MacBook Pro 2017 Kernel Panic

Hi! I am also experiencing Kernel panic with my 15-inch 2017 MacBook Pro. It started after the last Ventura update. However, I am not sure if the OS is to blame. The Kernel panic doesn't happen when the computer is waking up or in sleep mode; it happens randomly when I use it. I do hear, sometimes, the fans getting louder as it is getting overheated.

I ran the diagnostics, and it came out as no problems found. Here below is the crash report of the recent crash that happened.

I hope someone can help me to figure out what is going on.

VPN provided by your Institution or company is NOT what I am referring to.

BackBlaze, if not set up to launch ONLY when needed and quit when you are done syncing will waste your computer's resources at a remarkable rate.

CleanMyMac is garbage, and has no place on your already well-protected and mostly self-cleaning Macinstosh.

Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community

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The most likely cause for a Kernel Panic issue in MacOS is faulty software, damaged or incompatible hardware, including external drives attached to the Mac. To fix the issue, try the below steps:

1. Restart your Mac in Safe Mode and check for updates.

2. Uninstall any plug-ins or 3rd party software from manufacturers other than Apple.

3. Disconnect all connected devices.

4. Use Apple diagnostics to diagnose the problem.

5. Reset PRAM/NVRAM settings.

6. Reset SMC (System Management Controller) settings.

7. Reset the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

Hope it helps!!

Please post several of the Kernel Panic logs if they are available. The file names will begin with "kernel" and are located in "/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports". Post them here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper.

My bet is the SSD is failing since the SSDs on this particular model have a much higher rate of failure than other models, and the symptoms fit perfectly since the issue is most likely to occur either when powering on the laptop after it has been powered off for a while, or when waking the laptop from sleep or hibernation. The SSD typically takes too long to go ready under these conditions. If I'm correct, these are the first & only symptoms/warnings, and at some point the SSD will fail completely (could happen at any time). At one time Apple had a free SSD repair program for a very small number of this specific model laptop, but I believe the program has now expired. I have personally seen laptops of the exact same model which did not qualify for the free repair program have these SSD failures. The Kernel Panic report can confirm this specific SSD problem, or they may be able to point us to another possibility.

Make sure to have a good backup now while you still can.

Of course like @Grant mentions, there are a lot of other possibilities as well.

You should always have frequent and regular backups of your computer and all external media (including the cloud) which contains important & unique data.

nvme: "AppleS3XController. PCI link down.

The Kernel Panic is referencing "nvme" which the SSD. I have only seen this error two times before, with one of them on these forums. It is not the usual Kernel Panic which I've seen, but I still suspect the SSD is failing as the SSD is the weakest link assuming there is no accidental liquid damage.

OWC sells a third party SSD upgrade/replacement option which will likely be less expensive than having Apple replace the SSD, but you should keep the original Apple OEM SSD just in case it is ever needed such as the next major macOS upgrade next year (FYI, macOS 12.x Monterey would not update the system firmware without an Apple OEM SSD installed internally).

yours has the Broadcom drivers at the scene of the crime, BUT...

If you have installed software that wastes computer resources on a regular basis, such as third-party Virus Scanners, speeder-uppers, Cleaner-uppers/Removers, Optimizers, third-party file Sync-ers such as DropBox, BackBlaze, OneDrive, or GoogleDrive, or a VPN that you installed yourself, it will do busywork at previously-impossible speeds, and causing seemingly-random panics, typically for access violations or page faults.

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I see. Thanks for looking into the crash report. I have BackBlaze, CleanMyMac, and Ivanti VPN software required by the company. However, I've had these installed for several years and haven't had this issue before. I recently updated BackBlaze just before this started to happen. I checked right now, and it looks like there is another update available. I am wondering if the previous update introduced this issue. I'll update and see if I continue having this problem.

Appreciate your help!

Kernel panic is not ONE problem, it is one of THOUSANDS of problems.

To work on yours, please post you most recent panic report.

Ok, I got it. Thanks for the advice. I'll uninstall ClaenMyMac and set up BackBlaze only to run when needed.