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Kernel panic with Firefox on Catalina

Ever since I installed Catalina I have been unable to shut down my iMac without kernel panic. I've been on the phone with Apple a dozen times and have finally uninstalled everything and started all over again, but problem persisted. Now, I've started using Safari instead of Firefox and the problem has diminished, it only happens every now and then. Firefox is still causing the same problem every time I use it.

I suspect it's not really the browser, but some website I'm using, perhaps Facebook, perhaps a mail server - does anyone have similar problems with Firefox? I haven't been able to find any reference in this Forum.


Cheers!

iMac 21.5" 4K, macOS 10.15

Posted on May 2, 2020 10:17 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 2, 2020 11:56 AM

Post the entire KP report.


If your Mac restarted because of a problem - Apple Support


Click the Report... button, copy and paste the text.

6 replies

May 3, 2020 11:11 AM in response to caseyfrombenalmadena

Thanks. Kernel Panic reports often implicate a particular kernel extension or hardware modification that could be contributing factors but none are present in that report. That means the likely cause is an intermittent hardware fault that Apple was unable to diagnose over the phone. Apple's recommendations combined with your actions and subsequent observations only confirm that suspicion.


The only thing left to do is to take your Mac to Apple or an AASP for a final determination.


Contact Support to get started.

May 11, 2020 8:33 AM in response to John Galt

Hello John,


Thank you for your analysis and reply. I have continued to use my Mac for a while after your last comment and it now only happens when I use Firefox for an extended period of time, opening several sites, like FB and some mail servers. It hasn't happened again with Safari. I find it strange that this would be due to a hardware problem - I would expect it to be more random than that, but will get in touch with Apple support now anyway. Cheers!

May 11, 2020 8:40 AM in response to caseyfrombenalmadena

So would I, but some programs simply use resources unlikely to be used by other programs. I doubt Firefox itself is the direct cause, but using it could certainly reveal a hardware problem that isn't likely to be found otherwise.


Forwarding that KP report to Mozilla is certainly justified: https://qsurvey.mozilla.com/s3/FirefoxInput/


Try that, and by all means consider visiting or participating in its Support forum also: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new?utm_source=input&utm_campaign=intro

Kernel panic with Firefox on Catalina

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