![\"Kernel](\"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/kernel-panic.png\")
<\/p>\nMaybe I\u2019ve been lucky, or maybe I\u2019ve just not pressed my luck. I used to see Blue Screens of Death fairly often in my Windows days, but I have yet to see a Kernel Panic since I got my first Macbook in 2003. (Oh no, have I jinxed myself?? What is the proper sacrifice to protect against these things?!)<\/p>\n
Since I\u2019ve been getting more in-depth into the world of Macs, I\u2019ve started hearing more about Kernel Panics. Mostly it’s discussed in those hushed or tense tones that tell you someone is talking about a thing that is equal parts frustrating and mysterious. Being a curious sort, I had to look this up. And\u2026well, now I see why it\u2019s so frustrating and mysterious.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the historical explanation: OS X is a Unix-based operating system, so it has some functionality in common with even very early versions of Unix. There was a routine in one of those early versions of Unix that was meant to deal with \u201cfatal errors\u201d; that is to say, errors that are unresolvable. When you get a Kernel Panic on OS X, the screen darkens and you see a multilingual message that tells you to restart your computer.<\/p>\n
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So, this made me wonder \u2013 what the heck causes this? Much like a Blue Screen of Death on Windows, this could be indicative of a software problem, a hardware problem, or a conflict of hardware and software. In short, they just mean “something bad happened..<\/p>\n
The first thing to do, in any case, is to reboot. You can’t really do much of anything else at this point. The odds are pretty good that a reboot will take care of the problem and you can resume your usual computer activities for the foreseeable future. If that doesn’t happen, even if you don’t go as far as specifically pinpointing the problem, you may be able to do something that gets you back up and running again on your own.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re technically inclined, you can figure out more information by employing basic troubleshooting techniques. That way, you can narrow it down to a fairly specific cause.<\/p>\n
Here’s the basic idea for troubleshooting a Kernel Panic:<\/p>\n
If none of these things work (or if you just don’t want to be monkeying about with any of this), you should take your machine to a Genius Bar near you. You may not be able to pinpoint the problem on your own \u2013 this happens to the best of us from time to time!<\/p>\n
While there\u2019s no surefire way to avoid Kernel Panics entirely, they\u2019re a happily rare occurrence for most Mac users. Hopefully you won’t ever need to use this knowledge, but if you ever find yourself in this situation, perhaps now it will seem a little less mysterious.<\/p>\n
New to Mac? Let’s get you started on the right track!<\/strong><\/p>\nWant to get the most out of your new MacBook, iMac or other Apple computer? Whether this is your first laptop or you\u2019ve just switched from Windows, there are a few things you should know about your new Mac, like basic keyboard shortcuts or how to use the various features macOS has to offer. Learn more about what your Mac computer can do for you at the Intego New Mac User Center: Get started now!<\/strong><\/a><\/address>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n photo credit: Jim Linwood<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe I\u2019ve been lucky, or maybe I\u2019ve just not pressed my luck. I used to see Blue Screens of Death fairly often in my Windows days, but I have yet to see a Kernel Panic since I got my first Macbook in 2003. (Oh no, have I jinxed myself?? What is the proper sacrifice to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[2101],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n