Level 2

220 points

WindowServer crashing repeatedly since upgrade to Ventura

Since I upgraded my MacBook Pro (14 inch, 2021, M1 Pro) to Ventura (macOS 13.0 22A380), I repeatedly get logged out of macOS. After logging in I see a crash report for WindowServer.

This happens seemingly at random. Sometimes I can work for hours without a problem and at other times the WindowServer crashes about every two minutes which is severely disrupting and renders the MacBook unusable. As far as I can tell so far, the crashes don't correlate with any particular pattern in user activity or app usage and appear to be completely random.

I am using the MacBook with an external 4K LG display and other users on Reddit report that disconnecting the external display and only using the internal display remedies the crashes. But obviously this cannot be a proper solution.

Is anybody else experiencing this and/or knows about a better workaround then to forgo the use of an external display?

Posted on Oct 28, 2022 4:34 AM

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Guillermo1984

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Nov 6, 2022 8:55 AM

I believe that the problem comes from the external screen when it is in "main display" and not in "extended display". Before the Ventura update it was in extended and it moved to main view with the update. Since I put it back in extended display, I no longer have windowServer crashes.

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97 replies

Oct 30, 2022 11:45 AM in response to Guillermo1984

No, very definitely not alone!

This issue is affecting a whole lot of folk from what I can see, myself included!

Apparently, it used to happen quite a lot with Monterey too, though I never personally experienced it on that version of Mac OS.

Oct 31, 2022 8:38 AM in response to alexstanhope

Issues is still happening here. Any time I step away it seems to crash and computer doesnt completely shutdown, but you have to power off to use it. If there are any resolutions or updates, please post on here. I have tried a number of things but nothing seems to work.

reitermoritz Author

Level 2

220 points

Nov 4, 2022 1:04 AM in response to reitermoritz

Unfortunately I have to add that I had another crash yesterday even with the automatic display turn off deactivated. So my suggestion might reduce the frequency of the crashes (at least it seems to do on my machine), but it doesn't remedy the problem completely.

Nov 14, 2022 7:15 AM in response to DjPadz

Unfortunately, the 13.0.1 update didn't resolve this crashing problem for me. WindowServer still crashes randomly... although for me notably when my machine wakes from standby (opening my notebook's lid).

Djmath

Level 1

25 points

Nov 23, 2022 11:41 AM in response to reitermoritz

This is getting ridiculous, my MacBook Pro 2019 connected via usbC to Dell 4k, crash 3 to 5 times per day. most of the time after using screen saver or adding/removing a 2nd monitor Hdmi.

After a crash and a fresh start, sometime i have only black screen. so i have to unplug all usb C and restart again... what a mess

PS : Also my mac can t stay in sleep mode and wake up alone every hours

Thx Ventura !

Nov 28, 2022 1:05 PM in response to reitermoritz

Thank you for making my comment as a solution, although I would only qualify it as a workaround.

Maybe to add some hints to work around some other inconveniences:

I have enabled Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch - Apple Support. You can also use this method to approve password requests.
For webcam you can use your iPhone , but it is the shortest way to replace your battery - for some reason the phone CPU load is so high that the phone(iPhone 13 mini) gets quite toasty. Use your iPhone as a webcam on your Mac - Apple Support. Works very consistently.
Alternatively, use a GoPro as webcam - I am using a GoPro 9. The experience is a bit patchy.

Really looking forward to the fix from Apple!

reitermoritz Author

Level 2

220 points

Nov 28, 2022 1:21 PM in response to alexuntea

alexuntea wrote:

Thank you for making my comment as a solution, although I would only qualify it as a workaround.

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure by now that it's the closest we will get to a solution in terms of community support. Only Apple can fix this properly, hopefully in 13.1 🤞

Nov 29, 2022 11:17 AM in response to reitermoritz

My laptop is crashing literally every half hour or so, regardless of whether I cmd+tab, fullscreen or not. Can’t downgrade either because my time machine broke just now as well. Apple please fix this!!

reitermoritz Author

Level 2

220 points

Dec 5, 2022 4:13 AM in response to dudeontour

Yeah, sounds like a default "first responder" response (see also "Old Toads" reply in this thread: WindowServer crashing repeatedly since up… - Apple Community).

It's especially funny (or useless), because this problem seems to only affect Apple Silicon Macs and, according to Macworld, they don't have SMC and don't provide a mechanism to reset NVRAM manually: https://www.macworld.com/article/224955/how-to-reset-a-macs-nvram-pram-and-smc.html

Dec 5, 2022 11:15 AM in response to reitermoritz

Just chipping in that I, too, am seeing this. Only with Command + Tab, and for me, it only started recently, like a couple of days ago. I am using 13.0.1; using MBP monitor along with external monitor connected via HDMI.

Dec 7, 2022 4:11 AM in response to mousersvk

Just switched to that Separate Spaces off config, with hope in mind. Problem for me is, I do calibrate the monitors separately for my photo and video work. That side, I always use one monitor for the color work, so having the other one with the same color space is not so bad. Thanks for the suggestion!

reitermoritz Author

Level 2

220 points

Dec 7, 2022 5:04 AM in response to mousersvk

Ah, okay. I just tried it. When this is switched off the displays don't work independently from each other anymore.

I mostly use the apps I work with in full screen mode. Having an app in full screen on the main screen causes the secondary screen to just go black. It seems like in this mode I can't have two separate full screen apps per display or a full screen app on the main display and a separate desktop on the secondary display.

For my way of working that renders the secondary display more or less useless so I think I'm going to stick with just closing the laptop lit and only using the external display.

But if it really works it might be useful for others, so thanks for contributing!

Dendox1

Level 1

8 points

Dec 7, 2022 6:26 AM in response to reitermoritz

Is there a way to get some media attention on this. It always seems the apple is quick to move to fix issues that are cast poorly in the media.

In this day and age, not being able to run multiple monitors on a machine that is built for productivity that comes with such a hefty price tag is shocking.

rctneil

Level 1

5 points

Dec 7, 2022 11:44 AM in response to reitermoritz

Just submitted feedback to Apple about this with a link to this topic.

When I spoke to Apple Support about this a while back, the response I got back was "You have to contact Microsoft, we don't support Windows Server".

Urgh, How annoying is it having to try to explain their own software to them!

Dec 9, 2022 2:26 AM in response to reitermoritz

Exactly same issue - I am using a trackpad and it is connected directly via lightning and Bluetooth when this happens. I have two setups for my MacBook Pro M1 Pro with Ventura. One at home with a LG 4K and another in the office with a BENQ 4K - both create the WindowServer Crash.

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WindowServer crashing repeatedly since upgrade to Ventura