The current Mac operating system is macOS, originally named 'Mac OS X' until 2012 and then 'OS X' until 2016. Developed between 1997 and 2001 after Apple's purchase of NeXT, Mac OS X brought an entirely new architecture based on NeXTSTEP, a Unix system, that eliminated many of the technical challenges that the classic Mac OS faced. Explore the world of Mac. Check out MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, and more. Visit the Apple site to learn, buy, and get support. Santa Santa is a binary authorization system for macOS.
When your Mac keeps restarting or unexpectedly tells you that you have to restart because of a problem, that's a kernel panic.
There are few things more terrifying when using a Mac than the dreaded kernel panic. A kernel panic occurs when your Mac runs into a problem that is so serious it is unable to continue running. When it happens, your Mac displays a dark grey screen with the words 'You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button.'
The only way to fix a kernel panic error is to do exactly that and restart your Mac. Fortunately, kernel panics are very rare these days and when they do occur, restarting your Mac may be all you need to do to never see one again.
If you suffer repeated kernel panics, however, you'll need to investigate the cause and solve the problem — it could be a conflict between poorly written apps or services, or a problem with hardware. The software is the most likely culprit. But thanks to apps from Setapp, fixing problems with software and avoiding kernel panics is very easy.
Tools to fix Kernel Panic
A collection of tools that keeps your Mac from going grey. Get your hands on it and stay on the safe side.
Here's how to vastly reduce your chances of needing to fix a kernel panic in the future.
It can be a million reasons why your Mac keeps restarting. The best way to identify what's wrong is use system monitoring app like iStat Menus. It makes it easy to track the performance of your Mac and see whether any applications are hogging resources, like CPU cycles or RAM.
CleanMyMac allows you to easily uninstall problematic login items and applications.
To uninstall an application:
To uninstall a login item:
You can do the same for System Preferences panes, browser extensions, audio plugins, and other system files. Before you attempt to remove something, however, make sure you know what it does and how its removal will affect your ability to use the application it is associated with.
While you're troubleshooting and solving problems with your Mac, it's a good idea to clean up its hard drive or SSD and remove duplicate files. There are a couple of apps available in Setapp that make this a breeze.
Disk Drill allows you to quickly identify files that are taking up lots of space on your drive and remove them. It's quick and easy to do and can free up several gigabytes.
Gemini identifies duplicate files on your Mac and allows you to remove copies very easily. It's a simple way to free up space on your Mac.
Cleaning up your hard drive or SSD is important because to have room for virtual memory, you need to keep at least 10% of your disk's capacity free.
Find out how to use Disk Drill and Gemini to free up storage space on your Mac and reduce the chances of it having a kernel panic.
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As you can see, kernel panics aren't nearly as worrisome as they first appear. Following the process above, you can quickly fix the problem. Or, better still, you can take steps now to avoid one altogether.