What caused this kernel panic and how can I prevent it from recurring?

My old MacBook Pro (early 2008 Intel, running OS 10.5) just had a kernel panic. I was surfing the web on Firefox when the screen started to flicker and the system basically froze (I could still move the cursor but not click on anything). I tried to restart but got the multilingual "You need to restart your computer" kernel panic screen. Eventually I fixed it with "fsck -fy" from single user mode, and now it's running fine, but I want to know what happened so I can prevent the problem from recurring. It gave me a system report when it finally restarted, but I don't know how to read these things. Could anyone take a look and see if there's any useful information there? Thanks a ton.


Interval Since Last Panic Report: 35333097 sec
Panics Since Last Report: 1
Anonymous UUID: CDEECCE0-C9DF-47CC-A0EE-234302D4EED4

Tue Jul 15 19:58:53 2014
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001AB0FE): Kernel trap at 0x00c56c1e, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x000000bc, CR3: 0x015c7000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x3497d630, EBX: 0x05716c04, ECX: 0x055c0800, EDX: 0x00000000
CR2: 0x000000bc, EBP: 0x3497d668, ESI: 0x00000000, EDI: 0xffffffff
EFL: 0x00010246, EIP: 0x00c56c1e, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x055c0010
Error code: 0x00000000

Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x3497d408 : 0x12b4c6 (0x45f91c 0x3497d43c 0x13355c 0x0)
0x3497d458 : 0x1ab0fe (0x469a98 0xc56c1e 0xe 0x469248)
0x3497d538 : 0x1a1713 (0x3497d550 0x9 0x3497d668 0xc56c1e)
0x3497d548 : 0xc56c1e (0xe 0x48 0x34970010 0xc80010)
0x3497d668 : 0xc5ebaa (0xc1d00005 0x1000000 0x1000003 0x40)
0x3497d6c8 : 0xc5128f (0x3497d858 0x6 0x0 0x0)
0x3497d828 : 0xc42402 (0x0 0x600d600d 0x7027 0x3497d858)
0x3497d8e8 : 0xe3001b (0xc1d00005 0x1000000 0x1000003 0x40)
0x3497d918 : 0xe3b7ac (0x2433d000 0x1000000 0x88100090 0x3e)
0x3497f8a8 : 0xe17189 (0x2433d000 0x1000000 0x15 0x2433d01c)
0x3497f9a8 : 0xc3db29 (0x2433d000 0x0 0x3497fab2 0x80)
0x3497fa08 : 0xc3269d (0x4a14800 0x0 0x3497fab2 0x80)
0x3497fb38 : 0xc33f44 (0x4a14800 0xc3762c 0x3497fbec 0x4)
0x3497fc08 : 0xbbac18 (0x4a14800 0x1 0x0 0x13)
0x3497fc68 : 0xbb3be6 (0x4a14800 0x3497fd2c 0x427a594 0x4a14800)
0x3497fc98 : 0x415e83 (0x4a14800 0x427a594 0x427a594 0x0)
Backtrace continues...
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.NVDAResman(5.4.8)@0xc3a000->0xe98fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.7.3)@0xc2c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x5ce000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.7.3)@0xbab000
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.7.3)@0xc2c000->0xc39fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x5ce000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.7.3)@0xbab000
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.7.3)@0xbab000->0xbc7fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x5ce000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: WindowServer

Mac OS version:
9L31a

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.8.0: Wed Jul 15 16:55:01 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.15.4~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro4,1 (Mac-F42C89C8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 875305976576
unloaded kexts:
(none)
loaded kexts:
com.parallels.kext.prl_vnic 5.0 9220.531002 - last loaded 860885139089
com.parallels.kext.prl_netbridge 5.0 9220.531002
com.parallels.kext.prl_usb_connect 5.0 9220.531002
com.parallels.kext.prl_hid_hook 5.0 9220.531002
com.parallels.kext.prl_hypervisor 5.0 9220.531002
com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport 2.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 2.1.9f10
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 2.0.2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAPlatformDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 2.7.5
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 2.1.1d2
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 6.0.3
com.apple.iokit.CHUDUtils 201
com.apple.iokit.CHUDProf 211
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 2.8.15
com.apple.GeForce 5.4.8
com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal 5.4.8
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 1.7.1a2
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.kext.AppleSMCLMU 1.4.5d1
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 113
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 3.4.0a17
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 1.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver 1.0.0d28
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 1.7.7
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch 189.35
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 1.7.4f1
com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.1.9f10
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 3.5.2
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.1.1
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 2.7.91
com.apple.iokit.IOATAPIProtocolTransport 1.5.3
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 1.2.2
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 1.1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 1.

Trying to figure out what caused a one time or a rare occurrence kernel panic is a genuinely big time waster and in general not profitable.

Have a read through here.

OK, how about a two-time kernel panic?

It happened again this morning, except this time right on startup: screen flickering, no response to mouse clicks. I fixed it again with fsck, but I really don't want to be doing this every day or two... I've gone through all the steps in the page you linked to except reseating the RAM (because I can't get at it as the screws are stuck; the RAM is just what originally came with the machine, I haven't installed any new memory). Is there any way to diagnose what might be going on before I take it to the shop?

Boot from the original Leopard disc that came with your computer and run Apple Hardware Test, using the full diagnosis method. That includes checking out the memory.

I don't have the installation disk -- is there any other way I can run this diagnostic?

No you do need those original discs. Vitally important troubleshooters those original discs and never buy a computer without them, for older Macs. AHT is on disc 2 in late Leopard releases and disc one early. Have a read of this:-


https://discussions.apple.com/message/24537235.