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MacBook keeps on having kernel panic errors without OS

Hi everyone. I just bought this "new" used MacBook. It's a 12in MacBook from early 2015.

The guy sold it for this exact reason since he was having this problem too. I was maybe a bit cocky but I thought I could fix it.

Anyways, the problem is that it keeps on having kernel panics. It restarts and most of the time it doesn't show any error or anything. It just turns itself off and then reboots.

I noticed that it tends to do it everytime I try to interact with the SSD, even though I did the hardware test (by booting while presing "D") and it shows me there are no hardware errors.


I installed high sierra on a usb bootable (for ease, after I downloaded it on my other macbook I changed the name to "sierra.app" instead of "Install High Sierra.app") and at first it was able to boot it and start the installation (also managed to interact with the SSD), but now it gives me this screen.


By booting into the recovery with Yosemite, it kept on rebooting as long as I interacted with the SSD (by verifying it or trying to install the OS on it). With Big Sur, at first, everything was very smooth. I verified the SSD and repaired them, it gave no problem. I installed it, but at the very end of the installation it rebooted and started over again.

I reset the NVRAM, PRAM and the SMC (don't remember in which order and don't remember how many times, but multiple times in the last 18 hours since I got it).

The online recovery does not work. After selecting the language, if I try to do anything, it reboots.


Tomorrow I will try to install macOS on an external SSD. Hopefully I can manage. If I can't I don't know if I will every be able to use this stunning piece of engineering.


Here's a photo of the error message I get when trying to open high sierra on the bootable.



edit: I forgot to mention that this error apparead after the guy replaced the battery in 2019. I thought it appeared because the battery is not properly connected. I opened it and tried to understand what was going on to check it, but since this model is very different than the others I just closed it. Everything seemed to be normal, but I am not sure.


If tomorrow I can't manage to install a fresh macOS on an SSD, I will bring it to the genius bar this saturday.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Mar 21, 2023 12:53 AM

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4 replies

Mar 21, 2023 8:06 AM in response to ranherover

UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE

After the reset of the SMC and the PRAM/NVRAM, I managed to get into the installation for Big Sur by going into the recovery with Command + Option + R.

Command + R goes into recovery with Yosemite (the OS it shipped with).

Command + Option + R goes into recovery with Big Sur (the last OS it had).

With Big Sur it manages to perform the install up to a certain point. Yesterday I tried it and it rebooted at the last second. Right now I'm trying it again. It says it's going to last 11 hours lol, hopefully it will take much less than that, but still. It is doing something because the ETA changes and the cursor moves. I am not sure whether it is an SSD problem at this point since it can do something.

MacBook keeps on having kernel panic errors without OS

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