Hard crashing on 2010 Mac Book Pro osx 10.10.5

My MBP restarts without warning randomly. There is one thing that will initiate the crash with certainty. If I want to preview an image on the mbp running osx 10.10.5 I select the image and hit the space bar. The mbp may or may not immediately go into the restart sequence. I have noticed that a crash wll happen 75% of the time if I open an image this way. Also, if I have a bunch (5+) images open in preview the machine will restart at somepoint. It is like a ticking time bomb. Does not matter the file format. Could be a PNG, jpg or PSD. These are the file types I use most frequently.

I would like to know what is happening but I wonder if an upgrade to a newer version of OSX might fix the problem. My only concern with an OS upgrade (which I do very INfrequently) is with reinstalling apps. Am I able to upgrade this version of OSX without having to reinstall all of my apps. In the past it could be done both ways, upgrade or clean. Upgrade, I am aware may let the issue remain.

Is there a way to track down what is really causing this abrupt shutdown?

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro6,2
Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 8 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 4.8 GT/s

Is there a crash report in Console for when that happens?

As Jake asked... please post the kernel panic report in its totality. Also it sounds very much like your graphics chipset is either failing or is intermittent. That particular model of MacBook Pro with nVidia graphics has been troublesome.

There is no crash report when the machine reboots. I will pull a report next time it happens. I am going to assume the graphics card is built into the mobo.

swamphox said:

There is no crash report when the machine reboots. I will pull a report next time it happens. I am going to assume the graphics card is built into the mobo.

Click to expand...

Look for a kernel panic report. And according to specs a MacBook Pro 6,2 is a 15" Mid 2010 machine and it has two graphic cards: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and Intel HD Graphics. As stated above that machine and several others with the nvidia graphics cards are prone to graphics failure. Yours has the symptoms of graphics card failure.

Yep, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 512 MB

Crash report

Anonymous UUID: FFCFE2C0-7B6E-F9AC-77A8-A9923CF25FA9

Mon Feb 5 07:55:14 2018

*** Panic Report ***
panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff7fa14fcc1b): "GPU Panic: [<None>] 3 3 7f 0 0 0 0 3 : NVRM[0/1:0:0]: Read Error 0x00000100: CFG 0x0a2910de 0x00100000 0x00000000, BAR0 0xc0000000 0xffffff813a5ef000 0x0a5480a2, D0, P3/4\n"@/SourceCache/AppleGraphicsControl/AppleGraphicsControl-3.10.25/src/AppleMuxControl/kext/GPUPanic.cpp:127
Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff814ebfb680 : 0xffffff801e72ad21
0xffffff814ebfb700 : 0xffffff7fa14fcc1b
0xffffff814ebfb7e0 : 0xffffff7f9f424b9f
0xffffff814ebfb8a0 : 0xffffff7f9f4ee18e
0xffffff814ebfb8e0 : 0xffffff7f9f4ee1fe
0xffffff814ebfb950 : 0xffffff7f9f76d056
0xffffff814ebfba80 : 0xffffff7f9f51182d
0xffffff814ebfbaa0 : 0xffffff7f9f42b5f1
0xffffff814ebfbb50 : 0xffffff7f9f4290fc
0xffffff814ebfbd50 : 0xffffff7f9f42a19c
0xffffff814ebfbe30 : 0xffffff7f9f3d6f5e
0xffffff814ebfbe90 : 0xffffff7fa14cc9d6
0xffffff814ebfbee0 : 0xffffff7fa14cb692
0xffffff814ebfbf00 : 0xffffff801e75d6d9
0xffffff814ebfbfb0 : 0xffffff801e8116e7
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.driver.AppleMuxControl(3.10.25)[752C63EA-73E8-39BC-8225-3A97D0C403BF]@0xffffff7fa14ee000->0xffffff7fa1501fff
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl(3.10.25)[3DC2F93F-5197-3B16-8975-0142E7A0474B]@0xffffff7fa14e6000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.4)[70E2B65E-A91A-3522-A1A0-79FD63EABB4C]@0xffffff7f9f206000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[BDA92C3B-AD86-33E5-A7F1-1603465350A7]@0xffffff7f9ef24000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.4.1)[8922721D-5517-3883-BD3A-57422D0244A0]@0xffffff7f9f37d000
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert(1.1.0)[65E3187E-949B-36E9-BA33-1B13ABB0581A]@0xffffff7fa14e9000
com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDAResmanTesla(10.0)[796AE430-39FB-3255-8161-D52AFA28EE2B]@0xffffff7f9f3d4000->0xffffff7f9f63dfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[BDA92C3B-AD86-33E5-A7F1-1603465350A7]@0xffffff7f9ef24000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.4.1)[7372D580-6DDE-3457-B043-49B8447FC9D2]@0xffffff7f9f3c4000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.4.1)[8922721D-5517-3883-BD3A-57422D0244A0]@0xffffff7f9f37d000
com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDANV50HalTesla(10.0)[7FE40648-F15F-3E18-91E2-FDDDF4CDA355]@0xffffff7f9f648000->0xffffff7f9f8f1fff
dependency: com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDAResmanTesla(10.0.0)[796AE430-39FB-3255-8161-D52AFA28EE2B]@0xffffff7f9f3d4000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[BDA92C3B-AD86-33E5-A7F1-1603465350A7]@0xffffff7f9ef24000
com.apple.driver.AGPM(110.19.6)[993A6073-348D-388A-8BE5-F0EA14E61D67]@0xffffff7fa14c9000->0xffffff7fa14dcfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[BDA92C3B-AD86-33E5-A7F1-1603465350A7]@0xffffff7f9ef24000
dependency: com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily(5.9.1d7)[593924B4-A956-3CA5-9610-448D50D96947]@0xffffff7f9fdbd000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.4.1)[7372D580-6DDE-3457-B043-49B8447FC9D2]@0xffffff7f9f3c4000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.4.1)[8922721D-5517-3883-BD3A-57422D0244A0]@0xffffff7f9f37d000
dependency: com.apple.AppleGraphicsDeviceControl(3.10.25)[DFDCFB7E-74E4-397E-AA6F-6ECFC41D5649]@0xffffff7fa14c2000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
14F27

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 14.5.0: Wed Jul 29 02:26:53 PDT 2015; root:xnu-2782.40.9~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: 58F06365-45C7-3CA7-B80D-173AFD1A03C4
Kernel slide: 0x000000001e400000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff801e600000
__HIB text base: 0xffffff801e500000
System model name: MacBookPro6,2 (Mac-F22586C8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 58922507444303
last loaded kext at 121404284342: com.apple.filesystems.smbfs 3.0.2 (addr 0xffffff7fa15e6000, size 389120)
last unloaded kext at 104347102015: com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI 656.4.1 (addr 0xffffff7f9fbaf000, size 65536)
loaded kexts:
at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch 4370
com.apple.filesystems.smbfs 3.0.2
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC 1.70
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9.5d0
com.apple.driver.AGPM 110.19.6
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 3.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 4.3.6f3
com.apple.driver.AppleOSXWatchdog 1
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 124
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 272.18.1
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 272.18.1
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.7.3
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHDGraphics 10.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHDGraphicsFB 10.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 3.6.1
com.apple.GeForceTesla 10.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet 1.0.1
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHWAccess 1
com.apple.driver.AppleHV 1
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelSlowAdaptiveClocking 4.0.0
com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport 4.3.6f3
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 1.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSMCPDRC 1.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSMCLMU 2.0.7d0
com.apple.driver.AppleMuxControl 3.10.25
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl 1.2.12
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 3.0.4d1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons 240.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCardReader 3.5.5
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 240.2
com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 327.5
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0
com.apple.BootCache 36
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 3.7.5
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 404
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 2.7.1
com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4331 800.20.24
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 5.5.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 705.4.2
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 3.1.2
com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet 10.1.3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 705.4.14
com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager 161.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 2.1
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient 218.0.0
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 161
com.apple.security.quarantine 3
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 8
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 218.0.0
com.apple.AppleGraphicsDeviceControl 3.10.25
com.apple.kext.triggers 1.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 11
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 272.18.1
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.15
com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDANV50HalTesla 10.0.0
com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDAResmanTesla 10.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI 1.0.12d1
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface 97.4
com.apple.iokit.IOSlowAdaptiveClockingFamily 1.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 272.18.1
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 272.18.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 203.3
com.apple.vecLib.kext 1.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport 4.3.6f3
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 4.3.6f3
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginLegacy 1.0.0
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 5.9.1d7
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 705.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 2.2.6
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl 3.10.25
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert 1.1.0
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 2.4.1
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController 1.0.13d1
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 2.4.1
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 3.1.9
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 3.7.5
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass 3.7.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch 245.2
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 705.4.0
com.apple.driver.CoreStorage 471.30.1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 705.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 705.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 3.7.5
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.7
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.7.1
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.7.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI 2.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 3.7.5
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 730.60
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 4.5.8
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 2.7.5
com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController 1.0.3b3
com.apple.driver.mDNSOffloadUserClient 1.0.1b8
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 3.2
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 720.4.4
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 2.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1
com.apple.security.sandbox 300.0
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch 1.0.0d1
com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore 2
com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity 1.0.5
com.apple.driver.AppleCredentialManager 1.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 398
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily 31
com.apple.driver.AppleFDEKeyStore 28.30
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 3.1
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.9
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.4
com.apple.kec.Libm 1
com.apple.kec.pthread 1
com.apple.kec.corecrypto 1.0

panic(cpu 2 caller 0xffffff7fa14fcc1b): "GPU Panic: [<None>] 3 3 7f 0 0 0 0 3 : NVRM[0/1:0:0]: Read Error 0x00000100: CFG 0x0a2910de 0x00100000

Click to expand...

Just as we suspected. Failing graphics card. Not much you can do about it except have it repaired by an expert or replace the logic board. Both methods may be expensive.

How do you read through all of that and see an error? Where do you learn that? Not that I want to. Too bad, this has been a really good machine for 8 years. Really amazing that 8 years later and this thing is still capeable of processing very large files in Photoshop unless it crashes. Photoshop has never been the culprit as far as I can tell.

Do you know where the GPU is physically located in this version of MBP? There is one spot that gets very hot and that location is above the Esc and screen brightness keys. Wonder if that is where the CPU is or the GPU is.

What is the expensive part? The parts or the labor or combo. How much of PITA is it to do? I do a bunch of PC building but not too much laptop tinkering?

You can take a look for yourself by going to www.ifixit.com and find your model MacBook Pro. The take apart instructions are very well done with lots of photos.

As for doing the repair yourself, you would have to have the special de-soldering equipment. Surface mounted parts are very difficult to remove and replace. It's a lot easier to just swap out the logic board. There are repair specialists who can do it for you so if you really want to go that route, try to find one near where you live or maybe mail the machine to them. Google around and see what you can find.

The expense would be for a new logic board (rebuilt one) and/or the labor involved if someone was to do the work for you.

When it goes for good I will sell it for parts.

Your MBP has two GPU's, you may be able to set it to use only one, and not use the other. You would of course have to find out which one is the offending GPU. Then select the other one. I know there is an app to do this, but the name escapes me at this time.

Another option would be to use it with an external monitor, and close the lid. Use it with an external keyboard, mouse and speakers.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202053

The name of the app Bob was trying to remember is "gfxCardStatus" which can be downloaded from here.

The offending GPU is the nVidia, the Intel HD is OK.

As for reading a panic report, the most important things to look for are 1)What failed (that's usually in the top section that chsccag quoted to you), 2) what things are added to what Apple supplies (That is usually found in the list of kext extensions running, all those com.apple.xxx listings. Anything NOT com.apple.xxx might be the culprit or trigger). In your report, at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch is added, but that is a known program that would normally not cause any issues. Things like antivirus, or boosters, or utilities that former Windows users tend to add to the system because they did that in Windows can sometimes cause issues. The idea is to see if it's software triggering hardware to do unusual things. In you case, its the GPU that has failed. And as already said, options are not great to fix it. But you got a good run out of it! I would give gfxCardStatus a go and see if that can get it a bit further. But I think a new-to-you system is in your future.

Fascinating video on fixing this problem. It is a capacitor, not the actual GPU. Apple was "fixing" the problem and sending machines back with new boards that would have the same problem. Looks pretty simple (probably not easy) to make the repair and if you don't want to repair you could instruct a repair facility to exactly where the problem is. When mine goes I will at least attempt the repair. Can only learn from it and it it work, awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzcgT_fiVTA&feature=youtu.be

$8 part https://store.rossmanngroup.com/d3-c7771-c9560-1-piece.html

scroll down to "chosen solution" https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/203489/Problem+with+NVIDIA+GeForce+GT+330M+256+MB

@swamphox:

You might be interested to know that it really isn't the capacitor per se, but instead the poor soldering which holds it in place. Ever since Apple quit using leaded solder the poor quality lead free solder being used gets brittle and breaks apart or separates after a while. That's why the "re-flow" technique will work, at least for a bit longer. Best to replace the machine and not worry about it any longer.