X

Time Machine causes kernel panic

Users may find that kernel panics can occur when running system utilities like Time Machine when other programs are installed and causing issues.

Joe Aimonetti MacFixIt Editor
Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. He even has worked in Apple retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done.
Joe Aimonetti

Users may find that kernel panics can occur when running system utilities like Time Machine when other programs are installed and causing issues. The problem can be narrowed to a third-party installation by booting in Safe Mode. If Time Machine runs properly in Safe Mode, an extension or program is causing your crashes.

Apple Support Discussions forum user BasementJack writes:

Time machine Crashes (Kernel panic) when Run normally. When I boot in Safe mode, it runs fine. Is there a list of programs known to cause issues with Time Machine? If not where should I look? I assume my ID's "Login Items" - but is there anywhere else to look?

As ASD user Linc Davis notes:

The only third-party programs that can cause a kernel panic are kernel extensions. You can also find that out by entering the following command in a Terminal window:
kextstat -kl | awk ' !/apple/ { print $6 } '

After running the above code, look for files not related to Apple software first. Kernel extensions (kext files) are generally the culprits in this case. Once you've got your list, disable or update the programs whose kext files appear.

Remember to continually check for updates for all your applications, not just the ones that show up in Software Update. Most programs will allow you to automatically check for updates on an interval. Check the Preferences of your applications to see what's available.


Be sure to follow MacFixIt on Twitter and contribute to the CNET Mac forums.