[X4U] cause of kernel panics?

[Richard Gilmore]

I had a kernal panic on my laptop with a 40 GB drive that had about 500 MB
of space left on it. I'm assuming low HD space can also cause them?




> From: "Randy B.Singer" <randy at macattorney.com>
> Reply-To: "A place to discuss Mac OS X for the casual user."
> <x4u at listserver.themacintoshguy.com>
> Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:45:01 -0800
> To: J Flenner <varney at mindspring.com>, <x4u at listserver.themacintoshguy.com>
> Subject: Re: [X4U] cause of kernel panics?
> 
> J Flenner said:
> 
>> At least, I think they're kernel panics: a box that orders me in 4 languages
>> to shutdown and grays my screen over wherever I was when it happened.
>> 
>> I use Mac OS 10.2.8 on a 17-inch flatscreen iMac, still under warranty.
> ...
>> I'm taking it to the shop tomorrow unless you tell me there's still
>> something I
>> should try.
> 
> If your computer is still under warranty, taking it back to the shop is a
> good idea.
> 
> What you experienced was indeed a kernel panic.  See:
> http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106227
> http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25392
> 
> If your Macintosh is in good working order you should never see a kernel
> panic.  In my experience, kernel panics are usually (but not always)
> caused by a hardware problem.  Most often bad RAM (usually non-Apple
> RAM), or a bad USB hub or USB device.  (It can also be due to an
> incompatible PCI card, but obviously that isn't the case with your iMac.)
> 
> Troubleshooting usually entails disconnecting all non-essential USB
> peripherals, and if that doesn't help, removing all non-Apple RAM and
> seeing if that helps.  You can also try moving RAM from one slot to
> another.
> 
> You can use Memtest (free) to check your RAM, but no memory testing
> utility can do a through job:
> http://www.memtestosx.org/
> 
> If the problem isn't due to a USB peripheral or RAM, then you can start
> suspecting third party applications, especially those that install kernel
> extensions.  Ironically, you are using Norton Utilities to try and fix
> your problem.  Norton Utilities, when installed on your hard drive, have
> been implicated with causing nasty instability issues with OS X.
> 
> See:
> http://www.macattorney.com/tutorial.html
> Item #'s 3, 10 and 11
> 
> 
> 
> Randy B. Singer
> Co-Author of: The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th and 6th editions)
> 
> Routine OS X Maintenance and Generic Troubleshooting
> http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html
> 
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