kernel panics etc

conor.hogan.2

I have a macbook pro that I have 9 weeks ish.

I have had more kernel panics and force restarts than I had in over 2 years with my last plastic macbook.

Is there a chance I could get it exchanged if it continues or is it just I had luck with the last macbook and there is nothing wrong with this laptop?

Sad Professor

How long have you been experiencing this? Since you got it?

Have you installed any RAM on the machine?

conor.hogan.2

Ye pretty much since I got it.

On this laptop I havent opened it up at all.

Sad Professor

Have you any third-party accessories connected? If so, try disconnecting them and see if there's any improvement.

Have you installed any software that might possibly be causing this? Anything you can think of, try uninstalling it.

Also, make sure the hard drive checks out okay in Disk Utility - repair permission and verify the disk. You should also run a hardware test (insert the install disc and hold d as the machine boots).

Having a look in the system logs might give a sense as to the cause of the problem. It's a while since I've had to go trawling through my logs, but the following link might be helpful.

As a final resort you should also do a clean install (which is what Apple will probably get you to do if you call them).

Or can just get on to Apple now and/or drop it in somewhere. However, they are unlikely to replace it right off the bat until they first ascertain that it is indeed a hardware problem.

Talisman

When you reboot after a kernel panic there is a message logged on the system. Check the /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports folder. The log files might give some indication but I suspect it's a hardware issue.

Run the hardware diagnostic software on the system disc. Boot the system with the disc in the drive holding the D key.

My advice would be to contact Apple support immediately, as there clearly something wrong with the system.

barryj

You don't by any chance have the Cisco VPN client installed? That definitely causes kernel panics - I used to get one regularly, until I uninstalled it and used the built-in client.

- barry

conor.hogan.2

No I dont think its any new software. I ran all the checks in disk utility/onyx and they all passed.

From the logs:
1 - Chrome
2 - mdworker
3 - virtualbox

Also the dock has crashed around 10 times and I had problems with spotlight (mdworker?) being slow, taking huge amounts of memory, crashing and having to manually set it to reindex.

I dont think I have the Cisco VPN installed. I could do a clean install - but it would be a major major pain in the ass.

Thanks all - I will check the DVD now.