Causes of kernel panicsGeneral causes of kernel panicsKernel panics are often caused by one or more of the following issues. * Defective or incompatible RAM are the most frequent causes of kernel panics. Despite being a highly-reliable product, RAM can fail. Modern operating systems, like Mac OS X, are sensitive to RAM. Purchase additional RAM from either Apple or third parties who guarantee their RAM is compatible with Mac OS X, offer a liberal exchange policy, and provide a lifetime warranty should the RAM become defective or a later version of Mac OS X introduce incompatibilities. * Incompatible, obsolete, or corrupted kernel extensions. If a third-party kernel extension or one of its dependencies is incompatible or obsolete with respect to the version of Mac OS X you are using, kernel panics may occur when the kernel executes such extensions. Likewise, if a kernel extension or one of its dependencies is corrupted, such as the result of hard disk corruption, kernel panics are likely to occur when the kernel attempts to load or execute such. * Incompatible, obsolete, or corrupted drivers. Similar to kernel extensions, drivers for third-party hardware which are incompatible with the version of Mac OS X you are using, or which have become corrupted, will cause in kernel panics. * Hard disk corruption, including bad sectors, directory corruption, and other hard-disk ills. * Incorrect permissions on System-related files or folders. * Insufficient RAM and available hard disk space. * Improperly installed hardware or software. * Defective hardware or software. Hardware failures, including a defective CPU, or programming errors can result in kernel panics. * Incompatible hardware. While rare, this is generally the result of a third-party hardware vendor’s product failing to properly respond to the kernel or a kernel extension in an expected way.
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