MacOS Catalina watchdog timeout kernel panics

catalinacrashkernel-panicmacbook promacos

Ever since upgrading to Catalina, my MacBook Pro 2018 randomly freezes up completely. The screen will be completely frozen and the trackpad won't click anymore. After a minute or so, the fans blow very loud for a second and the system reboots. After rebooting the "Your computer restarted because of a problem" prompt appears and the trace shows this:

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff7f869a0a8d): watchdog timeout: no checkins from watchdogd in 96 seconds (321 total checkins since monitoring last enabled)
Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff81f5bf3c40 : 0xffffff8005f215cd 
0xffffff81f5bf3c90 : 0xffffff800605a3c5 
0xffffff81f5bf3cd0 : 0xffffff800604bf7e 
0xffffff81f5bf3d20 : 0xffffff8005ec7a40 
0xffffff81f5bf3d40 : 0xffffff8005f20c97 
0xffffff81f5bf3e40 : 0xffffff8005f21087 
0xffffff81f5bf3e90 : 0xffffff80066c2ce8 
0xffffff81f5bf3f00 : 0xffffff7f869a0a8d 
0xffffff81f5bf3f10 : 0xffffff7f869a047b 
0xffffff81f5bf3f50 : 0xffffff7f869b5d9c 
0xffffff81f5bf3fa0 : 0xffffff8005ec713e 
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.driver.watchdog(1.0)[99A75EFF-7734-31A0-80BF-FF8288E30D9B]@0xffffff7f8699f000->0xffffff7f869a7fff
         com.apple.driver.AppleSMC(3.1.9)[601E041E-0A5C-3B6A-A4E6-45ECC7F48A2B]@0xffffff7f869a8000->0xffffff7f869c6fff
            dependency: com.apple.driver.watchdog(1)[99A75EFF-7734-31A0-80BF-FF8288E30D9B]@0xffffff7f8699f000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.4)[9D1FF279-C4A2-3344-902F-E0B22B508689]@0xffffff7f86908000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[1B1F3BBB-9212-3CF9-94F8-8FEF0D3ACEC4]@0xffffff7f86911000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task
Boot args: chunklist-security-epoch=0 -chunklist-no-rev2-dev

Mac OS version:
19E287

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 19.4.0: Wed Mar  4 22:28:40 PST 2020; root:xnu-6153.101.6~15/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: AB0AA7EE-3D03-3C21-91AD-5719D79D7AF6
Kernel slide:     0x0000000005c00000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff8005e00000
__HIB  text base: 0xffffff8005d00000
System model name: MacBookPro15,3 (Mac-1E7E29AD0135F9BC)
System shutdown begun: NO

System uptime in nanoseconds: 5160964214617
last loaded kext at 946537554400: >usb.IOUSBHostHIDDevice   1.2 (addr 0xffffff7f89bb1000, size 45056)
last unloaded kext at 2243812240911: >!UAudio   322.2 (addr 0xffffff7f8ced0000, size 434176)
loaded kexts:
com.google.drivefs.filesystems.dfsfuse  38.0.16
com.bitdefender.TMProtection    5.0.0
com.bitdefender.FileProtect 1
com.bitdefender.SelfProtect 1.2.16
@kext.AMDFramebuffer    3.0.8
@kext.AMDRadeonX5000    3.0.8
@kext.AMDRadeonServiceManager   3.0.8
>!AGraphicsDevicePolicy 5.1.16
@fileutil   20.036.15
@AGDCPluginDisplayMetrics   5.1.16
>!AHV   1
|IOUserEthernet 1.0.1
|IO!BSerialManager  7.0.4f6
>!AUpstreamUserClient   3.6.8
>pmtelemetry    1
>AGPM   111.4.4
>X86PlatformShim    1.0.0
>!APlatformEnabler  2.7.0d0
>!A!IKBLGraphics    14.0.5
@Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X    7.0.0
>AGDCBacklightControl   5.1.16
>BridgeAudioCommunication   6.70.3
@kext.AMD10000!C    3.0.8
>!AThunderboltIP    3.1.4
>!ATopCaseHIDEventDriver    3430.1
>!AAVEBridge    6.1
>!AMuxControl2  5.1.16
>!AHIDALSService    1
>!ABridgeAudio!C    6.70.3
>!AGFXHDA   100.1.426
>!A!IPCHPMC 2.0.1
>!A!ICFLGraphicsFramebuffer 14.0.5
>!A!ISlowAdaptiveClocking   4.0.0
>!AMCCSControl  1.11
@filesystems.autofs 3.0
>BCMWLANFirmware4355.Hashstore  1
>BCMWLANFirmware4364.Hashstore  1
>BCMWLANFirmware4377.Hashstore  1
@filesystems.hfs.kext   522.100.5
@BootCache  40
@!AFSCompression.!AFSCompressionTypeDataless    1.0.0d1
@!AFSCompression.!AFSCompressionTypeZlib    1.0.0
>!AVirtIO   1.0
>!ABCMWLANBusInterfacePCIe  1
@filesystems.apfs   1412.101.1
@private.KextAudit  1.0
>!ASmartBatteryManager  161.0.0
>!AACPIButtons  6.1
>!ASMBIOS   2.1
>!AACPIEC   6.1
>!AAPIC 1.7
$!AImage4   1
@nke.applicationfirewall    303
$TMSafetyNet    8
@!ASystemPolicy 2.0.0
|EndpointSecurity   1
@kext.AMDRadeonX5000HWLibs  1.0
@kext.AMDRadeonX5000HWServices  3.0.8
|IOAVB!F    840.3
>!ASSE  1.0
@!AGPUWrangler  5.1.16
>!ABacklightExpert  1.1.0
>!AHIDKeyboard  209
>!AHS!BDriver   3430.1
>IO!BHIDDriver  7.0.4f6
>!AGraphicsControl  5.1.16
>!AActuatorDriver   3440.1
>!AMultitouchDriver 3440.1
>!AInputDeviceSupport   3440.8
|IONDRVSupport  575.1
|IO!BHost!CUARTTransport    7.0.4f6
|IO!BHost!CTransport    7.0.4f6
>!A!ILpssUARTv1 3.0.60
>!A!ILpssUARTCommon 3.0.60
>!AOnboardSerial    1.0
@kext.AMDSupport    3.0.8
@!AGraphicsDeviceControl    5.1.16
|IOAccelerator!F2   438.4.5
|IOSlowAdaptiveClocking!F   1.0.0
>!ASMBus!C  1.0.18d1
|IOGraphics!F   575.1
>X86PlatformPlugin  1.0.0
>IOPlatformPlugin!F 6.0.0d8
@plugin.IOgPTPPlugin    840.3
|IOEthernetAVB!C    1.1.0
@kext.triggers  1.0
>usb.cdc.ncm    5.0.0
>usb.cdc    5.0.0
>usb.networking 5.0.0
>usb.!UHostCompositeDevice  1.2
|IOSurface  269.11
@filesystems.hfs.encodings.kext 1
|IOAudio!F  300.2
@vecLib.kext    1.2.0
>!ABCMWLANCore  1.0.0
>mDNSOffloadUserClient  1.0.1b8
>IOImageLoader  1.0.0
|IOSerial!F 11
|IO80211!FV2    1200.12.2b1
>corecapture    1.0.4
|IOSkywalk!F    1
>!AThunderboltPCIDownAdapter    2.5.4
>!AThunderboltDPInAdapter   6.2.6
>!AThunderboltDPAdapter!F   6.2.6
>!AHPM  3.4.4
>!A!ILpssI2C!C  3.0.60
>!A!ILpssDmac   3.0.60
>!A!ILpssI2C    3.0.60
>!AThunderboltNHI   5.8.6
|IOThunderbolt!F    7.6.0
>usb.!UVHCIBCE  1.2
>usb.!UVHCI 1.2
>usb.!UVHCICommonBCE    1.0
>usb.!UVHCICommon   1.0
>!AEffaceableNOR    1.0
|IOBufferCopy!C 1.1.0
|IOBufferCopyEngine!F   1
|IONVMe!F   2.1.0
>usb.!UXHCIPCI  1.2
>usb.!UXHCI 1.2
|IOUSB!F    900.4.2
>!AEFINVRAM 2.1
>!AEFIRuntime   2.1
>!ASMCRTC   1.0
|IOSMBus!F  1.1
|IOHID!F    2.0.0
$quarantine 4
$sandbox    300.0
@kext.!AMatch   1.0.0d1
>!AKeyStore 2
>!UTDM  489.101.1
|IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice  422.101.1
>!ACredentialManager    1.0
>KernelRelayHost    1
>!ASEPManager   1.0.1
>IOSlaveProcessor   1
>!AFDEKeyStore  28.30
>!AEffaceable!S 1.0
>!AMobileFileIntegrity  1.0.5
@kext.CoreTrust 1
|CoreAnalytics!F    1
|IOTimeSync!F   840.3
|IONetworking!F 3.4
>DiskImages 493.0.0
|IO!B!F 7.0.4f6
|IO!BPacketLogger   7.0.4f6
|IOUSBMass!SDriver  157.101.3
|IOSCSIArchitectureModel!F  422.101.1
|IO!S!F 2.1
|IOUSBHost!F    1.2
>usb.!UCommon   1.0
>!UHostMergeProperties  1.2
>!ABusPower!C   1.0
|IOReport!F 47
>!AACPIPlatform 6.1
>!ASMC  3.1.9
>watchdog   1
|IOPCI!F    2.9
|IOACPI!F   1.4
@kec.pthread    1
@kec.corecrypto 1.0
@kec.Libm   1

I've tried virtually everything. Resetting the PRAM, resetting the SCM, running the Mac in diagnostic mode. Even completely reinstalling the OS hasn't worked. I'm starting to suspect this has something to do with a hardware failure.

Best Answer

I've tried safe-booting which actually fixed the problem which let me to believe there was something about my standard suite of applications that was causing the kernel panics. Low and behold, I've identified the root cause to be Google Drive File Sync (com.google.drivefs.filesystems.dfsfuse 38.0.16). I found this post on the support forums of Google which suggested to turn Spotlight indexing off for Google Drive. This didn't quite fix the problem for me, only reduced the frequency of crashes somewhat. I ended up completely removing Google Drive File Sync.

Related Solutions

MacOS – Kernel panic in old MacBook Pro after upgrading to El Capitan

I think I found your problem. It appears that you have one of the faulty Nvidia 9400m graphics cards in your computer. If you search on your model you will find lots of discussions (Apple Support, GoodBytes) about this system, and problems with the 9400m graphics card.

If you were running your system in “High Performance” graphics mode, then the system relied on the 9600m graphics card rather than the 9400m. So you would not have seen the dreaded flickering and green flash so many people reported on.

There is a fix, Apple released an EFI Firmware Update 2.8 for several systems including your MacBook in 2012.

But if you read through your kernel panic log you will see that you only have the 2.0 EFI Firmware in installed.

com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM  2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime    2.0

Hence the kernel panic you are seeing.

I would suggest that if you made a backup before you tried updating the system (you did make a backup right?) that you:

Boot your computer from your Snow Leopard pre-upgrade backup.
Go to  -> System Prefs -> Energy Saver and set your graphics card to High performance.
Try installing the EFI Firmware Update 2.8 from Snow Leopard.
NOTE: The installer will ONLY work from Mac OS X 10.5.8, 10.6.8 or 10.7.3. according to the Apple website.
Reboot to the internal drive, and the new El Capitan OS you already installed.

You might have to rerun the El Capitan installer again to get things working, but I have a feeling that you should be able to just boot up into El Capitan.

I hope this solves your problem.

ADDITION:
One additional workaround for this problem came to me from a friend.

You can try and disable (in Mavericks 10.9, Yosemite 10.10 and El Capitan 10.11) the Automatic Graphics Switching if you can boot into the the updated OS, and get to the System Prefs. This may disable the 9400m enough that you “might” not see the kernel panic again.

Mac suddenly shuts down and doesn’t respond

At first glance it appears to be a GPU issue, although that doesn't necessarily have to mean it's a hardware problem.

As a starting point you could boot into Safe Mode just to check if the issue is replicated. If so, then you'd want to run Apple Hardware Test.

Boot into Safe Mode

Follow these steps boot your Mac into Safe Mode:

Fully shut down your Mac
Restart your Mac
Immediately press the Shift key and keep it down
Let go of the Shift key when you see the login window (NOTE: If you have FileVault enabled you may need to log in twice).
Test the computer (i.e. use it, put it to sleep, try to replicate the crash)
To exit Safe Mode just restart your Mac as normal

If the problem persists in Safe Mode, then use Apple Hardware Test as follows.

Run Apple Hardware Test

Your model MBP uses Apple Hardware Test. To use this, follow these steps:

Shut down your MacBook Pro
Restart your MacBook Pro
Press and hold the D key before the gray startup screen appears.
After a while, Apple Hardware Test (AHT) will start.
When prompted, select your language and click the right arrow.
When the AHT console appears, you can choose to run Basic tests by clicking the Test button. However, I suggest you select the "Perform extended testing" checkbox before you click the Test button.
Your test results will appear in the window in the bottom-right of the console.

Note 1: that the extended test will take some time. Take a note of the results and report back.

Note 2: If pressing and holding the D key at Step 3 doesn't work, start again at Step 1 and, at Step 3 press and hold both the OptionD keys instead. This will try and run diagnostics from the internet instead, so you will need to allow more time for it to complete.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MacOS – Kernel panic in old MacBook Pro after upgrading to El Capitan

Mac suddenly shuts down and doesn’t respond

Related Question