Mac keeps crashing when running works

Hi Chris,

My mac has been crashing unpredictably whilst running mworks. Sometimes it goes for days without and then it crashes relatively fast one after the other.

I am not sure if there is a background process starting and then mworks doesn’t get enough RAM or whatever, or what this could be.

I’m still quite new to macs also. Do you have hints how to proceed with diagnosis or what I could try setting-wise to maybe combat this?

I have saved the report that apple wanted to have saved, see below

Thanks!

Alina

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff80181f9a25): userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from com.apple.WindowServer in 120 seconds
service: com.apple.logd, total successful checkins since load (168881 seconds ago): 16889, last successful checkin: 0 seconds ago
service: com.apple.WindowServer, total successful checkins since load (168851 seconds ago): 16873, last successful checkin: 120 seconds ago

Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address
0xffffffb0c7f4b670 : 0xffffff8014e8e0dd
0xffffffb0c7f4b6c0 : 0xffffff8014fd4f33
0xffffffb0c7f4b700 : 0xffffff8014fc552a
0xffffffb0c7f4b750 : 0xffffff8014e32a2f
0xffffffb0c7f4b770 : 0xffffff8014e8d8fd
0xffffffb0c7f4b890 : 0xffffff8014e8dbf3
0xffffffb0c7f4b900 : 0xffffff801569d884
0xffffffb0c7f4b970 : 0xffffff80181f9a25
0xffffffb0c7f4b980 : 0xffffff80181f9660
0xffffffb0c7f4b9a0 : 0xffffff801561e13e
0xffffffb0c7f4b9f0 : 0xffffff80181f8a34
0xffffffb0c7f4bb20 : 0xffffff801562837b
0xffffffb0c7f4bc80 : 0xffffff8014f80961
0xffffffb0c7f4bd90 : 0xffffff8014e9375d
0xffffffb0c7f4be00 : 0xffffff8014e69cf5
0xffffffb0c7f4be60 : 0xffffff8014e81312
0xffffffb0c7f4bef0 : 0xffffff8014fa982d
0xffffffb0c7f4bfa0 : 0xffffff8014e33216
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.driver.watchdog(1.0)[C29AFC04-7113-39AA-80DF-00F4DDAD0F46]@0xffffff80181f7000->0xffffff80181f9fff

Process name corresponding to current thread: watchdogd

Mac OS version:
20F71

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 20.5.0: Sat May  8 05:10:33 PDT 2021; root:xnu-7195.121.3~9/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: 52A1E876-863E-38E3-AC80-09BBAB13B752
KernelCache slide: 0x0000000014c00000
KernelCache base:  0xffffff8014e00000
Kernel slide:      0x0000000014c10000
Kernel text base:  0xffffff8014e10000
__HIB  text base: 0xffffff8014d00000
System model name: MacPro6,1 (Mac-F60DEB81FF30ACF6)
System shutdown begun: NO
Panic diags file available: YES (0x0)
Hibernation exit count: 0

System uptime in nanoseconds: 168887262678995
Last Sleep:           absolute           base_tsc          base_nano
  Uptime  : 0x0000999a214c9c00
  Sleep   : 0x0000000000000000 0x0000000000000000 0x0000000000000000
  Wake    : 0x0000000000000000 0x00101c2468586e59 0x0000000000000000
last started kext at 10688810004717: @filesystems.smbfs             3.6 (addr 0xffffff7fb073a000, size 487424)
last stopped kext at 688972520093: >!AThunderboltEDMSink      5.0.3 (addr 0xffffff7faf94f000, size 32768)
loaded kexts:
@filesystems.smbfs        3.6
>AudioAUUC      1.70
>!APlatformEnabler         2.7.0d0
>AGPM 122.1
>X86PlatformShim           1.0.0
@fileutil               20.036.15
@filesystems.autofs        3.0
>!AUpstreamUserClient 3.6.8
>!AMCCSControl               1.14
@kext.AMDFramebuffer               4.0.5
@kext.AMDRadeonX4000            4.0.5
@kext.AMDRadeonServiceManager         4.0.5
>!AGraphicsDevicePolicy               6.3.3
@AGDCPluginDisplayMetrics      6.3.3
>!AHDA 283.15
>pmtelemetry   1
>IOUserEthernet               1.0.1
>usb.!UUserHCI 1
>IO!BSerialManager        8.0.5d7
@Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X              7.0.0
>!AHV   1
>!ADiskImages2 1
>eficheck             1
>!ALPC  3.1
>!A!ISlowAdaptiveClocking           4.0.0
>!AMGPUPowerControl 6.3.3
@kext.AMD7000!C          4.0.5
>!AThunderboltIP             4.0.3
>!A!IMCEReporter           115
>IO!BUSBDFU     8.0.5d7
>!AFileSystemDriver        3.0.1
@filesystems.tmpfs         1
@filesystems.hfs.kext     556.100.11
@BootCache      40
@!AFSCompression.!AFSCompressionTypeZlib    1.0.0
@!AFSCompression.!AFSCompressionTypeDataless          1.0.0d1
@filesystems.apfs            1677.120.9
>AirPort.BrcmNIC             1400.1.1
>!ABCM5701Ethernet     11.0.0
>!AAHCIPort       346.100.2
@private.KextAudit         1.0
>!ARTC  2.0
>!AACPIButtons 6.1
>!AACPIEC           6.1
>!AHPET               1.8
>!ASMBIOS         2.1
>!AAPIC                1.7
>!A!ICPUPowerManagementClient           222.0.0
@!ASystemPolicy             2.0.0
@nke.applicationfirewall              311
>IOKitRegistryCompatibility         1
>EndpointSecurity            1
>!A!ICPUPowerManagement       222.0.0
>!AHIDKeyboard               224
@kext.triggers   1.0
>!ASMBus!C       1.0.18d1
@kext.AMDRadeonX4030HWLibs             1.0
>IOAccelerator!F2            442.9
@kext.AMDRadeonX4000HWServices     4.0.5
>DspFuncLib       283.15
@kext.OSvKernDSPLib   529
>IOAVB!F             940.4
>IOEthernetAVB!C           1.1.0
>usb.cdc.ecm     5.0.0
>X86PlatformPlugin        1.0.0
@!AGPUWrangler            6.3.3
>IOPlatformPlugin!F        6.0.0d8
>usb.cdc.acm     5.0.0
>usb.serial           6.0.0
>IOSerial!F          11
>IOSlowAdaptiveClocking!F          1.0.0
>!AGraphicsControl         6.3.3
>!ABacklightExpert          1.1.0
>IONDRVSupport              585.1
@kext.AMDSupport        4.0.5
@!AGraphicsDeviceControl          6.3.3
>!AHDA!C            283.15
>IOHDA!F             283.15
>IOGraphics!F    585.1
>IOAudio!F          300.6.1
@vecLib.kext     1.2.0
@plugin.IOgPTPPlugin    985.2
>!AThunderboltDPOutAdapter   8.1.4
>Broadcom!BHost!CUSBTransport            8.0.5d7
>IO!BHost!CUSBTransport            8.0.5d7
>IO!BHost!CTransport    8.0.5d7
>usb.IOUSBHostHIDDevice           1.2
>usb.!UHub        1.2
>usb.cdc               5.0.0
>usb.networking               5.0.0
>usb.!UHostCompositeDevice     1.2
>!AThunderboltDPInAdapter       8.1.4
>!AThunderboltDPAdapter!F       8.1.4
>!AThunderboltPCIDownAdapter              4.1.1
>!ABSDKextStarter           3
>IOSurface          290.8.1
@filesystems.hfs.encodings.kext               1
>!AXsanScheme 3
>IOAHCIBlock!S 332
>!AThunderboltNHI         7.2.8
>IOThunderbolt!F             9.3.2
>IO80211!F         1200.12.2b1
>IOSkywalk!F      1
>corecapture     1.0.4
>mDNSOffloadUserClient              1.0.1b8
>usb.!UHostPacketFilter                1.0
>usb.!UXHCIPCI 1.2
>usb.!UXHCI       1.2
>usb.!UEHCIPCI 1.2
>usb.!UEHCI       1.2
>IOUSB!F             900.4.2
>IOAHCI!F            294.100.1
>!AEFINVRAM    2.1
>!AEFIRuntime  2.1
>IOSMBus!F        1.1
>IOHID!F              2.0.0
$!AImage4          3.0.0
>IOTimeSync!F  985.2
>IONetworking!F              3.4
>DiskImages       493.0.0
>IO!B!F 8.0.5d7
>IOReport!F        47
>IO!BPacketLogger          8.0.5d7
$quarantine        4
$sandbox             300.0
@kext.!AMatch 1.0.0d1
>CoreAnalytics!F               1
>!ASSE  1.0
>!AKeyStore       2
>!UTDM               511.120.2
>IOUSBMass!SDriver       184.121.1
>IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice   436.121.1
>IO!S!F  2.1
>IOSCSIArchitectureModel!F       436.121.1
>!AMobileFileIntegrity   1.0.5
@kext.CoreTrust              1
>!AFDEKeyStore                28.30
>!AEffaceable!S 1.0
>!ACredentialManager   1.0
>KernelRelayHost             1
>IOUSBHost!F    1.2
>!UHostMergeProperties              1.2
>usb.!UCommon              1.0
>!ABusPower!C 1.0
>!ASEPManager 1.0.1
>IOSlaveProcessor           1
>!AACPIPlatform               6.1
>!ASMC 3.1.9
>IOPCI!F               2.9
>IOACPI!F            1.4
>watchdog          1
@kec.pthread    1
@kec.corecrypto              11.1
@kec.Libm          1

Hi Alina,

If the WindowServer process is locking up or crashing, this suggests an issue with the graphics hardware and/or drivers. Searching online, I find many similar issues, though I don’t see any common cause or resolution.

It looks like you’re running macOS Big Sur (version 11) but not the latest release (11.6.8). Maybe the first thing to try would be updating macOS, in case 11.6.8 includes a fix for this issue? If that doesn’t help, you could try upgrading to the most recent macOS release (Monterey, version 12).

When the crashes happened, did you have an external display connected? If so, it’s possible that an issue with the display adaptor is causing the problem. If you can, try using only the built-in display for a while and see if that helps.

Cheers,
Chris

Hi Alina,

I will try your suggested steps and get back to you. This is a old trashcan style mac, there are exclusively external displays. And I need them to run my experiments of course.

Any updates on this? Is your Mac Pro continuing to crash periodically?

Thanks,
Chris

I ran the simple update you suggested as the first step I think and so far no more crashes.

Probably I should update to the newest macOS? Is that compatible with mworks (which version?)

Thanks!

Hi Alina,

Great!

If macOS 11 is working for you, there’s no need to upgrade right now. But if you do move to macOS 12, you should use either MWorks 0.11 (the latest release) or a nightly build.

Cheers,
Chris