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Level 1

8 points

Help troubleshooting a MBP Kernel Panic/hardware issue??

I have a circa 2008 15" MacBook Pro that I appear to be having Kernel Panic issues with. Perhaps hardware trouble, but I'm just trying to find someone who might be able to help me diagnose whats up.

Below is the story:

This MBP never has gotten heavy use, even when I was in school. Pretty much has been babied. No dings, dents, no coffee/tea accidents. Perfect as a nearly 10 yr old computer can be.

Hardware changes:

5 yrs ago: maxed out RAM with Crucial memory. No issues afterwords.

1 1/2 years ago: replaced HD with a Samsung Pro SSD (256gb). No issues, except better battery life, and faster booting/shutdown.

These updates done by myself.

Software changes:

Nothing unusual. I'm not a power user. I've used Office for Mac for years. Nothing else, really....

I've done OS updates through the years, including the most current OS when it became available. All updates applied.

No other new software installed, recently. My MBP was primarily a word processor, with a bit of Web surfing.

About a week ago, it started. Computer sitting idle, and then the screen starts flashing/pixelating/breaking up. Not using a program, just at the main, startup screen. Then, it restarts...

I received the "your computer has restarted" message, along with the Report

If I can sign in, it begins again. I'm literally just sitting here, watching it cycle, as above.

I was able to save the Kernel Panic report as a PDF, but only the top half of the info saved. I can't stop the computer from restarting, so, it's the best I seemingly can do.

The only thing I've tried, thinking it might be an OS issue of some kind, is to do a Clean Install of Yosemite. At that point, I figured, what the heck.....

I was able to do the install, but, the cycle just started over again!!! Seems to point the finger at hardware, possibly....

I reseated the Ram. No joy.

I still have the old, functioning, original HD. I have the original RAM.

I build my own PCs. The screen flashing/breaking up reminds me alot of a video card issue. Same sort of odd general behavior. I could replace the SSD, with the original one. I could just swap the RAM with the original RAM.

It could be my MBP is giving up the ghost, finally. The Kernel Panic Report is just a partial. Ive tried to capture the whole thing, but with no luck. I would not know how to read it anyway. I know, based on some posts I've read, that there might be some info that could point at a possible hardware issue that is just not evident to me.

I could take a short clip of the behavior, and post it, so everyone can see it.

Is there someone here who'd like to go through the process with me, and offer suggestions/advice? At this point, I have noting to lose, and plenty of time on my hands.

I'm willing to give it a go, if someone wants to look over my shoulder, and lend me a hand. Everything I do, I'll post here, in hopes it might help someone else.

Thanks,

Dave

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), circa 2008 version

Posted on Mar 22, 2016 10:51 AM

21 replies

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Mar 30, 2016 12:33 PM in response to djmaher

You minimize your problems by keeping the MBP backed up at all times.

Use Time Machine which is available in System Preferences. It is excellent.

Also use Carbon Copy Cloner. It will create a boot drive in case your internal HHD fails allowing you to get back in operation almost immediately and can be incrementally updated. It is not free, but worth the money.

https://bombich.com/download

Two backups are much better than one.

Ciao.

djmaher Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 12, 2016 5:06 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

OK, not to beat a dead critter, but.....

My MPB is back to doing the same thing again, after a relative period of quiet.....

It seems to have become a totally unreliable computer.

Short of putting in the closet and not using it again, is there anything else anyone might suggest?

Has any of the info I posted pointed a near -on definite "smoking gun" bit of evidence that I can consider?

It just seems like a hardware issue, considering the same behavior with various different OS's running....

Apr 12, 2016 5:18 PM in response to djmaher

Your kernel panics suggest a Discrete graphics card (NVIDIA) failure as the most likely cause. The solution is generally to replace the graphics chip, which is accomplished by replacing the mainboard.

Whether you really want to do this on a 2008 model is something only you can decide.

But others faced with this issue have used a Utility to force only the integrated graphics to be used, and have continued to use these computers (just not attaching an external display).

djmaher Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 19, 2016 8:50 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Since I never use an external display, this seems like a viable option to give me some continued use of my MBP.

Do you have any links to the software that might tell me how to disable the nVidia chip?

Is it a standalone bit of software, or is it embedded withing, say, Yosemite. and is nothing more than a check box deactivation as is indicated in some posts I've read?

Much of the info seems pointed at the newer MBPs with Retina displays.

Thanks again for your help with this. If I can resuscitate this, at least I'm not left with a literal $2000 paperweight.....

Apr 19, 2016 9:17 AM in response to djmaher

the utility is gfxcardstatus, available from the developer:

https://gfx.io

djmaher Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 28, 2016 9:27 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Apparently, the app doesn't apply to my version of MBP. Looks like mine was on the early end (early Intel, circa 2007)

Do you know of another utility of that type that might be compatible with my version of the MBP??

I've also been wondering if there's an external hardware issue that I can try to sort out myself. I'm willing to give it a try. I don't have much to lose.

Is it possible that I have a bad/clogged heatpipe, or a possible failure of the thermal interface material?

My fans seem to be working still, but I could clean/replace them, but I can't verify they are spinning until my MBP gets really toasty. I have to admit that I don't know if they run continually at very low speed to move heat out of the case.

Is there a utility to let me know if they are even spinning at all?

I had suspected a possible heat issue, but the video problem seems to be almost "instant". I can boot, standard boot or safe mode, but in less than a minute it will either restart, or, as above, I get the screen issues and then a shutdown. That's fairly "typical" overheating behavior, if there is such thing.

Maybe what I'm asking is, what are the chances that it's a significant, nearly instant overheating issue, as opposed to my graphics card just failing? Do the numbers you see in my Kernel Panic Report possibly suggest this?

I apologize for not knowing the Report well enough to even know where to look for that info.

At this point, i'm willing to disassemble my "$2000 paperweight" and do a thorough cleaning/part replacing/re thermal material replacing. The cost in time and parts are not that significant to me, and I dont mind taking the time to do it.

Again, thank you again for your troubleshooting help!!

Dave

Help troubleshooting a MBP Kernel Panic/hardware issue??