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User profile for user: Odiekun
Odiekun Author
User level: Level 1
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15" Mid 2015 MacBook Pro crashing, freezing and restarting whenever I use downloaded software

I just bought a new Macbook Pro a few months ago, and ever since I upgraded to El Capitan, I've been experiencing issues. See, the whole reason I bought it right before El Capitan's release was to make sure I could upgrade my OS, because my last computer was stuck on Snow Leopard since every time I tried to update to Mavericks or Yosemite, it literally destroyed my computer. Apple wouldn't acknowledge the problem since I was out of warranty, so I wanted to make sure I could upgrade this one while still under warranty.


Anyway. So, my latest issue (already had to deal with a constant battery drain in sleep mode but that's mostly fixed now) is that my computer will periodically freeze, crash, or restart itself. It happens a couple times a week, and I've noticed it's usually happening either when I'm using a downloaded software, or I have a downloaded software open. Example being Photoshop. I'd try to update some pdfs, and I couldn't get more than two lines in before my computer would freeze. Literally took me about an hour to sign a document with my tablet. Another example being Minecraft. This one usually lasts a while but it did crash a few times while playing. The problem doesn't happen often enough that I can recreate it on command, so I can almost guarantee the Genius Bar will be as useless as they were with my last laptop and tell me to factory restore it (literally the only advice they ever gave me and I took it in 4-5 times), and I highly doubt that'll fix the issue, but I want to avoid that anyway since I think restoring it so many times just made my computer even worse than it already was.


So my my question is has anyone else had this issue, and do you know any possible solutions if so? And also, do these frequent freezes/crashes and/or factory restores damage my computer in the long run? I'd really be upset if the issue was resolved but in a couple of years my computer shuts down because of the garbage I'm dealing with now. I just downloaded the latest version of El Capitan, so it's possible that patch may have fixed it, and I will update if it's still crashing. But I'm being proactive and asking for help in the community because in my seven years of Apple service, Apple themselves have literally never ever helped me.


TL;DR My computer's about four months old and it freezes and crashes a few times a week, usually when using downloaded software. Is there a solution? And even if this is resolved, will these crashes and potential factory restores damage my computer in the long run?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Dec 18, 2015 7:15 PM

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31 replies
User profile for user: Grant Bennet-Alder
Grant Bennet-Alder
User level: Level 10
127,363 points

Dec 18, 2015 7:40 PM in response to Odiekun

Mac OS X does not behave in the fashion you describe on a computer that is working properly AND has not become unstable due to intrusive downloaded additions.


If you have been to the genius Bar and they keep telling you to erase your drive and re-Install Mac OS X, that is because they are not interested in debugging your add-ons.


If you have problems in regular mode, abut no problems in Safe Mode (which does not load intrusive add-on such a third-party kernel extensions) then the problem is very likely caused by things you added.


Readers here (and workers at the genius Bar) are willing to work on debugging problems you are experiencing with Apple Hardware and Software. But in both cases, to get cooperation, you need to remove third-party add-ons.


Frequent crashing and restoring will not damage your computer in the slightest.


There are several ways to get a quick idea of what is installed on your computer, and what might be causing your problems. One is to post a kernel panic report in its entirety. Another is use one of Linc Davis' scripts to read out important system information and some log information and post that. A third is to run etrecheck and post its results.

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User profile for user: Linc Davis
Linc Davis
User level: Level 10
209,547 points

Dec 18, 2015 8:39 PM in response to Odiekun

These instructions must be carried out as an administrator. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.

Please launch the Console application in any one of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

In the Console window, select

DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION ▹ System Diagnostic Reports

(not Diagnostic and Usage Messages) from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select

View ▹ Show Log List

from the menu bar.

There is a disclosure triangle to the left of the list item. If the triangle is pointing to the right, click it so that it points down. You'll see a list of reports. A panic report has a name that begins with "Kernel" and ends in ".panic". Select the most recent one. The contents of the report will appear on the right. Use copy and paste to post the entire contents—the text, not a screenshot.

If you don't see any reports listed, but you know there was a panic, you may have chosen Diagnostic and Usage Messages from the log list. Choose DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION instead.

In the interest of privacy, I suggest that, before posting, you edit out the “Anonymous UUID,” a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes in the header of the report, if it’s present (it may not be.)

Please don’t post other kinds of diagnostic report.

I know the report is long, maybe several hundred lines. Please post all of it anyway.

When you post the report, you might see an error message on the web page: "You have included content in your post that is not permitted," or "The message contains invalid characters." That's a bug in the forum software. Please post the text on Pastebin, then post a link here to the page you created.

If you have an account on Pastebin, please don't select Private from the Paste Exposure menu on the page, because then no one but you will be able to see it.

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User profile for user: Odiekun
Odiekun Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 19, 2015 12:10 AM in response to steve359

Well two of the prominent examples were Photoshop CS5 and Minecraft. I had zero problems using either of them when I bought the computer and it came with Yosemite. Minecraft doesn't crash often, but it has a few times so I figured it was worth mentioning. I downloaded that one straight off the minecraft website. Photoshop was the worst offender though, and it's the same version I used on my previous computer, which used Snow Leopard. Granted, it could be a bogus copy, or maybe out of date, but still it shouldn't be crashing the way it is, especially since I was using a free trial. The only other program I can think of is Transmission, or something that's been downloaded with Transmission.


If I have any wonky third party add-ons, they were downloaded accidentally or otherwise without my knowledge. I never click on any of those MacKeeper ads, I know they're all just viruses or malware. If I have downloaded something tainted though, how do I find the culprit, and how can I get rid of them?

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User profile for user: Linc Davis
Linc Davis
User level: Level 10
209,547 points

Dec 19, 2015 6:28 AM in response to Odiekun

The logic board is defective and must be replaced under the warranty.

Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider. You may have to leave the machine there for several days.

Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional—ask if you need guidance.

If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.

Keeping your confidential data secure during hardware repair

Apple also recommends that you deauthorize a device in the iTunes Store before having it serviced.

*An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.

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User profile for user: Grant Bennet-Alder
Grant Bennet-Alder
User level: Level 10
127,363 points

Dec 19, 2015 8:10 AM in response to Odiekun

Linc Davis is exactly right. You appear to have a serious Hardware problem.


Both unresponsive processor and TLB invalidation IPI timeout are multiple-processor cooperation problems, and you do not have invasive third-party add-ons that seem capable of causing those problems.


I suggest you take printouts of those two collided reports with you. Apple wants you to be a happy customer, if possible. Those who shout and threaten to sue everybody will never be happy customers, so they are simply shown the door.


Anything that can be reproduced can be fixed. Their repair-by-replacement technique takes a while, but they eventually should get it right.

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User profile for user: Odiekun
Odiekun Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 19, 2015 3:48 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Are you certain? If this is true then this is the third time I've had a failed logic board. My last computer shipped with one, and its replacement failed after I upgraded to Mavericks (what I referred to in my first post). Ugh this is so frustrating.


Well hopefully they will just replace it without the enormous headache that they gave me last time. And hopefully the replacement will not just be with another faulty one because this is incredibly frustrating. After upgrading to Mavericks, I left my last computer with the Genius bar on four or five separate occasions, and they consistently denied it was my logic board, and only ever suggested factory restoring it. Eventually I got fed up with them and got involved directly with their upper management and had a full investigation into it. After another few weeks of screen sharing and looking into it they finally agreed it was my logic board, but they wouldn't agree to replace it because it was no longer under warrantee. They still insisted it was somehow my fault. I mean, is it even possible I could have broken three logic boards in four years??


Sorry, rant aside, thank you all for your help. Because of the length of repair time I may not be able to take it in until the new year, but I will update once I take it in. Which two reports should I be taking in? Are they both in the pastebin I posted?

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User profile for user: Odiekun
Odiekun Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jan 19, 2016 11:32 PM in response to Odiekun

Okay everyone, time for an update.


So I took my computer in and had a logic board replaced. Now my computer is no longer crashing whenever I use anything graphics intensive (the conclusion the Genius Bar came to). However, my computer still is not fixed. Now it glitches out every second or two, and it's really annoying. I'm including a video to show you what it's doing. By itself, it glitches out every second or two. But as I type this, it glitches 2-3 times as often. I'm going to take it in to the store again this weekend, but does anyone have any ideas on why it's now doing this? My previous computer was showing similar glitches and I'm pretty upset that this one's already going down the same path.


https://vid.me/EaoX

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15" Mid 2015 MacBook Pro crashing, freezing and restarting whenever I use downloaded software

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