WindowServer Crash in Sierra/HS

Question

Level 1

13 points

WindowServer Crash in Sierra/HS

Dealing with sudden freezes that randomly happened two nights ago using Sierra. There's no rhyme or reason to them although it does not seem to crash in safe mode. Usually happens at login or just after login. I'm using a late '13 MBP

What I think— after two days of troubleshooting— is its a WindowServer Crash error. I've completely obliterated my SSD twice, even wiped the recover and updated via Netboot.

There are a lot of these issues out there that I can see, but only one positive result posted by (I think) Linc Davis. The link he gave is obsolete so it doesn't help me.

Hardware tests/diags are all 👍 but finally opened up Console and went through the system logs. I don't have a log of the error as I cleared them trying to hone it on the freeze, but EtreCheck confirms it.

The one instance I can find of WindowServer acting up in Console is:

WindowServer [ERROR] - Unknown CGXDisplayDevice: 0x41dc9d00

Etre's diagnostic log:

Diagnostics Information:ⓘ

2017-09-21 13:46:59 Last shutdown cause: 3 - Hard shutdown

2017-09-21 13:24:50 WindowServer Crash [Open]

Cause: StartTime:2017-09-21 13:24:17

GPU:IG

MetalDevice for accelerator(0x3623): 0x7fe66fe360e8 (MTLDevice: 0x7fe670832200)

IOService:/AppleACPIPlatformExpert/PCI0@0/AppleACPIPCI/IGPU@2/AppleIntelFramebuf fer@0

Assertion failed: (false && "10 seconds of continuous GPU Driver unreadiness, relaunching WindowServer"), function IMGGraphicsStackReadinessFailure, file /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/SkyLight/SkyLight-312/SkyLight/ Server/Windows/Updater.cc, line 3052.

If you can help, I will literally send a six pack of the beer of your choice or a giant burrito.

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Sep 21, 2017 11:25 AM

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Answer 1

Barbatto

Level 1

22 points

Oct 4, 2017 6:08 PM in response to 165111

I've noticed this as well. Except, it happens each time I click a window.

Click Google Chrome - Unknown CGXDisplayDevice

Click Desktop - Unknown CGXDisplayDevice

Click Google Chrome - Unknown CGXDisplayDevice

Click Finder window - Unknown CGXDisplayDevice

etc. etc.

The console is full of errors from mouse clicking. I do have an external display connected, but it's working fine. I'm currently on an old mid-2010 MacBook Pro so maybe this is the start of Apple nudging me to replace it. Anyway... :-)

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Answer 2

j0l

Level 1

4 points

Oct 31, 2017 2:06 AM in response to andnotmetoo

I've given that a go; being an iMac I followed How to reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support which amounts to power it off and disconnect the power supply for 15 seconds.

That was yesterday morning and I had two freezes that required a hard reset during the day 😐

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Answer 3

John Galt

Level 10

140,948 points

Sep 21, 2017 11:58 AM in response to 165111

There have been scattered reports of that particular GPU crash on some Retina MPB models like yours for which only an Apple Store or AASP can address.

Two software-related causes are possible that you can rule out yourself: a bug in an extension used by Google Chrome assuming you use it (conceivably, other browsers can be affected though), or a bug in macOS. Address each by uninstalling Google Chrome or the extensions added to it (if applicable), and reinstalling macOS with macOS Internet Recovery. Don't use NetBoot unless you are absolutely certain it's installing the latest macOS version. If they don't help, Contact Support.

Avoid HS until it is publicly released.

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Answer 4

165111 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 5, 2017 8:41 AM in response to 165111

**FIXED**

Well I erased everything again including the recovery. Did an internet recovery which put me back onto the shipped OS— Mavericks. I then torrented an El Capitan dmg and installed that fresh.

No issues now after 12+ hours of continuing being on.

I won't be updating to Sierra (again) or HS (ever). I would probably tell those with a 2013 model to not go further than 10.11.6.

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Answer 5

Sep 22, 2017 8:06 AM in response to 165111

165111 wrote:

....I then torrented an El Capitan dmg and installed that fresh. ...

Downloading macOS from any source other than Apple is

very, very unwise as you can get god knows what in the installer.

You could have just sent all your personal info to some darknet

server somewhere.

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Answer 6

John Galt

Level 10

140,948 points

Sep 22, 2017 8:57 AM in response to 165111

I won't be updating to Sierra (again) or HS (ever). I would probably tell those with a 2013 model to not go further than 10.11.6.

Do as you wish, but is nothing wrong with Sierra on that model MBP. Perhaps the problems you're experiencing are due to obtaining macOS from unauthorized sources.

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Answer 7

Oct 1, 2017 12:05 PM in response to 165111

I did a complete clean install of High Sierra about 10 hours ago and only restored raw files, nothing bigger from backups (outside of databases like music and photos). I set all apps completely fresh and only restored very few Application Support folders - and one single preference file (for VLC).

I have a ***** of the "[ERROR] - Unknown CGXDisplayDevice: 0x41dc9d00" by WindowServer (CoreDisplay) in my Console and no idea where it comes from.

I do have Chrome installed but never started it since the clean install, which means that I also don't have any Extensions installed (I downloaded the app and didn't restore anything for it).

I'm not a pro, but this has to be either a problem with the OS (I installed via a USB stick with the installer from the App Store) or something in the hardware. My model is the early 2011 MacBook Pro.

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Answer 8

165111 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 5, 2017 8:41 AM in response to woodmeister50

Not concerned with my torrenting. I'm more than protected and take more than the necessary steps to remain safe.

As for John Galt's reply below... the MBP came shipped with Mavericks. And I updated via the App Store to El Capitan and updated from the App Store to Sierra. And I only uploaded from the beta program when HS reached GS candidate because of the freezing in Sierra. So the only non-authorized version was when I went back to El Capitan, because Apple doesn't allow you to go back.

Whatever... going back to El Capitan has fixed this issue as we're now 2 weeks post without a problem.

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Answer 9

liroyvh

Level 1

9 points

Oct 5, 2017 8:18 AM in response to andnotmetoo

Thanks. Bartender3 was the cause of the issue here as well. Bartender 3 appears to be far inferior compared to Bartender 2 anyway with the way it works. Too bad they release something so buggy.

Moreover, this also caused my entire MacOS to freeze. :/ Got to admit I'm surprised MacOS X can be crashed easily by a sandboxed app, with no backtrace whatsoever.

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Answer 10

j0l

Level 1

4 points

Oct 27, 2017 9:31 AM in response to 165111

I don't have Bartender installed, but I do this have issue on High Sierra on a iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) 10.13 (17A405)

I did clean install High Sierra as well and have random lock ups. Anacdotally when quitting a app that has a lot of resources open (say Safari with a gazillion tabs, or Excel & even one with ReadKit) - but I can't pin it down to a particular app that can reproducibly cause a crash

I can still SSH in but I cannot kill any processes or sudo a reboot or shutdown.

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