Kernal Panic: Macbook

[TechnoPagan]

The month-old, stock configuration BlackBook is giving me kernal panics. I've reset the PRAM three times, popped the battery and plugged it in. It starts up (gives me the little chimes), the harddrive starts spinning and I get a glimpse of the Apple start up screen (grey), then gives me the ugly black screen.

I haven't added any software, it's not connected to any periperals, and the software was updated over a week ago. It was working fine six hours ago before I left for dinner.

Help?

Thanks!

 

[iMeowbot]

The first thing you need to find out is why the kernel panics are happening. That information hides in /Library/Logs/panic.log

Each panic will be listed in that file, most recent at the bottom, with a row of ***** between incidents. You can copy and paste that section here (just the most recent ought to do) if you aren't sure what to make of it.

 

[TechnoPagan]

I can't get beyond the black screen, so I can't get into the Library.

Oops--I can if I start up in Target Mode.

Anyways, the panic log last lists something from 12/1.

Fri Dec 1 21:26:55 2006
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001A31CE): Unresolved kernel trap (CPU 0, Type 14=page fault), registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x227acfbe, CR3: 0x00d78000, CR4: 0x000006e0
EAX: 0x00000001, EBX: 0x227acfbf, ECX: 0x0041cf00, EDX: 0x00179fbe
CR2: 0x227acfbe, EBP: 0x13fc3ca8, ESI: 0x00179fbf, EDI: 0x034d0b00
EFL: 0x00010246, EIP: 0x003bef5b, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x001f0010

Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x13fc3a88 : 0x128d08 (0x3c9a14 0x13fc3aac 0x131de5 0x0)
0x13fc3ac8 : 0x1a31ce (0x3cf6c8 0x0 0xe 0x3ceef8)
0x13fc3bd8 : 0x19a874 (0x13fc3bf0 0x2ae19000 0x0 0x2b012000)
0x13fc3ca8 : 0x3c0048 (0x34bdf40 0x34d0b00 0x3edc44 0x1628d8)
0x13fc3ce8 : 0x3850aa (0x29a3a00 0x34d0b00 0x13fc3d28 0x3bf8e0)
0x13fc3d08 : 0x388889 (0x25eb100 0x34d0b00 0x25eb104 0x25eb100)
0x13fc3d28 : 0x3afd7a (0x25eb100 0x34d0b00 0x13fc3d58 0x3bc8b7)
0x13fc3d78 : 0x188005 (0x25eb100 0x32341b4 0x32341c8 0x11cc32)
0x13fc3db8 : 0x12b4c3 (0x324f7b4 0x3234198 0x0 0x0)
0x13fc3df8 : 0x124b17 (0x324f700 0x0 0x18 0x13fc3edc)
0x13fc3f08 : 0x19550d (0x13fc3f44 0x0 0x0 0x0)
0x13fc3fc8 : 0x19acee (0x324a1c0 0x0 0x19d0b5 0x324a1c0) No mapping exists for frame pointer
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0xbffff3c8

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.8.3: Wed Oct 18 21:57:10 PDT 2006; root:xnu-792.15.4.obj~4/RELEASE_I386


Nothing since then

 

[iMeowbot]

Joy. The panic you have resembles the sort you get when hardware goes kerblooey, and not getting far enough to write a log hints at super kerblooey.

I think you've just won a no-expenses-paid trip to your nearest Apple dealer, you may want to pop in your hardware test disc on the odd chance that it points to something easy.

Is your RAM all the factory-installed Apple stuff?

 

[TechnoPagan]

I love that you can look at a random pattern of letters, symbols, and numbers and make some sense out of it.

So, between kerblooey and superkerblooey. Think the Geniuses will be upset if I use such high-falutin' technical language?

Is your RAM all the factory-installed Apple stuff?

Yup. And its one-month birthday is today. So, yippee.

hardware test disc

What might this be? Is this with the set of discs in the box?

 

[iMeowbot]

I love that you can look at a random pattern of letters, symbols, and numbers and make some sense out of it.

It's the fact that it's all raw addresses with no useful explanation that hints at hardware, actually. When it's at a higher level (driver, software), the dumps leave longer trails so you can hunt down the culprit.

So, between kerblooey and superkerblooey. Think the Geniuses will be upset if I use such high-falutin' technical language?

Sometimes it helps take the edge off things. Support people deal with unhappy people all day, anything helps "Explodiated" is a good one too.

What might this be? Is this with the set of discs in the box?

For the MacBook, it's on the first install disc, hold down the D key while booting.