2013 iMac Experiencing Kernel Panic on macOS Sierra

Thanks. I wasn't aware that just by the fact that the above 3rd party kexts were listed that they could be responsible. I'm used to seeing a specific reference to the kext name during the panic, but maybe not so in this specific case.

I saw this kernel panic before I ever installed the latest nVidia web driver, so for now I have deleted the ControllerMate, Soundflower, and Paragon NTFS kexts. These are all kexts the I am aware are pretty badly out of date at this point. Little Snitch is definitely current and Sierra compatible. That just leaves Karabiner if all else fails.

Update:

It must be Karabiner at this point. They haven't directly acknowledged Sierra compatibility, and these panics seem to happen when I under keyboard input. Since the app handles custom key remapping, maybe this all ties together.

Fingers crossed. There's only one non-Apple kext left.

iMac:Downloads Administrator$ kextstat | sed /apple/d

Index Refs Address Size Wired Name (Version) UUID <Linked Against>

62 0 0xffffff7f80b7f000 0x4b000 0x4b000 at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch (4718) 715E9654-C3FB-39A4-9514-C770F749EE8E <7 5 4 3 1>

No luck. All 3rd party kexts have been removed. It's always "com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard" referenced as the last loaded kext. I'm reverting back to El Capitan unless anybody has any other ideas.

Anonymous UUID: B2200C01-8AF8-C4E9-CB33-F44F5317D2FE

Tue Sep 20 23:41:13 2016

*** Panic Report ***

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff800e009f4a): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7f8f3e90da, type 14=page fault, registers:

CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0x0000000000000000, CR3: 0x0000000011b8f000, CR4: 0x00000000001627e0

RAX: 0x0000000000000000, RBX: 0x00000000000237b2, RCX: 0x0000000000000000, RDX: 0xffffff83b06e7000

RSP: 0xffffff93ce633dc0, RBP: 0xffffff93ce633de0, RSI: 0x0000000084000054, RDI: 0xffffff805ad08b00

R8: 0x000000000000ffff, R9: 0x0000000000000001, R10: 0xffffff800e666fb0, R11: 0xffffff804975ea20

R12: 0x00000000e00002c2, R13: 0x000000000000000f, R14: 0x00000000000237b0, R15: 0xffffff8049dbd100

RFL: 0x0000000000010297, RIP: 0xffffff7f8f3e90da, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000000

Fault CR2: 0x0000000000000000, Error code: 0x0000000000000000, Fault CPU: 0x2, PL: 0

Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address

0xffffff93ce633a50 : 0xffffff800def748c

0xffffff93ce633ad0 : 0xffffff800e009f4a

0xffffff93ce633cb0 : 0xffffff800dea9743

0xffffff93ce633cd0 : 0xffffff7f8f3e90da

0xffffff93ce633de0 : 0xffffff7f8f3e6ef1

0xffffff93ce633e30 : 0xffffff7f8f3df787

0xffffff93ce633ee0 : 0xffffff800e4bedbf

0xffffff93ce633f30 : 0xffffff800e4bd621

0xffffff93ce633f80 : 0xffffff800e4bcc06

0xffffff93ce633fb0 : 0xffffff800dea6af7

Kernel Extensions in backtrace:

com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBXHCI(1.1)[ED8D61C8-2EFB-32A9-8FD1-4A6AF1C8FAF8]@0x ffffff7f8f3d2000->0xffffff7f8f411fff

dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.4)[4F7FB6AD-2498-3F71-827C-ED7AA4BF2511]@0xfffff f7f8f1b6000

dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHostFamily(1.1)[6A671CD8-5527-3A10-8675-1421D158D7A7]@0xff ffff7f8f1cc000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:

16A323

Kernel version:

Darwin Kernel Version 16.0.0: Mon Aug 29 17:56:20 PDT 2016; root:xnu-3789.1.32~3/RELEASE_X86_64

Kernel UUID: 622D2470-C34D-31F9-A62B-6AA9A3C6A3CD

Kernel slide: 0x000000000dc00000

Kernel text base: 0xffffff800de00000

__HIB text base: 0xffffff800dd00000

System model name: iMac14,2 (Mac-27ADBB7B4CEE8E61)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 146582959692

last loaded kext at 11507849768: com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard 197 (addr 0xffffff7f90f19000, size 16384)

loaded kexts:

com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch 92

com.apple.filesystems.exfat 1.4

com.apple.filesystems.msdosfs 1.10

com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9.5d0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBODD 404.1.1

com.apple.driver.ApplePlatformEnabler 2.7.0d0

com.apple.driver.AGPM 110.23.7

com.apple.driver.X86PlatformShim 1.0.0

com.apple.filesystems.autofs 3.0

com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC 1.70

com.apple.driver.AppleOSXWatchdog 1

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 127

com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy 3.13.60

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 276.26

com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver 276.26

com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 276.26

com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 3.6.4

com.apple.driver.pmtelemetry 1

com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet 1.0.1

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHD5000Graphics 10.1.8

com.apple.GeForce 10.1.2

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 5.0.0f18

com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 3.1

com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 1.0.0

com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleHV 1

com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport 5.0.0f18

com.apple.driver.AppleMuxControl 3.13.60

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltIP 3.0.8

com.apple.driver.AppleSMCLMU 208

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelFramebufferAzul 10.1.8

com.apple.nvidia.NVDAStartup 10.1.2

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelSlowAdaptiveClocking 4.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleFIVRDriver 4.1.0

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 170.9.10

com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl 1.2.13

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothUSBDFU 5.0.0f18

com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 394

com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 3.0.1

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0

com.apple.BootCache 39

com.apple.filesystems.hfs.kext 366.1.1

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 295.1.1

com.apple.driver.AppleSDXC 1.7.6

com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet 10.2.6

com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4360 1100.37.1a16

com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 326

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 5.0

com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.8

com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 2.0

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 2.1

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 5.0

com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.7

com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 171

com.apple.security.quarantine 3

com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 8

com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard 197

com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard 197

com.apple.driver.IOBluetoothHIDDriver 5.0.0f18

com.apple.driver.AppleMultitouchDriver 367.6

com.apple.driver.AppleInputDeviceSupport 76.1

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 394

com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.8

com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.8

com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.8

com.apple.kext.triggers 1.0

com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 276.26

com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 525

com.apple.nvidia.driver.NVDAGK100Hal 10.1.2

com.apple.nvidia.driver.NVDAResman 10.1.2

com.apple.iokit.IOSurface 152

com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 11

com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginLegacy 1.0.0

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport 5.0.0f18

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothHostControllerTransport 5.0.0f18

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 5.0.0f18

com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 3.13.60

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI 1.0.14d1

com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 276.26

com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 276.26

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltEDMSink 4.1.1

com.apple.AppleGraphicsDeviceControl 3.13.60

com.apple.iokit.IOAcceleratorFamily2 288.13

com.apple.driver.X86PlatformPlugin 1.0.0

com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 6.0.0d8

com.apple.iokit.IOSlowAdaptiveClockingFamily 1.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert 1.1.0

com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 2.4.1

com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 3.1.9

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController 1.0.14d1

com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 2.4.1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBAudio 305.62

com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 205.11

com.apple.vecLib.kext 1.2.0

com.apple.driver.usb.IOUSBHostHIDDevice 1.1

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 394

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageDriver 131.1.1

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 394

com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHub 1.1

com.apple.driver.usb.cdc 5.0.0

com.apple.driver.usb.networking 5.0.0

com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice 1.1

com.apple.filesystems.hfs.encodings.kext 1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 900.4.1

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPInAdapter 4.5.3

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPOutAdapter 4.5.3

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPAdapterFamily 4.5.3

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltPCIDownAdapter 2.0.3

com.apple.driver.AppleXsanScheme 3

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltNHI 4.1.3

com.apple.iokit.IOThunderboltFamily 6.2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController 1.0.3b4

com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 1200.12.2

com.apple.driver.mDNSOffloadUserClient 1.0.1b8

com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 3.2

com.apple.driver.corecapture 1.0.4

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 288

com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBXHCIPCI 1.1

com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBXHCI 1.1

com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostPacketFilter 1.0

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 900.4.1

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHostFamily 1.1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHostMergeProperties 1.1

com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 2.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleBusPowerController 1.0

com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 2.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1

com.apple.security.sandbox 300.0

com.apple.kext.AppleMatch 1.0.0d1

com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore 2

com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity 1.0.5

com.apple.driver.AppleCredentialManager 1.0

com.apple.driver.DiskImages 444

com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 2.1

com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily 31

com.apple.driver.AppleFDEKeyStore 28.30

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 5.0

com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.9

com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.4

com.apple.kec.Libm 1

com.apple.kec.pthread 1

com.apple.kec.corecrypto 1.0

Model: iMac14,2, BootROM IM142.0118.B13, 4 processors, Intel Core i7, 3.5 GHz, 32 GB, SMC 2.15f7

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M, PCIe, 4096 MB

Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 8 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x859B, 0x43543130323436344246313630422E433136

Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM0, 8 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x859B, 0x43543130323436344246313630422E433136

Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM1, 8 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x859B, 0x43543130323436344246313630422E433136

Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 8 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x859B, 0x43543130323436344246313630422E433136

AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x111), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (7.21.171.10.1a16)

Bluetooth: Version 5.0.0f18, 3 services, 27 devices, 1 incoming serial ports

Network Service: Wi-Fi, AirPort, en1

Serial ATA Device: APPLE SSD SM1024F, 1 TB

USB Device: USB 3.0 Bus

USB Device: HD-GDU3

USB Device: USB3.0 Hub

USB Device: USB3.0 Hub

USB Device: USB3.0 SATA Bridge

USB Device: Portable SSD T3

USB Device: BRCM20702 Hub

USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller

USB Device: FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

USB Device: USB2.0 Hub

USB Device: USB2.0 Hub

USB Device: NuForce USB Audio

USB Device: Wacom Wireless Receiver

Thunderbolt Bus: iMac, Apple Inc., 23.10

Barney-15E wrote:

Try disconnecting all of the external devices.

If that doesn't resolve the problem, you can try a NVRAM reset and then try erasing the drive and reinstalling from your backup.

If that all fails to resolve, it would indicate some internal hardware fault.

RAM is the most common hardware fault, and Crucial's website indicates your RAM is not compatible with your Mac.

For now, I booted my iMac into the 10.12 recovery partition and re-installed Sierra. I opted to retain my data during the install, so it wasn't totally fresh. So far, I haven't seen the kernel panic again, but will keep testing. Installing Sierra over my existing drive versus upgrading from El Capitan has some noticeable changes for some reason. Siri is working more smoothly without long pauses, graphical UI animations seem as snappy as they were on El Capitan, and some keychain and iCloud sync issues were fixed. I'm not sure what exactly was wrong in my original install.

I'm not sure how you determined my DRAM is not compatible. If you could drop a URL or screenshot of what you see, it would be appreciated. It doesn't appear I can decode "0x43543130323436344246313630422E433136" to a specific product ID easily, but it brings up multiple examples of people seeing this part ID in crucial memory upgrade kits for 2013 and 2015 iMacs. Also: I have been using this DRAM for 3 years now without issue, so unless Sierra is suddenly managing the memory different and exposing a hardware flaw (pretty unlikely IMO), I wouldn't suspect this. I have my original DIMMs that shipped from Apple if needed to rule this out.

Finally, yes, I had in fact seen this issue even with all USB devices removed. This was one of the first things I tried because USB related kexts appear in the kernel panic in addition to the bluetooth keyboard kext.

Thanks. I didn't realize this was actually ASCII data. This translates to "CT102464BF160B" which follows the part numbering scheme that Crucial uses for its products.

It turns out it was a generic DDR3 SO-DIMM that was deemed to be compatible with the 2013 iMac when it first came out. They probably just rushed this to market a few years ago and now report it as incompatible on their site because they have since created Mac-specific kits with the same specs. See the following thread where this concern was raised. A crucial support rep confirmed that it should be fine for use, however:

http://forum.crucial.com/t5/Crucial-memory-for-Mac-systems/New-5K-iMac-Late-2014 /td-p/162547

They've since offered a couple Mac-specific SKU's including the CT6313736 and now more recently the CT4951624. I can't see the difference in these DIMMs however, spec-wise.

Anyway, I don't think this relates to memory. I just experienced the kernel panic again a few moments after re-attaching an Anker USB 3.0 hub. This is probably why I always see references to "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBXHC" and I/O kit in the kernel trace. I'm going to do a fresh install on a spare partition and do more testing. If I can confirm this is all due to first-party kexts, I'm going to file this on Apple Bug Reporter.

Just as a heads up to anybody who is seeing similar behavior: Now that Sierra has been out for a couple days, there are widespread reports that USB devices can cause kernel panics. There was apparently a very major change to the USB subsystems including USB audio. I have a Nuforce uDAC 3 attached to the Anker USB hub that seems to be causing the panics, so this could be related. A lot of the kexts referenced in my kernel panic like "AppleUSBXHCI(1.1)" had a major re-write apparently for Sierra.

I will still test a clean install, but people even on fresh installations are now seeing similar incidents or even complete non-functionality of USB ports that require a full reload. The only option is to roll back to El Capitan or wait to see if this gets resolved in 10.12.1. :/

Lesson learned, don't just into a brand new update without testing. This is a really, really nasty issue.

Just to put final closure to this: The 10.12.1 beta 1 seems to have fixed this. I've reconnected all my USB devices and my computer has been up nearly 3 full days since the update came out. I've been playing a lot of music through my USB DAC without any problems.

One final status report: I've enrolled in the Public Beta program and have been using 10.12.1 for over 2 weeks now. This issue has not recurred where-as previously it was happening every 30 minutes or less. Currently running 10.12.1 beta 3 now, and all is well.