Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

by lanadelfey
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Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

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[I think I initially posted this in the wrong section- Apologies!]

 

I play TS4 on a Late-2013 iMac (64 bit, 16 GB, more info below) with no mods or cc. I've been dealing with crashes for several months now. It's been bearable up until now (with frequent saving). Two days ago, I purchased Get Famous, Dine Out, and Toddler stuff as a little Christmas gift to myself, but I've been unable to enjoy them.

 

Before the most recent purchases, the crashes were sporadic. It would inevitably crash at least twice a day (on a good day) with occasional kernel panics. Now, it's happening much more frequently and I'm not even able to save. Yesterday, it crashed three times as I was trying to save. [I'm in the habit of saving every 10 to 15 minutes, so that's when those crashes occurred]. Actually it was more like a freeze than a crash. My entire computer froze. I couldn't even make the force quit window pop-up and had to do a cold reboot.

 

Without saving, I was able to play almost 30 minutes. However, it still crashed and I still lost everything I had done.

 

I have repaired it, as it sometimes seem to help before, but now it does not. I renamed the folder, started fresh, and was able to play it for around 30 minutes just now before it crashed to my desktop.

 

I'm attaching the crash report and hoping that someone knows how to read it and can point me in the right troubleshooting direction, instead of me blindly tinkering with troubleshooting solutions. 

 

Computer specs:

 

  Model Name: iMac

  Model Identifier: iMac14,1

  Processor Name: Intel Core i5

  Processor Speed: 2.7 GHz

  Number of Processors: 1

  Total Number of Cores: 4

  L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

  L3 Cache: 4 MB

  Memory: 16 GB

  Boot ROM Version: 133.0.0.0.0

  SMC Version (system): 2.14f24

 

Crash report (from a "crash to desktop" crash) attached.

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Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

★★★★ Novice
Hi, I'm the OP. I found out that my issue was being caused by my iMac overheating. Apparently, it's rare for an iMac to overheat, but that's what was happening. I downloaded a program called Macs Fan Control to monitor and control the temp of my Mac. Whenever I was playing, I would turn the fans on full blast (2800). It's not good to leave them on full blast all the time, so I only did it while I played. I'm speaking in past tense because I actually just got a new iMac which has made me realize that the fans on my old one must have been totally shot. They weren't turning on automatically at all. I also had a lot of dust and cat hair in the fan outlets on the bottom of the monitor.

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Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

@lanadelfey

Any kernel panics aren't good and may be an indication of failing hardware.. Or it may be caused by some corruption in the operating system. Did it happen after updating your Mac at all?

Try resetting the SMC - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201295

You could also try reinstalling the operating system through the App Store..

The Sims 3 Mac Forum - | - The Sims 4 Mac Forum -
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Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

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Hi Bluebellflora,

Sorry for the delay. I haven’t played since before Christmas. As of tonight, it’s still happening (running Mojave). Crashed to desktop after 20 minutes.

Does the crash report tell you anything? I monitored the "vital signs" tonight and the temp got up to 165˙ and CPU load to 85% immediately post-crash. Right now, it's at 123˙ and 12% usage.
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Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

@lanadelfey

Not really. Did you try my two suggestions of resetting the SMC and reinstalling the OS?

The Sims 3 Mac Forum - | - The Sims 4 Mac Forum -
- Clearing Origin cache - | - Mac specific TS4 issues -
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Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

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Hi @Bluebellflora-

 

Yes, I've done both of those multiple times. I can't tell that resetting the SMC even did anything. I even tried partitioning my drive and installing the game on the partition, but it didn't make a bit of difference.

 

It seems like I can play the longest first thing in the morning, after my computer has been asleep all night or if I have been away (and off of my computer) for an extended period of time. And it crashes the fastest if I'm in build mode.

 

I had RAM added to my computer a couple of years ago. It originally came with 8 GB and I had it upgraded to 16. From the digging I've done, it seems that the problem is that the computer reaches a point where it tries to access memory that is now inaccessible or no longer there. Could it have something to do with the upgraded RAM? I'm probably grasping at straws, but it seems like I've done everything else...

 

Since the partition didn't work, do you think it would help if I changed the install location to an external drive of some sort? I have a thumb drive with 32 GB on it. I think that would be just enough to hold everything, expansion packs and all. If it makes any difference, I could always get a larger external drive.

 

I defer to your expertise {curtsies}. I've read enough of your posts online to know that you definitely know what you're talking about and I am super grateful for your help!

Message 5 of 7 (1,525 Views)

Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

★★★★ Novice
Hi, I'm the OP. I found out that my issue was being caused by my iMac overheating. Apparently, it's rare for an iMac to overheat, but that's what was happening. I downloaded a program called Macs Fan Control to monitor and control the temp of my Mac. Whenever I was playing, I would turn the fans on full blast (2800). It's not good to leave them on full blast all the time, so I only did it while I played. I'm speaking in past tense because I actually just got a new iMac which has made me realize that the fans on my old one must have been totally shot. They weren't turning on automatically at all. I also had a lot of dust and cat hair in the fan outlets on the bottom of the monitor.
Message 6 of 7 (1,354 Views)

Re: Kernel Panic + Mac Crashing (No Mods/CC) 64Bit

@lanadelfey

Thanks for coming back! Really good to know what the cause was and yay for a new shiny Mac! Standard smile

The Sims 3 Mac Forum - | - The Sims 4 Mac Forum -
- Clearing Origin cache - | - Mac specific TS4 issues -
AHQSigImage.png
Please do not PM me unless I ask you to, I won't reply
- I am not affiliated with EA in anyway -
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