Random crashes / kernel panic

[Hanatarashi]

Hi there,

This is my first post here, so I'm not sure if this is the right forum.

I have a Late 2011 iMac (21.5"), which has run fine for years. A couple of years ago I built in a Crucial M4 128GB SSD using a kit from iFixit. The SSD is running the OS and the built in HDD stores all of my files.
As I said, this has been running smoothly for about 4 years.

The other day I started getting random crashes. The whole system would freeze, beachball spinning and no way for me to force quit anything. In some cases the screen would turn black with only the mouse cursor visible (and movable).

After a while the computer would restart and show the flashing folder with question mark.

Hard resetting the computer works and everything starts up again. On boot it shows "Your computer has been restarted because of a problem. Press a key to start up your computer..."

After logging into the OS a crash report is generated. I can't figure out what's wrong.

Things I've tried, none of which have helped:

- Reinstalling macOS Sierra through recovery mode.
- Clean install of macOS Sierra through recovery mode (first I formatted the SSD, then installed OS)

I'm out of ideas. I hope maybe somebody here has an idea what it could be. Thank you all for your time!

The crash report today says:
Anonymous UUID: FCB61C79-E5C6-BB0B-4C53-4BBA577ED0D4

Wed Mar 15 12:20:03 2017

*** Panic Report ***
panic(cpu 1 caller 0xffffff800096f6ef): initproc exited -- exit reason namespace 2 subcode 0xa description: none

Thread 4 crashed

RAX: 0x0000000000002210, RBX: 0x00007fff92b84314, RCX: 0x000070000abb76db, RDX: 0x0000000100cd9826
RSP: 0x000070000abb7630, RBP: 0x000070000abb7670, RSI: 0x0000000100cd9698, RDI: 0x000070000abb76dc
R8: 0x000070000abb76d0, R9: 0x000070000abb76cc, R10: 0x0000000000000000, R11: 0x0000000100cd3188
R12: 0x0000000100cdb8a8, R13: 0x000070000abb76cc, R14: 0x000070000abb76dc, R15: 0x0000000100cd9698
RFL: 0x0000000000010297, RIP: 0x00000001087506b5, CS: 0x000000000000002b, SS: 0x0000000000000023

Thread 0: 0xffffff800c888028
0x00007fff92caf3c6
Could not read LR from frame at 0x000070000aa2ed28

Thread 1: 0xffffff800c889720
0x00007fff92cb727a
0x00007fff92b602cf
0x0000000000000000

Thread 2: 0xffffff8013b604e8
0x00007fff92cb703a
0x0000000100cbd628
0x00007fff92b675cb
0x00007fff92b520b8
0x00007fff92b68ae5
0x00007fff92b5acd9
0x00007fff92b53e70
0x00007fff92b53c47
0x00007fff92d9f712
0x00007fff92d9f1ed
0x0000000000000000

Thread 3: 0xffffff800f3dd748
0x00007fff92cb8742
0x00007fff92b67b5b
0x00007fff92b5da6a
0x00007fff92b548f6
0x00007fff92b68920
0x00007fff92b5acd9
0x00007fff92b53e70
0x00007fff92b53c47
0x00007fff92d9f712
0x00007fff92d9f1ed
0x0000000000000000

Thread 4: 0xffffff801392c2b0
0x00000001087506b5
0x0000000108756d2e
0x000000010873e7ad
0x00007fff92b8448e
0x0000000100cd3188
0x0000000100cbfdea
0x00007fff92b520b8
0x00007fff92b67b5b
0x00007fff92b5da6a
0x00007fff92b548f6
0x00007fff92b68920
0x00007fff92b5acd9
0x00007fff92b53e70
0x00007fff92b53c47
0x00007fff92d9f712
0x00007fff92d9f1ed
0x0000000000000000

Thread 5: 0xffffff800db37050
0x00007fff92d9f1e0

Thread 6: 0xffffff80129126f8
0x00007fff92d9f1e0

Thread 7: 0xffffff8011e0f288
0x0000000000000000


Mac OS version:
16D32

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 16.4.0: Thu Dec 22 22:53:21 PST 2016; root:xnu-3789.41.3~3/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: C67A8D03-DEAC-35B8-8F68-06FF7B687215
System model name: iMac12,1 (Mac-942B5BF58194151B)
Root disk errors: "Could not recover SATA HDD after 5 attempts. Terminating."
Model: iMac12,1, BootROM IM121.0047.B25, 4 processors, Intel Core i5, 2,5 GHz, 4 GB, SMC 1.71f25
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6750M, AMD Radeon HD 6750M, PCIe, 512 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x02FE, 0x45424A3230554638424353302D444A2D4620
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x02FE, 0x45424A3230554638424353302D444A2D4620
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x168C, 0x9A), Atheros 9380: 4.0.74.0-P2P
Bluetooth: Version 5.0.3f1, 3 services, 27 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: Wi-Fi, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: ST3500418AS, 500,11 GB
Serial ATA Device: M4-CT128M4SSD2, 128,04 GB
USB Device: USB 2.0 Bus
USB Device: Hub
USB Device: Card Reader
USB Device: USB 2.0 Bus
USB Device: FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
USB Device: Hub
USB Device: BRCM2046 Hub
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Thunderbolt Bus: iMac, Apple Inc., 25.1

 

[Potus325]

I've been googling around the similar issue. It seems whatever sleep settings are on my MacBook 12" it was basically unusable because of constant kernel panics. So I came up with the following solution. Seems to work well enough with only the very very odd panic now.

1. Open the terminal app.
2. Type pmset -g
3. Look at the list that is generated - if included in the list is "standby 1" - you want to change this to standby 0
4. To do this, type the following into the terminal command line: sudo pmset -a standby 0
5. Give your password when prompted
6. You should now not get kernel panics after sleep

It might work for you. Hope it does.

 

[oatman13]

Please open terminal and type:
sudo sysdiagnose

Then send that file to Apple via bugreport.apple.com

 

[Hanatarashi]

Thanks to you both. I will see if this works tonight when I get home

 

[Potus325]

My solution might not work for you. If it doesn't work, just reset to default settings in the power settings.

 

[Hanatarashi]

It's not in the power settings. I've set it to never sleep and it still happens.

 

[Potus325]

The lightbulb icon in settings and then reset to default settings. Sorry it didn't work for you.

 

[DeltaMac]

One line in your crash report is interesting

Root disk errors: "Could not recover SATA HDD after 5 attempts. Terminating."

Likely that your SSD is failing.

 

[BLUEDOG314]

Download and run Smart Utility and see what that says.

 

[Hanatarashi]

So.. Smart Utility is telling me that the SSD is failing. Well, that sucks. I'm gonna backup the files on my HDD, format it and install OS X on the HDD. Can I disable the SSD?

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes, open up your iMac, and disconnect the SSD.
If you installed it, you will remember that your iMac is not difficult to take apart.
Keep in mind that SSDs have dropped in price in the last couple of years, so, if you open up the iMac, that will remind you that it is just as easy to replace your SSD.
(And, you won't be happy with the system performance of a spinning hard drive, when you have been using an SSD on the same iMac )

 

[Hanatarashi]

Yes, open up your iMac, and disconnect the SSD.
If you installed it, you will remember that your iMac is not difficult to take apart.
Keep in mind that SSDs have dropped in price in the last couple of years, so, if you open up the iMac, that will remind you that it is just as easy to replace your SSD.
(And, you won't be happy with the system performance of a spinning hard drive, when you have been using an SSD on the same iMac )

Oh man, I just reinstalled the OS on the HDD and it's sooo slow. I'm gonna replace the SSD as soon as I can find the time.

In the meantime, can I disable the SSD in the OS to completely resolve the crashes?

 

[DeltaMac]

I think you can do that with fstab, in the terminal. (I think that command still works in macOS, but not sure.
Simple steps here.

 

[Hanatarashi]

Cool, thanks. I think it worked!