit or motherboard
• Short lived fixes : SMC + PRAM reset / T2 security disabled / HD encrypting disabled
• More solid fixes : Disable all HD & Screen sleep (energy saver panel) / Screen sleep via shortcut or hot corners works / Disconnect all external devices if you don't disable the energy saver mode while away
• Note : passes the Apple Service hardware tests but is easy to reproduce once you are plagued with it and know how to trigger it

Whole story is here mark my words, I did a lot of research on this. The issue is due to Apple placing a non x86 command set ARM based T2 chip in between intel processor and SSD. (This happened in 2018. Any unit bought after this date is a candidate of this hardware/software error.) To conduct the command translation, they wrote the Bridge OS. Before Catalina I was getting Bridge OS kernel panics with my macbook pro and imac pro. With Catalina it has turned to “ BAD MAGIC” error.

I have files I keep to replicate the issue in front of geniuses. Because there is no console log when this happens. They take your macbook pro or imac pro in and say it is ok.

PROBABLE SOLUTIONS WHICH MAY WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE (NONE WORKED FOR ME BY THE WAY =0 )

——-TURN OFF ANY SECURTIY MEASURES THAT NECESSITATES THE USE OF T2 CHIP (SECURE BOOT, DISK ENCRYPTION ETC) from recovery screen before starting mac os.

——-reset the T2 controller: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295#t2"

——"Another recommendation was to reflash the T2 controller firmware: https://help.apple.com/configurator/mac/2.7.1/?lang=en#/apdebea5be51"

———T2 chip query (to check whether replacement logic board is the same faulty batch or not)

Here is the method to find it:

1. Open Terminal

2. cd /usr/libexec

3. 

For short info: 

./remotectl list

<your UUID> localbridge iBridge2,3 J680AP 3.6 (16P6571/16.16.6571.0.0,0) -

For all the details: 

./remotectl dumpstate

I set a camera everytime I worked with the computer and showed the geniuses the videos of kernel panics. Apple support knows the bad magic error yet they make you run thru all the protocol they are given by Apple. Do not give up. Some are really rude. Push push push. I made the apple store prepare reports that the computer cannot be fixed (stamped and signed)

Both of my machines got their logic boards replaced (memory also for imac pro, for macbook pro memory and ssd is on the logic board) I got them replaced. But the issue is on going. There are reddit users reporting problems with 16” macbook pros...

Get your money back if you can, there is definitely something wrong with the hardware. Had it been software, they would have solved it since High Sierra. I am having the issue since High Sierra, Mojave and now Catalina. This issue is very serious but turns out that it will be addressed just like the iphone 6s battery-gate. It took them years to admit... Please write to me and I will try my best to help. Good luck everyone.

Check your T2 model. J680AP seems to be the faulty one...

It seems that Apple has manufactured two kinds of _MacBookPro15,1_. One of them has J680AP T2 processor, which is distributed to the market at least before April 2019.  The other one has J780AP T2 processor, which should be distributed after that. 

It's not hard to find your T2 model:

Open file

/private/var/log/install.log

with Console App and search for

project = BridgeOSInstall

bridgeOS prepare summary: 16P6568 -> 16P6571, update = 16.16.6571.0.0, brain = 16.16.6571.0.0, variant = com.apple.bridgeOSCustomer, macOS = 18G87 (customer), project = BridgeOSInstall-56.4, userAuth = 0, prod fused = 1, model = j680ap, client = SoftwareUpdate, retries = 0

An update regarding the Bad Magic crashes on my macbook pro 16

After I reinstalled macOS many times, including after a complete wipe of my disk, as instructed by apple support, Apple replaced the unit. I insisted on the fact that the crash still happened while there was 0kb of my data (or any data except macOS) on the computer.

My new unit has been running since January 3rd, 0 crash so far. Note: I did NOT upgrade to 10.15.2. Last time around it's right after I upgraded that Bad Magic **** started for me. So I'll be sticking to 10.15.1 until I see this issue fully resolved.

Another thing worth noting: on my previous unit, while I was getting crashes as often as every three minutes running macOS, the unit worked flawlessly for hours on end running windows 10 in bootcamp, including under heavy load. So to me Catalina 10.15.2 meets T2 chip is the likely culprit.

I hope this helps

Update

Unfortunately, the issue happened again and again! Its a pity that macbook and apple has become such a bad product. I called up apple and in Netherlands they do a free replacement if the device is within 14 days old.

My last macbook pro which was a 2013 model in the span of 6.5 years has never done a reset more than like 3 times. Just look at the log below. I showed this info to the apple guys and they were like please return this macbook. They are giving me a new one now ! :)

How to reproduce this problem ?

1. Open Safari and open netflix on that
2. Start streaming a movie on that
3. The issue happens almost instantaneously

Interesting find here, as someone mentioned earlier, disabling the Automatic Graphics Switching (prefs > Energy Saver) seems to have fixed the instability for me. Note that I am using a MBP15 (2019), not sure all T2 units plagued with the BadMagic bug have a primary / secondary graphic cards like MBPs.

That find maybe pinpoints the culprits :

• Energy management (through the sleep and wake mode)
• Graphic card switching (might provoke a significant energy change)
• Third party external devices (screens, ext. hard drives, hubs....people on this thread have no problem with Apple monitors, all other third party devices seem to cause instability)

It all can be narrowed down to the way the units manage energy, T2 / Bridge seems to be somehow involved but that not proven yet. I'm not entirely sure it's only Catalina / HighSierra related because we don't have case of new units (2018+) with older MacOS (Sierra and below), that would not make much sens.

This is a cheap fix. I'm still waiting for the incoming Catalina update to see if it's totally fixed (expectations are low). If not i'll ask for repair / change / refund until it's 100% stable.

I wanted to share my experience of this because it ****** me off so much.

So, I bought a new MacBook Air (2019 model), stoked new fresh unit latest specs, apple never has problems.

4 charges in I have the freeze, restart and BAD MAGIC error report happening EVERY SINGLE TIME I TRY TO USE MY DEVICE.

So frustrating, Apple products never have a problem.

I contacted Apple Support on Twitter, they instructed me to use the website to resolve the problem.

The website instructed me to take it to the nearest OFFICIAL device support service place.

Did that.

Two weeks later they inform me that the logic board AND the finger print thing has been replaced.

They replaced the logic board and fingerprint thing.

I am 3 charges in and it and my device is operating like the product I originally purchased.

Although I am ****** that I had to go through that, my device has a 1 year warranty and it was fixed and it now working.

If you are suffering from the BAD MAGIC error report just take it to an OFFICIAL APPLE PRODUCT PLACE.

Hope that helps :)

Possible Fix/Work Around!

I have the same issue. My MBP 16 inch works completely fine on its own (no monitors plugged in), but when I connect any of my monitors (I have three) then eventually it crashes. I have spoke with phone support and performed all the diagnostics and resets they asked me to do and none of them worked. I am running bootcamp as well and noticed that my computer does not crash when using windows through bootcamp exempt on occasion when running games, but it doesn't happen often. On MacOS it has happened on every session when connected to external monitors.

I am not sure if this is the case, but I figured it might be graphics related through the software automatic graphics switching since bootcamp does not have this feature and seems to run fine. So I disabled this in system preferences>energy saver and unchecked the box next to Automatic graphics switching. So far I have been primarily using MacOS to see if it worked and so far NO CRASHES!! It has only been a few days but I could have never gone this long before.

Anyway, maybe you can try this and see if it works for you. I plan on taking my mac in to see if they will replace it as this should not be an issue for the price/it is marketed as a desktop replacement, but I figured I would post this for anyone not able to get there laptop replaced or repaired that maybe this fix will work for them as well.

Had the Bad Magic unexpected shutdowns ever since 10.14.5

Stand-alone MacBook Air 2019, no thunderbolt or USB peripherals - a straight-up stand-alone machine

10.14.6 didn’t stop the unexpected shutdowns

Here’s what’s worked for me:

Send the error reports to Apple. They’ll get the serial # of your machine, nothing more

Daily

Then, my MacBook Air stopped. Bricked.

Went to Apple store (with an appointment) they confirmed it was bricked. They didn’t want to talk about Bad Magic. Guess it’s like Fight Club.

They replaced the logic board and it was ready for pick-up in 3 days

I use Mojave not Catalina because I have too much 32-bit stuff

Back-up when you can, good advice forever, but this is a weird hardware thing that got kicked-in with 10.14.5 … that’s my experience

FYI... went to the Genius Bar and they said the BAD MAGIC! reboot error was hardware related. They replaced my MBP (new 16" version), and no issues with the new one.

I was experiencing the bad magic issue just like everyone else.

Issue I had:

1. When computer was connected to two monitors, it would restart and produced a "bad magic" error.
2. If I left the lid open with the two monitors connected, nothing happened. (Keep in mind the power cord was left connected)
3. If I closed the lid and left the two monitor connected, computer would crash. (keep in mind the power cord was left connected)

My issue was only persistent when ONLY two monitors were connected. Nothing would happen when the monitors were unplugged.

2018 MBP Touch Bar 512gb SSD & 16gb RAM. I did a tremendous troubleshooting and finally gave in and reinstalled everything from scratch.

Steps I took to resolve:

1. Reinstalled a new version of Catalina
2. Download all programs from scratch, meaning, I did not do a backup and reinstalled from it.
3. Tested with two monitors, without two monitors, and left the laptop on with the lid open and closed.

And, after 1.5 weeks, the issue is gone. The laptop does not crash at all. I left it on for the whole 1.5 week, and then came back and computer woke like normal.

My theory is, when reinstalling from backup, some power preferences get corrupted. But, I have no way to prove it.

It is tedious to reinstall everything, but it was worth it for me. The bad magic issue may be software issues for some and for others, it may be a hardware one.

I had the same logs until it started with the Bad Magic log. I already has 2 days without having any crash since I reseted the SMC and VRAM, still keeping my fingers crossed, but before doing it the crashes appears every day and several times, so at least it's better now, hopefully its fixed for good.

Great summary of the issue and matches my experience.

Add in the "Sleep Wake failure in EFI" crash which some of us are experiencing prior to the "Bad Magic" crashes.

As a test that it may have to do with either the Sleep/Energy Saver functions or having multiple LG UltraFine 4k directly connected monitors, I started by disabling Display options to "never sleep" and turned off "automatic graphics switching". I then connected directly one monitor and left the laptop open with the screen as the second monitor. No crashes after 2 days, so then connected directly the second monitor while still keeping the laptop open. No crashes after 1 day. Yesterday I closed the laptop and now running both monitors. No crashes yet. So perhaps the sleep/wake settings are key?

4 days now since my last post without any further crashes (Both Sleep/wake failure & Bad Magic). Solution for me—so far—was to uncheck "hard disks to sleep..." on battery and power adapter tabs and change both "turn display off after..." sliders to "Never" under Energy Saver. Laptop connected to power directly with remaining 3 USB-c ports connects directly to OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock and 2 LG4K monitors.

I had the issue with 10.15.1and 10.15.2 without ever turning-on file vault. Turning-off automatic graphics switching appears to have resolved it for me. Been OK for the past 2 weeks. Fan speeds-up occasionally but slows down without a panic.