Kernel panic on update OS X 10.9.2

[joelvargas]

Hello,

I was updating my Macbook air with update OSX 10.9.2 and the screen went grey and I restarted it and got a Kernel panic. I restarted it and the same screen appears. I have tried (Shift key and power button) and the same screen appears. I'm basically new in this forum, and, sadly, I didn't make a backup before the update. Is there a solution for this problem? Can I recover my files? If anyone can give a step by step I will be forever in debt...


Thank you very much for your help.

Joel
The screen is this:

 

[Detrius]

The message "can't find driver for this platform" means that it's missing critical drivers for your system. Boot from an external OS and rerun the update on the internal drive by downloading and running the combo installer.

Your files should all be there. Just don't do anything drastic, like formatting the drive.

If you don't already have an external OS drive, get a USB thumb drive (16GB should be more than sufficient) and install a full OS on that. It'll be slow, but it'll work.

 

[joelvargas]

I will try this

Thanks Detrius for your answer, I will try this an I hope I works. I will keep you informed.

 

[sundragon]

Alternatively, You can head to the Genius Bar and they will do it for you.

 

[blueroom]

Which Mac are you running it on? Have you tried a clean install?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Hello,

I was updating my Macbook air with update OSX 10.9.2 and the screen went grey and I restarted it and got a Kernel panic. I restarted it and the same screen appears. I have tried (Shift key and power button) and the same screen appears. I'm basically new in this forum, and, sadly, I didn't make a backup before the update. Is there a solution for this problem? Can I recover my files? If anyone can give a step by step I will be forever in debt...


Thank you very much for your help.

Joel
The screen is this:

Had this issue loads of times with end users' Macs. Best thing to do: hold Alt on startup, boot into recovery partition. Select 'Reinstall OS X'. This won't wipe the system, merely reinstall the core components.

So it's sort of like what Detrius said, except you don't have to boot from an external HDD.

 

[mazurka]

Had this issue loads of times with end users' Macs. Best thing to do: hold Alt on startup, boot into recovery partition. Select 'Reinstall OS X'. This won't wipe the system, merely reinstall the core components.

So it's sort of like what Detrius said, except you don't have to boot from an external HDD.

I'm getting a kernel panic almost every time my Mac Pro goes to sleep, the computer shuts itself down, and I have to restart. Now I'm getting a flashing on the display every couple of seconds, which doesn't look like a good thing to me. When you say "boot into recovery partition" what does this mean? Can you explain it to me in layman's language? Thanks.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I'm getting a kernel panic almost every time my Mac Pro goes to sleep, the computer shuts itself down, and I have to restart. Now I'm getting a flashing on the display every couple of seconds, which doesn't look like a good thing to me. When you say "boot into recovery partition" what does this mean? Can you explain it to me in layman's language? Thanks.

Hi mazurka, your issue sounds slightly different as it's not a kernel panic on startup -- the issue OP had is one I've encountered loads recently. Your kernel panics seen to be constant. It's more than likely relating to your RAM, or possibly hard-drive. I'd download and install MemTest for OS X (http://cdn.command-tab.com/2008/memtest_422.zip). Then, shut down your computer. As soon as you turn it back on, hold CMD + S to boot into single user mode, then type 'Memtest all' (no quotation marks) and press Enter.

In regards to booting into the recovery partition, this is something introduced from OS X 10.7+. Turn off the system, then turn it back on and hold 'alt' on startup. You'll see Macintosh HD and Recovery HD. Boot into Recovery and you've got loads of tools at your disposal.

Hope this helps.

 

[mazurka]

Hi mazurka, your issue sounds slightly different as it's not a kernel panic on startup -- the issue OP had is one I've encountered loads recently. Your kernel panics seen to be constant. It's more than likely relating to your RAM, or possibly hard-drive. I'd download and install MemTest for OS X (http://cdn.command-tab.com/2008/memtest_422.zip). Then, shut down your computer. As soon as you turn it back on, hold CMD + S to boot into single user mode, then type 'Memtest all' (no quotation marks) and press Enter.

In regards to booting into the recovery partition, this is something introduced from OS X 10.7+. Turn off the system, then turn it back on and hold 'alt' on startup. You'll see Macintosh HD and Recovery HD. Boot into Recovery and you've got loads of tools at your disposal.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the info. The other odd thing I've encountered since installing 10.9.2 is the sudden appearance of a Guest User on the start-up screen. I've tried disabling this, but it makes no difference to the kernel panics.

 

[mazurka]

Thanks for all the info. The other odd thing I've encountered since installing 10.9.2 is the sudden appearance of a Guest User on the start-up screen. I've tried disabling this, but it makes no difference to the kernel panics.

I've downloaded memtest but when i try to open it I get a message that says it is from an unidentified developer and can't be opened. Now I'm getting another problem - Mail just keeps quitting on me repeatedly. When I click Reopen it attempts to do so, but then just quits again?

 

[keysofanxiety]

I've downloaded memtest but when i try to open it I get a message that says it is from an unidentified developer and can't be opened. Now I'm getting another problem - Mail just keeps quitting on me repeatedly. When I click Reopen it attempts to do so, but then just quits again?

Unidentified developer issue -- go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Security and Privacy > General. Unlock by clicking lock at bottom left & putting in your password. select 'anywhere' for 'allow apps downloaded from'. Then it'll install.

I'd bet my month's wage that the issues you're having are related to RAM -- best run Memtest to be sure.

Let me know the outcome mate, speak soon.

 

[scaredpoet]

I'd bet my month's wage that the issues you're having are related to RAM -- best run Memtest to be sure.

Run memtest, but also run Apple Diagnostics regardless of what memtest tells you. Make sure you run the long tests, if you're given an option to do so.

I had frequent kernel panics on a 27" iMac, and memtest86 showed the RAM as passing with flying colors. But that same RAM failed the built-in diagnostic test. Once I found and replaced the bad module, everything was fine.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Run memtest, but also run Apple Diagnostics regardless of what memtest tells you. Make sure you run the long tests, if you're given an option to do so.

I had frequent kernel panics on a 27" iMac, and memtest86 showed the RAM as passing with flying colors. But that same RAM failed the built-in diagnostic test. Once I found and replaced the bad module, everything was fine.

Cool buddy, thanks for the info/input. I'll bear that in mind for future!

 

[mazurka]

Unidentified developer issue -- go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Security and Privacy > General. Unlock by clicking lock at bottom left & putting in your password. select 'anywhere' for 'allow apps downloaded from'. Then it'll install.

I'd bet my month's wage that the issues you're having are related to RAM -- best run Memtest to be sure.

Let me know the outcome mate, speak soon.

Sorry for the delay in getting back but I've been working away from home (on a MacBook Air - no kernel panics!) and since I got back I first decided, before doing anything else, just for housekeeping, to run YASU on my Mac Pro, the computer that was experiencing panics. Since I did this there have been no kernel panics and everything seems to be running normally. BTW I also reseated all my RAM modules. None appeared to be loose, but then you never know, do you? So I have not used Memtest or Apple Diagnostics as yet.