Tons of kernel panics

[taylorwilsdon]

I've had 4 or 5 kernel panics today and I want to try to figure out whats up. I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary, Firefox 3, iTunes and Mail are usually open.

Here is the crash report:

Fri Aug 8 16:30:56 2008
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x003A01BA): "m_free: freeing an already freed mbuf"@/SourceCache/xnu/xnu-1228.5.20/bsd/kern/uipc_mbuf.c:2742
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x661e3d18 : 0x12b0fa (0x4592a4 0x661e3d4c 0x133243 0x0)
0x661e3d68 : 0x3a01ba (0x493368 0x9518800 0x10 0x9518800)
0x661e3da8 : 0x3a27e0 (0x56fe9d00 0x56ff2cf0 0x0 0x2)
0x661e3de8 : 0x385d1c (0x56ff2c00 0xe 0x661e3e18 0x404deb)
0x661e3e08 : 0x855704 (0x661e3e34 0xe 0x661e3e38 0x41f97e)
0x661e3e28 : 0x5e0186 (0x6d91c00 0x56ff2c00 0x0 0x4201bd)
0x661e3e58 : 0x42107a (0x6d8d600 0x6d8d600 0x6d86a40 0x661e3edc)
0x661e3e88 : 0x5e022b (0x6d85640 0x5e013a 0x6d8d600 0x6d86a40)
0x661e3eb8 : 0x5e04c4 (0x6d8d600 0x6d86a40 0x661e3edc 0x86e324)
0x661e3ef8 : 0x5e05d2 (0x6d8d600 0x6bad01c 0x41f7ba 0x1d5a8c0)
0x661e3f18 : 0x420993 (0x6d8d600 0x100 0x1 0x19d5b1)
0x661e3f68 : 0x41faf0 (0x6d85580 0x0 0x1 0x0)
0x661e3f98 : 0x41f7d2 (0x6d5a8c0 0x661e3fdc 0x661e3fc8 0x1a7e6c)
0x661e3fc8 : 0x19ebdc (0x6d5a8c0 0x0 0x1a20b5 0x713e060)
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family(211.1)@0x84d000->0x86bfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(1.6.0)@0x5d1000
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(1.6.0)@0x5d1000->0x5e6fff

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
9E17

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.4.0: Mon Jun 9 19:30:53 PDT 2008; root:xnu-1228.5.20~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro4,1 (Mac-F42C89C8)

Any help is greatly appreciated because I need to at least know how to duplicate it if I'm going to take it into Apple. Even better would be finding whats wrong with it and fixing it myself.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Most kernel panics are mostly caused by hardware issues and the most common hardware issue is bad RAM.

Do you have any peripherals connected to this Mac?

 

[taylorwilsdon]

Most kernel panics are mostly caused by hardware issues and the most common hardware issue is bad RAM.

Do you have any peripherals connected to this Mac?

Bluetooth keyboard and mouse are the only peripherials (so not technically "connected" )

I'm actually not sure how to run memtest on a mac but I've done it on a PC before (and it appears they charge money for the Mac version?)

 

[IJ Reilly]

No, there was a free version last I checked. I don't have a ton of faith in it though. A better strategy is to remove the modules one by one. You could also try reseating them.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

No, there was a free version last I checked. I don't have a ton of faith in it though. A better strategy is to remove the modules one by one. You could also try reseating them.

Ran Memtest:
All tests passed! Execution time: 2979 seconds.

 

[Sun Baked]

Don't know the problem keeps cropping up, before it was the downloading SW overloading things.

Now

Some have said to try disabling IPv6 in Network>TCPIP and switch Mail.app from auto-update to manual.

 

[Muncher]

Every time you have a kernel panic, write down exactly what you were doing/had open right before the crash. Look for common items on the list, and don't rule out multiple causes.

As a last resort, you could do a fresh install of your OS.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

Every time you have a kernel panic, write down exactly what you were doing/had open right before the crash. Look for common items on the list, and don't rule out multiple causes.

As a last resort, you could do a fresh install of your OS.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1224480

That whole thread is filled with people having this exact problem so it appears to be somewhat widespread.

Before I found that, I thought iTunes was the problem because its been open each time and when I opened iTunes a minute ago, the library was corrupted (damaged) and couldn't open.

Now I'm 99% sure its related to Airport. My connection has been dropping all day and when I reboot after the KP, its disconnected and I have to choose it from the airport list even though its my preferred network.

 

[IJ Reilly]

That whole thread is filled with people having this exact problem so it appears to be somewhat widespread.

For people running PTP applications. I don't see any other patterns.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

For people running PTP applications. I don't see any other patterns.

P2p and mail seem to be the common denominators. I don't do any p2p (I have transmission installed but I don't know the last time I used it) and I switched mail to manual, but I'm still having some KP's.

I'm thinking it may be airport related?

 

[IJ Reilly]

I've seen the suggestions that it's caused by Airport drivers, but this can't explain why everybody doesn't have it. When in any doubt I usually go with a hardware problem.

 

[NoOneButMe]

If you've got Applecare, run TechTools Deluxe.

Otherwise, stick your Restore Disc 1 in and hold down D while booting the computer up. It should go into a diagnostic mode so you can run hardware tests to see if any hardware is messed up.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I used to suggest running the hardware test, but since I've never heard of anyone learning anything useful, I've stopped recommending it.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

If you've got Applecare, run TechTools Deluxe.

Otherwise, stick your Restore Disc 1 in and hold down D while booting the computer up. It should go into a diagnostic mode so you can run hardware tests to see if any hardware is messed up.

Never buy applecare I'll try the hardware test. I'm giving it one more day of self diagnostics then I'm dropping it off at Apple.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

Found an Applecare CD, ran TechTool.

Everything passed, but it didn't test the Airport so I don't know how useful it was