FINAL CUT PRO shuts down unexpectedly.. STILL after logic board fix

I have Resolve Studio and use it every day, along with FCP. However if your machine does not crash or shut down when running Resolve, that proves nothing about FCP. The software load paths of different apps are intricate and generally opaque to detailed inspection. E.g, just capturing an application load profile for a few seconds using XCode Instruments can consume a gigabyte of data, and even that is a sampled incomplete view.

If your machine is shutting down or rebooting when running an FCP task, that is by definition a system layer issue. An app cannot cause that unless there is something wrong at the hardware, OS or device driver layer. It cannot be fixed at the app layer.

Many years ago before protected-mode operating systems, this was not the case. A buggy app in Windows 3.1 or Mac System 7 could easily crash the entire OS. Desktop operating systems of that era did not have hardware-based memory protection, with the exception of Windows NT. However that was 30 years ago.

Today if a machine running MacOS or Windows crashes when running a certain app, it is not the fault of the app. Rather it indicates a problem at the hardware, system configuration or device driver layer. Understanding that and focusing on the problem area will lead to a lasting solution.

For example you could try Resolve or Premiere Pro and maybe it would keep crashing, maybe it would not -- or maybe you will spend months learning that only then to find the machine crashes.

If your machine is shutting down, rebooting or freezing, there are possibly (even likely) MacOS error messages in the system log indicating a kernel panic or uncontrolled restart. It is that area that gives clues to the true problem. You could probably get good support on an Apple forum for MacOS or hardware issues.

There is nothing in FCP (or any other user-mode app) that can cause MacOS to crash or shut down. The fact it only seems to happen with FCP is actually immaterial. User-mode apps are absolutely isolated from affecting other apps or the MacOS kernel. There is no software fix possible with FCP to correct this.

I suppose you could reformat the machine and reinstall all software, but it is most likely a hardware problem. In some cases it can be caused by a buggy MacOS kernel extension but that also has nothing to do with FCP.

Could 3rd-party RAM cause it? Yes, in some cases. It would make sense to try with the factory RAM.

What troubleshooting measures have you taken apart from resetting the NVRAM?

Try these, especially number 11 which should really be one of the first things you try.

Resolve an issue in Final Cut Pro – Apple Support (UK)

I suspect the problem is more likely to be connected with FCP and the way your computer is setup rather than a hardware issue.

Each app has a unique load profile. This is similar to vehicles crossing a bridge. If the bridge carries mostly cars, and if it collapses when a semi truck crosses it, that is not the truck's fault. The bridge is supposed to support a convoy of trucks in both directions during a simultaneous windstorm and earthquake.

You can investigate the truck manufacturer, thinking it didn't collapse earlier in the day when only cars were on the bridge. That will prove to be a wild goose chase. It is not the truck's fault and nothing can be fixed on the truck to prevent future bridge collpases. The bridge is defective -- either in design or maintenance.

FCP is like that truck. It is putting a heavier (but totally permissable) load on MacOS and the underlying hardware. If you looked hard enough and spent enough time you could find another app or combination of apps that would also cause that machine to crash or shut down. However that would be wasted time. It is not necessary to "prove" some other app can cause it. The mere fact it happens is proof.

Computer science and operating system design dictates that user mode apps cannot crash the OS. If a defect in FCP could crash the OS, that means a non-privileged malicious user could discover that technique, wield it as a weapon and crash thousands or millions of machines in one day. That obviously does not happen.

Another way to check whether FCPX is causing the problem is to try a different editing app.

The most obvious to use would be iMovie but as the innards are similar to FCPX you may get the same problem.

The answer to this would be to download the free DaVinci Resolve and edit with that.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

The glaring problem with this suggestion is that it is a pain in the proverbial to start using a different system but it would at least prove one way or the other whether FCPX was to blame or not.

Another suggestion . . . which you will not like as it will take several hours . . . is to backup everything and completely erase your computer, reinstalling everything fresh but only reinstalling the basic minimum number of apps.

You can then test for crashes and if everything works OK you can gradually add the other apps, one at a time to check that there are no more crashes.

I typed your problem into the AI chatbot ChatGPT and got these suggestions which have been more or less covered except for suggestion 2 . . . the iMac overheating.

Could there be any truth in that?

There could be a variety of reasons why Final Cut Pro X is causing your iMac to crash after an hour of editing. Here are a few possible explanations:

1. Insufficient RAM: Video editing can be resource-intensive, especially with large and complex projects. If your iMac does not have enough RAM to handle the demands of Final Cut Pro X, it could crash.
2. Overheating: If your iMac is overheating during the editing process, it could cause the system to shut down or crash to prevent damage to the hardware.
3. Software conflicts: Final Cut Pro X may conflict with other software running on your iMac, causing instability and crashes.
4. Corrupted Project Files: If your project files become corrupted, it could cause Final Cut Pro X to crash.

To troubleshoot the issue, you may want to try the following steps:

1. Check your iMac's hardware specifications to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements for Final Cut Pro X.
2. Monitor your iMac's temperature during the editing process to ensure that it is not overheating. You may want to consider using a cooling pad or adjusting the fan settings.
3. Disable other software running on your iMac during the editing process to eliminate conflicts.
4. Try creating a new project and importing your media to see if the issue persists. If it does not, your project files may be corrupted.

If the issue continues, it may be helpful to contact Apple support or the Final Cut Pro X community to receive further assistance.

We need more information about hardware and software.

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Does this occur with one specific project/library or with every one you start?

Is it just FCP that crashes or does the whole computer crash?

Do you get this problem with other apps like Photoshop etc.?

I am assuming that your projects and editing techniques are reasonably "normal" but you may be doing something unusual.

What type of media are you using and what are your project specs?

Can you remember what you were doing just before FCP crashed?

Re that Youtube link, he claimed FCP was at fault for causing his iMac to shut down. Then he later understood the same problem happened without FCP. He said Apple replaced his logic board, PSU and display -- Apple helped him a lot. After that he could no longer reproduce the problem, but he sold the iMac anyway. The problem was fixed, at least according to his description. It took longer to fix than necessary because he wasted time thinking it was the fault of FCP.

If the machine reboots or shuts down it is not FCP's fault for causing it. There is nothing in FCP to fix in those cases. Understanding that saves lots of unnecessary time troubleshooting the wrong area.

There is nothing in the software side that would explain it.

I believe the panics are due to hardware.

Do you use the computer for other prolonged tasks and if so, does it ever crash after an hour or so?