"A graphics problem has been detected"

Question

MacBookPro11,3
2.5 GHz i7
Intel Iris Pro and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M (auto graphics switching on, it was on intel)
OSX 10.10.1

The system appeared to freeze. iStat Menu's clock stopped, the cursor wouldn't move, etc. I tried (physically) closing and reopening, but it didn't go to sleep and the apple logo light on the back stayed on. Option-command-power and option-control-power also didn't do anything. After force shutdown (long press of power button) and startup, it asked if I wanted to reopen Finder windows after force quitting it, "you shut down your computer because of a problem", and:

There's not much I was doing, there's not that much I have installed (relatively new computer). I'm guessing it was Focusrite's Saffire Mix Control. Or maybe Safari.

Here's some console:

12/9/14 20:17:21.209 apsd[52]: Attempt to set push wake topics without dark wake enabled: ()
12/9/14 20:17:21.216 apsd[52]: Attempt to set push wake topics without dark wake enabled: ()
12/9/14 20:17:21.222 apsd[52]: Attempt to set push wake topics without dark wake enabled: ()
12/9/14 20:17:21.223 xpcproxy[384]: CFPreferences could not connect to its daemon.
 Preferences using the connection 0x0 will be volatile and will not be persisted to disk.
12/9/14 20:17:21.224 xpcproxy[386]: CFPreferences could not connect to its daemon.
 Preferences using the connection 0x0 will be volatile and will not be persisted to disk.
12/9/14 20:17:21.227 apsd[52]: Attempt to set push wake topics without dark wake enabled: ()
12/9/14 20:17:21.276 askpermissiond[385]: objc[385]: Class FALogging is implemented in both /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FamilyCircle.framework/Versions/A/FamilyCircle and /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FamilyNotification.framework/Versions/A/FamilyNotification. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
12/9/14 20:17:21.337 locationd[57]: Couldn't find a requirement string for masquerading client /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Parsec.framework
12/9/14 20:17:21.338 locationd[57]: could not get apple languages array, assuming english
12/9/14 20:17:21.368 mapspushd[397]: [Warning] Services all disappeared, removing all accounts
12/9/14 20:17:21.368 mapspushd[397]: [Warning] Services all disappeared, removing all enabled accounts
12/9/14 20:17:21.368 mapspushd[397]: [Warning] Services all disappeared, removing all dependent devices
12/9/14 20:17:21.422 askpermissiond[385]: StoreTransport: Resetting APS Connection using environment name production
12/9/14 20:17:21.535 storeaccountd[286]: AccountServiceDelegate: Accepting new connection <NSXPCConnection: 0x7fc3b100a0e0> connection from pid 379 with interface <AccountServiceInterface: 0x7fc3b100a7e0> (PID 379)
12/9/14 20:17:21.551 com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent) The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit key is not available on this platform.
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library/Keychains/System.keychain
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.637 com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent) The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit key is not available on this platform.
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny file-read-metadata /Library
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd
12/9/14 20:17:21.000 kernel[0]: Sandbox: appleeventsd(25) deny mach-lookup com.apple.ocspd

What caused the crash?

Answer 1

This is a known and serious issue with the retina MBP and Yosemite, particularly the 2012 retina but other retina owners are reporting this problem too. Far as I know it's limited to the 15 inch machines, at least from what I've been reading. Yosemite basically crashes on graphics switching. Check out the lengthy forum posts over on apple.com. Basically, all you can do for now is turn off graphics switching and prey they solve it in the next version. I posted a radar to them some weeks ago on the topic and engineering requested more information. So, they definitely know about it. Some people on Macrumours were posting that the latest beta solved the issue, but it's probably too soon to tell. The down side of turing off graphics switching is that it reduces battery life significantly, but at least you can still use your machine.

Answer 2

I have installed a GPU driver from NVidia and I haven't had any freezes for a month. I have then switched back to the native driver and I got a freeze in less than a day. So I am fairly confident that a different driver fixes the issue. The driver installation procedure is not straightforward, but is well documented on Daniel Kramnik's website.

• First, go to NVidia drivers download page and download a driver which works on OS X, for example Quadro K5000 for Mac - Quadro ODE Graphics Driver.
• Then, download "Auxilliary Tools for Xcode - Late July 2012" on the Apple developer website. You don't have to have a paid Apple developer program membership.
• Mount the downloaded Auxiliary Tools .dmg and drag PackageMaker to your /Applications/ folder.
• Right click on the downloaded NVidia driver .pkg and select Open With -> Flat Package Editor.
• Drag the Distribution file out from the Flat Package Editor and place it in a folder, for example alongside the downloaded driver.

• Open the Distribution file in a text editor and remove the line

  if (!validateHardware()) return false;

• Save the edited file, delete the original Distribution file in the Flat Package Editor and replace it with the edited one.

• Save the modified driver .pkg and run it. You should be able to install the NVidia GPU driver.
• Restart your computer to start using the NVidia GPU driver.

Credit for the suggestion to try a different driver goes to Shmup Fiend in the original apple discussions thread. Credit for the driver installation procedure goes to Daniel Kramnik, as mentioned above.

Answer 3

It's probably the Focusrite's Saffire Mix Control since that's a 3rd party app (I think).

Try going to System Preferences > Energy Saver and make sure all of the setting are to your liking.

If this problem persists, try turning off Automatic Graphic Switching in both the Battery and Power Adapter menus.

And make sure you click Report in case it's a bug in the operating system, which is possible since OSX 10.10 is fairly new.

Answer 4

Sorry for delayed reply, due to the holidays.

First of all I would recommend some basic maintenance based on number of errors your have in different sections, that might also need some repairs.

1 - Use Disk utility and repair permissions.

2 - Then use the cmd-r and repair the user ACL's (via terminal -password reset but without actual password reset).

3 - Then I would recommend to temporary disable trouble makers like GitHub for Mac app.

Now test again and if needed report here.

Answer 5

This appears to have been solved. See: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6596475

I also tried booting into Diagnostics and some other stuff. Then I tried creating a new user, and found that the error was user specific. So I logged back into my user and found all the files named Kernel_<datestamp>_<computername>.gpuRestart in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports. And I just moved away those files, and the error popup disappeared ...