Monterey crashes with WindowServer error after going full screen with YouTube

I am getting the same error as the message just above a number of times every day now.

I am running a MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 8 cores 64GB.

It is happening not on YouTube or any other video type of applications, but just using regular office type apps. It has even happened when the system has been idle for 7 or 8 minutes with just Apple Mail left running. I do not believe it is resource starvation of any kind in my situation.

Looking for anything that can give me more context into this situation or a solution as it is becoming a serious issue at this point.

Exact same problem, on newest M1 16 inch macbook.

I have bowtie and hiddenbar running, which is similar to bartender. might that be the issue?

Also experiencing extreme lag spikes while using before my crashes, not sure if anyone else relates

Hello marcvv, 

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities. We understand that you're having an issue where macOS Monterey is shutting down unexpectedly when you're trying to view YouTube in full screen mode. 

The next step would be to see if you encounter the same issue in Safari as you're seeing in Chrome. We are only able to assist you with troubleshooting Safari. 

If the same issue occurs, you'll want to then follow these troubleshooting steps to help being to isolate the issue:

1 - If the issue persists, restart in safe mode and test again: Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac. 

2 - If still occurring in safe mode you’ll need to create a new user and test it out again. This article will show you how: How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac.

If you still are experiencing the same issues with Safari, or if you’re seeing any additional error messages, let us know. 

All the best.

Same thing happened to me three times now - twice during MS Teams calls - and now while editing a MS PowerPoint presentation. See case: Microsoft Teams Call sometimes causes har… - Apple Community

Here's the Console Crash Report: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0fc-3zwlfxQbjYWyeCc1bAcuQ#WindowServer-2022-03-10-104540

Just did some searches on this and looks like plenty of others are having this issue with a variety on external monitors:

Kernel panic crash with 2 external… | Apple Developer Forums

https://www.mac-forums.com/threads/macbook-pro-restarting-crashing-when-connected-to-external-monitor.363330/

I'll try just turning the monitor off rather than disconnecting next time, but this is looking like a Macbook graphics controller issue.

I don't know if i was being helpful with my contributions or just hijacking the topic... I apologize

I decided to create another topic on the forum with lots of crash reports and details of my specific case...

Constant Crashes and restarts (WindowServ… - Apple Community

Thanks for your tips and guidance

Same thing happening here: mid-2015 MacBook Pro, Monterey 12.3.1. I was being plagued by this to the point that I thought it might be hardware. The machine was incredibly reliable under Mojave; problems have only started happening with Monterey.

To test, a few days ago I wiped the HD, reinstalled from recovery, created a new profile. Reset PRAM, SMC, etc. So this is as fresh as it can be.

I have installed the minimal software I need to work, nothing fancy (FileMaker Pro, BBEdit, Numbers ); the only third-party extensions are Dropbox, 1Password, and Surfshark – no Bartender, nothing pertaining to video, etc. Seemed good for a day or two, then last night, bang – crashed again, WindowServer.

Interestingly, earlier in the evening I had plugged the machine into my television via HDMI. Ran fine, but after disconnecting and the machine sat idle, it spontaneously crashed while I wasn't at the keyboard.

Also previous to the wipe, if I turned off automatic graphics switching, it would crash less.

Before the wipe, I would, when I really needed the machine to be stable, run in Safe Mode, and it would never crash.

So something in Monterey's standard set of extensions that gets omitted in Safe Mode is causing the problem.

I would say it's video drivers, since:

1. it's a WindowServer crash
2. happens more with graphics switching active
3. happens more consistently with external monitor connection/disconnection
4. graphic speed in Safe Mode – when it does not crash – is slow and clunky.

Conclusion: some native Monterey video driver that enhances graphic performance when not in Safe Mode is the culprit.

Frankly it's a relief to see it's happening to others; I thought my faithful MacBook Pro was on the way out.

It's clearly a problem for many with a variety of configurations (both Intel and M1), and I hope this detailed report can help Apple take it seriously and fix it.

I had the problem again today. I managed to avoid this issue for a couple of days and the only notable thing I did differently was to disconnect my monitor when I lock screen and walk away. Today I tempted fate and left it plugged in while I took a break ...and it crashed.

Key characteristics:

1. 1. It never happens while I'm sat here working, is always when I've stepped away and I usually lock my screen Ctrl + CMD + Q
   2. Seems to only happen while connected to my external monitor
   3. Always the same WinderServer ??? issue in report

So my conviction that this is related to using an external monitor, in my case Dell S3221QS, is strengthening.

Hi, i don't know if i could rollback to 12.3... photos and music databases, compatibility of everything updated after 12.4, etc.

I tryied removing every USB-C and regular USB connection and stopped backups, the iMac still crashed.

I received my SSD and installed 12.4 in it and migrated my files (I'm using it with an external USB-C case for the moment). Everything runs really fast, but it still crashed the first night.

I had an error Disk Utility found on my previous Hybrid drive, it is not found on the new SSD.

I suppose there are only three options remaining:

• Monterey 12.4
• Mysterious Hardware issue
• Some app, extension o program i'm running that messes something up

I hope with a 12.5 update this thing is solved.

The last console entry contains this:

-------------------------------------
Translated Report (Full Report Below)
-------------------------------------

Process:               WindowServer [-1]
Path:                  ???
Identifier:            WindowServer
Version:               ???
Code Type:             00000000 (Native)
Parent Process:        ??? [Unknown]
User ID:               

Date/Time:             2022-06-25 22:39:47.2526 -0600
OS Version:            macOS 12.4 (21F79)
Report Version:        12
Anonymous UUID:        C26217CE-4DAB-41A1-E2E8-5D36D0FB69BD



System Integrity Protection: 

Notes:
This is a watchdog-triggered termination event, and not expected to be well-represented in the legacy crash format

Crashed Thread:        Unknown

Exception Type:        

Termination Reason:    Namespace WATCHDOG, Code 1 monitoring timed out for service
(1 monitored services unresponsive): checkin with service: WindowServer failed to send ping message, WindowServer watchdog request handling code likely hung 80 seconds since last successful checkin, 2 total successsful checkins since load, 39 seconds since last crashed by watchdogd,  (1 induced crashes)

Error Formulating Crash Report:
This is a watchdog-triggered termination event, and not expected to be well-represented in the legacy crash format

Backtrace not available

No thread state (register information) available

Binary Images:
Binary images description not available

I have a problem similar to this. I notice that it happens when I plug my macbook pro back into my docking station or sometimes when I undock it. I've attached the crash report here. I'm on a 2021 Macbook Pro (M1 Pro), 16-inch, running Monterey. I hope that Apple figures this out as its somewhat annoying and happening multiple times per day as I move from my desk and back.

I have same thing too and I found a temporary solution of this.

It happens when I play War thunder or other "heavy" games the image just freezes and sometimes the models in game blink.

So the solution that helps me: I press the power button so Mac goes to sleep mode and often the image stays how it froze so then you press "esc" so the monitor goes dark, then you log in and it seems to be ok but after a minute or less it can repeat, however sometimes the Mac freezes completely so I have to restart it.

And I have problem with YouTube too but it's a bit different, when I open a video in full screen half of the display starts to blink fas(it doesn't stay like that for a while) but it never shuts down by itself.

EDITED I have Istat menus

I use MacBook Pro13 2020 with Intel Core i5

this error appears when I am able to fix problem by shutting down the screen

And this when I can't

HOPE APPLE WILL FIX THAN IN NEXT MAC OS!

Yep. 2019 27" iMac running 12.2.1

Seems to happen when I'm editing with Lightroom Classic and/or using Google Chrome.

Everything simply hangs for a minute, then reboots. All software is up to date and am now about to install OS ver 12.4 and see where that goes.

Just updated to 12.4 and also made a couple of tweaks: Changed settings in my LR pref for the graphics and removed all extension's off Google Chrome....will start there.

So far............ so good....we'll see.

I had this issue when I first upgraded. Anytime I was using one of my own backgrounds, switching an app to full screen crashed the windowserver. Your steps helped me identify Bartender as the primary trigger, and since I've shut it down it's more or less fixed. I have one or two apps where the windowserver will crash after a while, however. So there's a bug somewhere.

Same thing happened to me with a m1 pro MacBook Pro when I was trying to full screen a youtube video on Safari. I was logged out, but the audio was still playing in the background. I tried to log in then the cursor turned into rainbow wheel, so I had to do a force shutdown.