OS X Yosemite Keeps Crashing To Log-In Screen

As mentioned in my last post, each time I hva been logged out by the system, the Apple WindowServer just happened to crash.

So it is an OS or video driver problem. And it could be that some apps or features of OS X are exacerbating the problem and they look like culprits.

But I think this is the OS.

Same problem here. iMac from 2008 with a secondary display (always attached). Mainly seems to happen when under heavy load/low free memory situations. Seems to be the exact same thing as most wrote here, first the mouse pointer dissappears, then the screen flashes shortly and i get taken back to the login screen. Same access error as most seem to get in the Window Server Crash protocol.

Never happens when im away though. Usually when working and switching spaces/applications. Theres no way to stop it for me, most programs i use would ask to save before quitting, the Facebook "trick" mentioned earlier doesn't work for me either.

Have the feeling its somehow graphics related though, it happened a few times when moving pictures from one screen to the other or when opening a folder with picture/movie previews. ATI HD2600 here, does it happen with Nvidia cards too?

Really tired of this by now. I'm just downloading the 10.10.2 Public Beta; if it doesn't get fixed with the final .2 update i'll go back to 10.9. Too bad really, i like Yosemite apart from that.

Mine crashes back to log in after about ten seconds,the screen flickers then bang back to log in.

the only way I can get the thing to work is in safe mode I have also deleted my sons log in so all his stuff has gone and also deleted anything that has been installed I can also check any start up processes and there's nothing there to turn off.

Really getting fed up with this now because I have very expensive unusable Mac witch I am now regretting ever buying....

Durandal1707 any luck with the beta 10.10.2 ?

let me know please..

Today I noticed, that I have about 10 empty desktops. So I started removing them from the left side. When I deleted the third, it crashed to login screen. I did nothing else so I'm pretty confident is must have something to to with the WindowServer process. I have added this info to my reported bug with Apple.

No problems so far (and feels a bit more responsive), but its hard to reproduce. I've had days without crashes at times and sometimes two or three in a few hours. I'll push my computer a bit over the next days and see if it still happens. Don't really expect it to be fixed as only the Wifi bug gets mentioned, but we'll see. Will write here then.

Hopefully this will work Durandal1707 as for the wifi bug i don't have a problem at all with mine its been fine all along 😕

thanks for keeping us updated.

Andy...

Same problem here:

random session crashes to login screen
Yosemite 10.10.1 / 4GB ram / dual screens

Since my original reply, a strong common theme of using multiple displays has emerged. Both my iMac and MBP were bombing out to the login window either while or shortly after they had been used with an extended desktop on an external display (an LCD monitor and data projector, respectively). So I've rebooted the iMac without the external display attached and have yet to be troubled by the problem again.

Probably a bit early to get too optimistic but I've basically done everything in the last days that i had to avoid since i installed Yosemite, trying to provoke a crash, but i didn't have a single one with the .2 beta. Might still happen, but this looks good so far.

Agree about the dual screen observation, it often happened when moving a qt window or a browser window with youtube to the other screen, for me at least.

Edit: Happy holidays everyone 😉

Thank you Durandal1707 will hopefully get a chance to install the beta later.

Thanks again for writing back here and letting us know.

Happy Christmas

Andy....

****. A week or two without a crash and it came back.

I am running multiple monitors

I do not have, nor have I ever had more than the built in iMac display, and I have this reboot, lockup problem now, since 10.10. Just this morning I was surfing in Safari, got the Safari failed screen and went back to login screen. This is now happening much more frequently. I swear I didn't have this problem after first installing Yosemite. It was solid until the 10.10.1 update.

So, Apple if you are listening, give us a patch to remove 10.10.1 until you can fix all of the problems with a 10.10.3 update. We have waited now for weeks without resolution. Can't wait any longer. Also, can't believe your hot shot developers can't write good code. I know you are tired of hearing it, but here goes anyway . . . If Steve was still there . . . .

Can someone please explain what problems are happening with wifi, and mail? I haven't had any identifiable issues with either, since updating to Yosemite, yet all of the Internet chatter and news from Apple is centered around wifi fixes for Yosemite 10.10.2. I don't hear anything about back to login screens, lockups, or crashes, which are much more serious, from anywhere but this forum? I am worried that this update they are working on isn't addressing these problems too? I simply cannot, and will not, wait for 10.10.3. I hate all the time it is going to take to wipe and reinstall Mavericks from scratch, but if that's what it takes, so be it.

Just switched my imac on and there's some BS opinion survey about how I am enjoying Yosemit,well Fu** me apple I didnt get chance to read all of your BS because it kicked me back to the log in screen AGAIN..

I Have never had a single problem with wifi or anything else just this BS log in screen crap..