Quick Summary
A kernel panic is macOS's equivalent of the "blue screen of death" in Windows; it indicates that the operating system has encountered a critical error that it cannot recover from. This typically results in an immediate system restart to prevent data corruption.
Common Causes
- Hardware Failure: Faulty RAM, hard drive issues (especially if booting from it), or problems with other internal components can trigger kernel panics. Overheating can also cause hardware malfunctions leading to this error.
- Software Incompatibility or Corruption: Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible drivers or system extensions (kexts) can interfere with the kernel's operation. Conflicts between applications can also sometimes lead to a kernel panic.
- Operating System Issues: A corrupted macOS installation, incomplete updates, or a bug within the OS itself might result in kernel panics. This is particularly true after major OS upgrades or during beta testing.
- Peripheral Device Issues: Faulty or incompatible external devices and their corresponding drivers can sometimes be the source of the panic. This includes devices connected via USB, Thunderbolt, or other interfaces.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Method 1: Restart Your Mac
Power Cycle: Press and hold the power button until your Mac shuts down. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to restart.
If the system restarts normally, monitor it closely for reoccurrence. Note any software you recently installed or actions you performed before the panic.
Method 2: Disconnect Peripherals
Isolate the problem: Disconnect all external devices (printers, drives, etc.) except for the essential ones (keyboard and mouse if required). Restart your Mac.
If the panic doesn't occur, reconnect devices one at a time, restarting after each, to identify the culprit.
Method 3: Safe Mode
Boot into Safe Mode: Restart your Mac. Immediately after hearing the startup sound, press and hold the Shift key. Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo.
Safe Mode loads only essential kernel extensions, which can help determine if the issue is caused by third-party software. If your Mac runs smoothly in Safe Mode, the problem likely stems from an incompatible or faulty third-party driver or application.
Troubleshooting in Safe Mode: Remove recently installed software or drivers. Also, run Disk Utility (located in /Applications/Utilities/) to repair the startup disk. Then, restart normally.
Method 4: Run Apple Diagnostics
Initiate Diagnostics: Disconnect all external devices except the power adapter, keyboard, mouse, and display. Then, shut down your Mac.
Start Diagnostics: Press the power button to turn on your Mac. Immediately press and hold the D key. Release the D key when you see a screen asking you to choose your language.
Follow Instructions: Apple Diagnostics will run a hardware test. Note any error codes it provides, as this can pinpoint faulty hardware.
Method 5: Reinstall macOS
Boot into Recovery Mode: Restart your Mac. Immediately after hearing the startup sound, press and hold Command (⌘)-R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
Erase and Install: In the macOS Utilities window, select Disk Utility. Select your startup disk and click Erase. Choose "APFS" or "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as the format and give the volume a name. After erasing, close Disk Utility and select "Reinstall macOS" from the macOS Utilities window. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Caution: This will erase all data on your startup disk. Back up your important files if possible before proceeding.