Late 2013 MacBook Pro Crashing A Lot

sg12369 wrote:

Hey, Thanks for the recommendation. I ran the report, any insight you can provide would be incredibly appreciated. Thank you!

EtreCheckPro version: 6.5.1 (6F003)

Report generated: 2021-08-16 14:55:44

Download EtreCheckPro from https://etrecheck.com

Runtime: 3:10

Performance: Excellent

Major Issues:

    Anything that appears on this list needs immediate attention. 

    No Time Machine backup - Time Machine backup not found.

Minor Issues:

    These issues do not need immediate attention but they may indicate future problems or opportunities for improvement. 

    SSD too slow - SSD is showing poor performance.

    Apps crashing - There have been numerous app crashes.

    Vintage hardware - This computer may be considered vintage.

    x86-only Apps - This computer has x86-only apps might not work on future versions of the operating system.

    Kernel extensions present - This computer has kernel extensions that may not work in the future.

<Etre Report.log>

To trouble shoot further you can:

 —Try a SafeBoot https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Takes noticeable longer to get to the login screen, does a 5 minute disk repair before it fully boots up, and certain system caches get cleared and rebuilt, including dynamic loader cache,  etc. 

Login and test. Reboot  as normal.  Caches get rebuilt automatically.

In Safe mode third party system modifications and system accelerations are disabled, it removes malware, etc hampering smooth operation, however a  reboot will put it back to normal mode.

This test will tell you if third party interference; extensions etc are not loaded in safe boot mode. 

 —Test issue in another user (or guest user) account

 https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/set-up-other-users-on-your-mac-mtusr001/mac

  This will tell you if it a universal issue or isolated to your user/admin account. 

Uninstall all third party apps that are Cleaners/Optimizers/VPN/Anti-Virus

—this includes your Tunnelblic all known to cause issue

If no insight or resolve— I might suspect the drive is failing or RAM is failing...

Apple can run a more comprehensive diagnostic — AST2 (Apple Service Toolkit) 

In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"—

https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

sg12369 wrote:

Hi there,

I have a Late 2013 MacBook Pro that has started crashing a lot in the past few weeks, after doing subsequent Big Sur updates. I know there was an issue with these machines when Big Sur was originally released. I waited to upgrade until that was reported fixed.

The system was stable for a while, and then became quite unstable. I was hoping 11.5.2 would fix the issue, but it has not.

I've wiped the hard drive and did a clean reinstall. Still crashing several times a day, sometimes several times in a row. I'd like to hold off buying a new machine a little while longer, does anyone have any suggestion of where to start?

Apple system diagnostics does not report anything. Sometimes the machine will work for several minutes or a couple hours with no issues, or just a quick seize and release. (a few seconds to a couple minutes, sometimes a logout).

Any idea if this is a hardware issue or a software issue? Any suggestions on where to start diagnostics?

Thank you!

You can get a good look at your System config. and reveal conflicts or issues, you can download/run this trusted utility https://etrecheck.com

For best results add the Full Disk Access.

If you need help interpreting the report you can post it here in its entirety in the "Additional Text" box in the editing toolbar below, in your reply.