MacBook Pro Mid-2010 15" Frequent Kernel Panics

Hello! I'm also having the same problem. My laptop Mac Book pro 15 "2010. In my case it is happening in the Maverick system.I thought of upgrading to yosenite but by coments the Kernel Panic happens more in Yosenite! I think the problem is in the logic board in Graphic Control I do not think there's a solution to fixing this ****!

I totally agree with you! I already had 3 laptops and after a few years this kernel panic bug started to happen. I tried to sort it out I took it on apple they did not find the problem! They say the problem is in agum soft installed by the user! This is a sheer lie! Apple quality fell a lot!

Same exact problem here. Mid-2010 mbp 6,2. Was driving me nuts. Thought it was bad ram. No problems until El Capitan, but I've skipped every upgrade since snow leopard. Will try disabling the auto graphics switching as was recommended. At least I know what I'm dealing with now...

It turned out there was a software issue, as you said, and it was eventually fixed (for me, and many others). I had the exact same problem; everyone said it was just hardware and to stop talking about software drivers, and then one day an OS X update fixed it.

It was hidden in the release notes, something like "Fixes an issue causing system failure in some MacBook Pro models when using discrete graphics" or words to that effect. I can't be bothered to find out which OS X version it was, but it was at least 2 years ago.

There was at least one separate but ultimately unrelated hardware issue with some models around the same time, which caused much of the confusion. So I have no idea which people were impacted by the hardware problem and which people were experiencing the results of the OS X bug.

But for many people who were not using those models listed as being affected by the hardware defect/recall, it wasn't a coincidence that this problem started right after an OS X update. There was a bug in OS X which did cause problems with some discrete graphics-based systems.

I'm still using the same computer which was experiencing multiple daily shutdowns due to this issue, and it has been running fine ever since. No hardware fix required. I wonder how many people paid for expensive logic board replacements they didn't need?

The problem is likely due to the discreet GPU failing. Download gfxCardStatus 2.3 and use it to disable the GPU. This is a temporary workaround until you get your motherboard replaced.

You have a MacBook Pro with a known GPU fault that requires replacing the logic board. The panic report you posted is indicative of the problem.

The free replacement period has ended. You might be able to get them to replace it for free as the problem didn't occur until you upgraded.

Print out out the following article and take it and your Mac to an Appke Store or certified repair center.

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010): Intermittent black screen or loss of video - Apple Support

Fixing hardware is NOT a helpful solution because most likely, it will cost people more than $300(I just learned that there is a $300 flat rate for certain kind of repairing) for a 4 and half years old laptop.

My mbp notebook 2010 15'' has the same problem after upgrading to yosemite.

In 2012, I sent it to apple store and had it repaired for free. After that, mountain lion and mavericks are running alright over 95% of the time without sudden black screen and restart, even WITHOUT gfxStatus installed.

Until upgraded to yosemite from mavericks last week, this old nightmare comes back. I have to install gfxStatus and manually make it use 'Integrated Only'. Unfortunately, it does NOT help.

I have enough reasons to believe that the new yosemite does not cover this particular edge case like mavericks did, same machine same hardware but suddenly crashes 10 times a day just after upgrading. It is clear that the new OS and its display driver does not consider this 'delay response'. It is not a hard work for apple os/driver team to fix it in display driver because the error message is so clear, if some pixels are 'stucked', use its 'neighbors', or refresh again using integrated graphic card, or just do something instead of crashing the whole OS. It is reasonable to have some failover protection in the display driver.

I am surprised all the comments online saying it can't be fixed, or go to apple store and replace the hardware. In my example, the replaced hardware is still NOT working. Again, if apple os or driver team can just fix this edge case in the display driver without actually fix the hardware, it will be good enough and very very helpful to the users who own this model.

Currently, my temporary solution is hook up with my dell external monitor, and use gfxStatus, set it to 'Discrete Only', the black screen and sudden restart comes to me once or twice a day at most, it is kinda barely acceptable to me. Of course, it does not mean it fixes the problem, when I disconnect the external monitor and move it to my living room, it crashes.

I am also using same model (2010-mid 15", i7) and crashed 1-2 times per day after upgraded to Yosemite 10.10.

I brought my macbook to apple store Genius bar, they run VST (video test) for my macbook and confirmed failure. They offered me the price HKD4,xxx for replacing the logic board. I did rejected and downloaded gfxCardStatus app. Only chosen "Integrated" mode every time when I logged in mac os.

Now everytime i started iMovie, it prompted error and i must changed to another display card (Geforce) by gfxcard. But also crashed after I scrolled trailer in iMovie.

I hope Apple will fix this bug ASAP and it will save many macbooks and Apple fans.

I am very disappointed this time about apple products. It is because software affecting hardware? and expensive for replacing logic board but dabaipang also stated that it may have same problem after replaced hardware 😟

I hope Apple will fix this bug ASAP and it will save many macbooks and Apple fans.

There isn’t a bug to fix. It is a known fault that happened during the manufacture of the GPU.

Generally, the GPU wasn’t taxed as hard with previous OS’s, so many didn’t see the flaw until they upgraded to Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite.

By the way, I didn't experience it until updating to 10.9.5 a few months ago. How about taking that into account when offering a replacement program?!

I don’t work for Apple, and I’m certainly not going to replace your logic board. You should ask Apple. If you have an Apple Store nearby, then I would try to use that fact.

It worked fine until the OS taxed it, and Apple knows what the problem is, so why can't Apple build an exception into the OS?

It’s not some API call to the GPU that reveals the flaw, so it can’t be “excepted." It is flawed. Just using it could trigger the flaw. Some people actually saw it in 10.6. Others didn’t see it until upgrading past 10.6. As already mentioned, you can avoid using the GPU with gfxCardStatus.

LouCasa wrote:

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you personally were responsible. It was meant as a general plea to the people at Apple monitoring these discussions.

There isn’t anyone from Apple that matters monitoring this forum. There are moderators here that work for Apple, but they don’t have anything to do with Apple corporate.

Thanks for your reply. But please try to understand why we (affected people) are not happy for this problem.

Actually Apple store's staff also told me that is known "H/W" fault when i brought my macbook to run VST last week.

Apple claimed this is H/W fault and suggested us to change logic board. The interesting thing is, this problem was existed from long time ago. Please check this URL > MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010): Intermittent black screen or loss of video - Apple Support

After read the page above, you should understand that version 10.8 or before also got this "H/W" problem but Apple tried to fix this for 10.8 or before.

From 10.9, no more support for this problem. Until 10.10 released, you may search "GPUPanic 2010 mid macbook" from google and you will see how many people was affected by this problem.

I also want to classify what is the definition of H/W fault. If apple can isolate the bug of the logic which was burnt on logic board (version 10.8 or before), then this is software fix for H/W fault.

If Apple OS development team can just check our macbook version from OS and escape the "H/W" logic bug, all 2010 mid macbook will not be affected again.

For real H/W fault, I don't think so many people will see same error at same period (after upgraded to 10.10) like this > ... AppleMuxControl/kext/GPUPanic.cpp:127

The important point is, Apple provided OS update for us before 10.8, then we didnt know the actual graphic card's problem.

We trusted Apple and bought macbook. But Apple told us that our graphic card got "H/W" fault and no more support from 10.9.

I like macbook and saved money to buy this in 2010. Using it carefully up to now. Finally Apple told me that my macbook's graphic card got problem and asked me to change(buy) logic board for fixing this problem.

In Sep 2014, I'd just bought new macbook for my girl friend which is new model 2014 15" macbook pro. I told her macbook is very stable and have no problem. What a big joke to me......and to all affected people.