Suspected iMac factory RAM problem, kernel panics?

Hi Mike, thanks for the reply:

I am hesitant to remove the Naga driver because I use my Razer Naga as a replacement for the Apple mouse. I have used the mouse and its driver since getting this computer, and haven't had any issues with it before. It might sound a bit odd, but I have issues with my fingers and nearly require the Naga's side buttons to play Guild Wars 2 and other games, which I do often.

I don't use any custom keymaps, which is mostly what that driver enables, but I do have the DPI settings set as high as they can go, and I'm concerned about losing those settings when I uninstall the driver. I do recognize that a lot of non-Apple kexts can create issues, and I will attempt to remove the driver if I still get panics after testing the Apple RAM by itself later tonight.

(The good news is that I've been running at normal load for some time: no panics and very few page outs. While it would definitely be nice to receive a set of replacement DIMMs shipped to my home, and I will keep AppleCare contact in mind, I may wind up replacing the Apple RAM with Crucial if I can get the money for it, as some people suggest using same-vendor memory in all slots.)

Interesting, and good to know. When I upgraded the RAM, I went with Crucial because that brand came recommended on multiple forums, and OWC RAM was more expensive at the time. I was concerned about having an "odd" number of RAM (12 versus 16GB), but then I read your post again and you mentioned using the same combination. The friend who bought the RAM for me (after I linked the correctly researched kind) had suggested I max myself out, but 16GB feels like overkill--and I've only gotten a handful of page outs (maybe 100 per half a million page ins) when all 12 GB were working.

Conversely, the stock 4GB is not enough for what I use the Mac for (all of it was in use under typical load).

On topic: I tested the original 2x2 sticks, without the upgrade RAM, and they somehow managed to pass all tests. I find this very strange. I filled all four slots again and am going to test under normal use for a while. If I get another kernel panic, I'll try removing the mouse driver as Mike suggested. I also reset the SMC when reinstalling all the RAM.

Although AHT came up clean, I didn't run it in extended mode (there still is the fact that both sets passed memtest seperately.) Maybe one of the DIMMs became slightly unseated, as occasionally happens with PCs. There also may have been a bit of dust in the RAM slots (yes, I know, dust is very, very bad for an iMac, but I've little control over my environment, stuck in the Midwest.) Were it possible in my current situation, I'd be much more thorough when it came to maintaining my hardware--I expect to move to Washington state before my AppleCare expires, and take my iMac in for a full cleaning (and possible screen replacement due to the infamous "gray smudge" issue) when I get there.

Regardless of whatever caused these panics, I'll keep this thread updated if they reoccur. I appreciate any further advice anyone can offer about the logs as well.

Message was edited by: Ascherose Reason: clarified SMC reset was performed

Well, I was going to post earlier that the issue had been resolved after resetting the SMC and dusting the RAM slots, but two strange things happened today:

1. Randomly, all my apps quit. Even the Finder went blank, leaving only my desktop background for a few seconds. There was no kernel panic or boot sequence: when my dock and menu bar reappeared three seconds later, all my programs were closed and opened up as if doing a Lion Resume. This hasn't happened before.

2. About fifteen minutes ago, I got another panic, after having none, with the computer having been on for 12 hours without issue. After rebooting, I removed the Naga kext/preference pane. While I was putting my password in to authorize removal of the panel, my computer went to a gray screen and displayed the message "You shut down your computer because of a problem."

After this, I was able to remove the software and restart gracefully as instructed. The mouse and side buttons still function without the driver, which is good. There is now no preference pane in my System Preferences window for the mouse, and Activity Monitor does not list the RazerNagaHelper process anymore, and there are no kexts with "razer" in /System/Library/Extensions, so I've removed the driver as best as I can.

There have been no immediate issues, but it's only been an hour or two, so it's hard to tell. Most of the time, the panics occur when I'm in a Skype call, although I've had a few that happened when I was not. I repaired disk permissions and am in the process of doing a clean reinstall of Skype (I deleted Skype's preferences and plist as instructed on Microsoft's site), so we'll see if that fixes it.

Earlier today, I turned the display off while napping, and the computer didn't panic, which leads me to think it must be some sort of software issue. I hope removing the driver and reinstalling Skype will help.

Had another kernel panic: this time during Skype, as usual. When the kernel panic occurs, the sound will skip and loop while the alert displays--and it always seems to happen when either me or my contact is speaking. I can be in call for several hours before this happens. The only major contributor to these panics I can see now is my headset.

I am using a Razer Carcharias headset (I know, Razer is starting to fail me), that has no drivers, and standard 3.5mm jacks. The mic doesn't work, as the iMac is only line-in, but that never bothered me because I prefer to use the built-in one. The headset is set as an output device both in Skype and in System Preferences -->Sound. I've gone several days without being on Skype, and still using the headset for iTunes and so on--no panics. But after a few hours of Skype, no matter what I'm doing as long as that's running: panic. Every time.

Some people on these forums have reported issues with panics when plugging in headphones or removing them, but I've never had that sort of problem. The log which I post below makes mention of a razerhid text that did not appear before I removed the mouse. I removed that kext by uninstalling another Razer driver before making this post, and testkext does not show any kext by that name running now.

But I can't figure out why a HID kext or driver would interfere with sound devices. It must be the headset somehow, which greatly disappoints me, as I've used the external speakers in calls for a year without issue.

Others have mentioned fears that these kinds of panics might be an issue with the logic board. I severely hope it's not a logic board issue: because of the wait times with Apple repair, I'd probably have to have my parents drive the machine in, drive back, wait a week, and repeat. This computer is quite literally my livelihood, but I can't ask them to drive two to three hours one way just for that. (Sadly, the only shops in a 50 mile radius that even mention Mac repair are those that have techs, in some cases uncertified, do repairs. Can't void my AppleCare like that.)

I am considering contacting Razer support and seeing if they have any advice on the issue. Here's my latest kernel panic log (ignore the razerhid kext, removed it already)

Fri May 17 16:02:25 2013

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff80002c4794): Kernel trap at 0xffffff80003d401c, type 14=page fault, registers:

CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0xffffff80ffffff98, CR3: 0x0000000000100000, CR4: 0x00000000000606e0

RAX: 0x00000000366789ce, RBX: 0x0000000000008168, RCX: 0x00000000005976b6, RDX: 0xffffff8019bf2220

RSP: 0xffffff8160293f20, RBP: 0xffffff8160293f70, RSI: 0xffffff8160293ee8, RDI: 0xffffff8019bf2220

R8: 0x7fffffffffffffff, R9: 0x7fffffffffffffff, R10: 0x8000000000100000, R11: 0xffffff800063dc04

R12: 0xffffff80003d3fc0, R13: 0x0000000000000000, R14: 0xffffff80ffffff80, R15: 0xffffff80ffffff80

RFL: 0x0000000000010282, RIP: 0xffffff80003d401c, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000010

CR2: 0xffffff80ffffff98, Error code: 0x0000000000000000, Faulting CPU: 0x0

Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address

0xffffff8160293bd0 : 0xffffff8000220792

0xffffff8160293c50 : 0xffffff80002c4794

0xffffff8160293e00 : 0xffffff80002da55d

0xffffff8160293e20 : 0xffffff80003d401c

0xffffff8160293f70 : 0xffffff800023dbbc

0xffffff8160293fb0 : 0xffffff8000820057

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:

11G63b

Kernel version:

Darwin Kernel Version 11.4.2: Thu Aug 23 16:25:48 PDT 2012; root:xnu-1699.32.7~1/RELEASE_X86_64

Kernel UUID: FF3BB088-60A4-349C-92EA-CA649C698CE5

System model name: iMac12,1 (Mac-942B5BF58194151B)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 69769850451127

last loaded kext at 33439879880: com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard 160.7 (addr 0xffffff7f81d2f000, size 20480)

last unloaded kext at 141596393685: com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI 5.1.0 (addr 0xffffff7f80a72000, size 65536)

loaded kexts:

com.razer.common.razerhid 1.5

com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9.5d0

com.apple.filesystems.autofs 3.0

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 122

com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC 1.59

com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 3.5.9

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 2.2.5a5

com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 2.2.5a5

com.apple.driver.AGPM 100.12.75

com.apple.kext.ATIFramebuffer 7.3.2

com.apple.driver.AppleSMCPDRC 5.0.0d8

com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet 1.0.0d1

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 4.0.8f17

com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleSMCLMU 2.0.1d2

com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.2.3

com.apple.driver.ApplePolicyControl 3.1.33

com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 5.0.0d8

com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.6.0

com.apple.ATIRadeonX3000 7.3.2

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 170.2.2

com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl 1.0.33

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHD3000Graphics 7.3.2

com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController 4.0.8f17

com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 312

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI 2.0.3

com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 3.2.1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCardReader 3.0.6

com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 404

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 2.1.0

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0d1

com.apple.BootCache 33

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 5.1.0

com.apple.driver.AirPort.Atheros40 505.67.1

com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet 3.2.4b8

com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.6.1

com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 4.9.0

com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 2.3.1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 5.1.0

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 1.5

com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 1.5

com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.7

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 1.9

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 1.5

com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.6

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient 195.0.0

com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 3.2.30

com.apple.security.quarantine 1.4

com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 8

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 195.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard 160.7

com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard 160.7

com.apple.driver.IOBluetoothHIDDriver 4.0.8f17

com.apple.kext.triggers 1.0

com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 2.2.5a5

com.apple.iokit.IOSurface 80.0.2

com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 10.0.5

com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 2.2.5

com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 1.8.6fc18

com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.3

com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 2.2.5a5

com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 2.2.5a5

com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 3.1.3d10

com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginLegacy 5.0.0d8

com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 5.1.1d6

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI 1.0.10d0

com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 3.1.33

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert 1.0.4

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltEDMSink 1.1.8

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltEDMSource 1.1.8

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController 1.0.10d0

com.apple.kext.ATI6000Controller 7.3.2

com.apple.kext.ATISupport 7.3.2

com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 2.3.4

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelSNBGraphicsFB 7.3.2

com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 2.3.4

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController 4.0.8f17

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 4.0.8f17

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPOutAdapter 1.8.5

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPInAdapter 1.8.5

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPAdapterFamily 1.8.5

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltPCIDownAdapter 1.2.5

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 3.2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.7

com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.7.1

com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.7.1

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 5.0.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 3.2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass 3.0.3

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 3.2.1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 5.1.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 5.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltNHI 1.6.0

com.apple.iokit.IOThunderboltFamily 2.0.3

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 5.0.0

com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 420.3

com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController 1.0.1b1

com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 4.4.8

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 2.0.8

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 5.1.0

com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 1.6.1

com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.7.1

com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1

com.apple.security.sandbox 177.9

com.apple.kext.AppleMatch 1.0.0d1

com.apple.driver.DiskImages 331.7

com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.7.2

com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore 28.18

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 1.5

com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.7

com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.4

All of the Razer drivers are gone, and I decided against contacting them, as I think the problem is occuring whenever sound is played through anything conneted to the jack. As you said, I doubt they'd have any advice or even be experienced enough with Macs to know too much about the issue. I got another panic, about 5 minutes after plugging the headphones in while iTunes was on. I'm wondering if there's something wrong with CoreAudio or any audio drivers, but I know that anything like that can't really be resolved except by reinstalling the OS.

I ran the AHT in extended mode, and in normal mode--neither found anything. I also reset the PRAM.

Reinstalling the OS presents its own set of problems. While I'd like to start over with a new filesystem because it's been about a year, I'm on a slow 1.5mbps DSL connection, and the last time I needed to reinstall, the computer was unusable for the entire day while it downloaded the OS. I've considered upgrading to Mountain Lion for several reasons (security, graphics drivers, so on). Since I want to do a clean install, that becomes more complicated: I don't have a large enough flash drive to make a bootable ML image. I have some blank DL-DVD's laying around, but I'm concerned that something will go wrong with the burning process. If I find out the burn was faulty after erasing my HD, I won't have an OS.

I've backed up all my important programs and data, and I'm testing the system under typical use without the headphones in, to see if I get any more panics. I've left the headphones in overnight while downloading things, and the computer hasn't crashed. It seems to only occur when a program is passing audio through the jack.

I'm testing Skype using only the internal speakers as I type this--so no headphones. My Razer Nostromo speedpad has been unplugged for a long time (days). I've been in an almost 3 hour call, ongoing and there haven't been any issues yet. The only USB peripheral I'm using right now is the mouse, which I removed the driver for.

I would test the jack with another pair of headphones, but I'm not sure I have any. I understand the value of testing with the Apple Mouse, but I have trouble using it due to the shape. Turning up the tracking in System preferences helps a bit, but the mouse still doesn't have any physical buttons (or the side buttons which I specifically bought that mouse for. Unless I've needed help with cleaning the exterior of the Naga Mouse and had to use the Magic Mouse while it was being cleaned, the Naga has been plugged in since the day I unboxed this computer. Just to be absolutely sure, I'll use the Apple mouse for the rest of the day--but I honestly think it's either an issue with the way the sound drivers interact with the headphones, or the jack itself. I'm not sure if AHT is even able to detect any issues with the jack, or what I can do to correct the issue on a software level.