Why is my 2019 iMac experiencing kernel panics?

Thanks for the full report.

Here are my observations/suggestions:

• Launch Daemons
  • CleanMyMac - completely remove this app. We get numerous posts here where folks have this installed and find out that this app causes more issues than resolves them. macOS does NOT need any third-party "cleaning" apps.
• Launch Agents
  • [Not Loaded] dummy.txt (Not signed - installed 2021-03-04) - No idea what this is.
• Performance - Your Mac's SSD's read/write performance seems to be typical for this SSD. This alone does not necessary verify full drive health, but is one quick indicator, especially if these values are low. I would still recommend getting a hold of the DriveDX app to fully test your Mac's internal drive to rule out any potential issues. Even if it has good results, it is worth having in your troubleshooting "toolbox."
  • Write speed: 2097 MB/s
  • Read speed: 2747 MB/s
• Clean up - I suggest that you follow the advise of removing anything found in this section of the report. Although, I don't expect doing so to be critical or would resolve the kernel panics.
• Diagnostics information
  • Several of the kernel panics, ones I didn't address initially, indicate issues with using Adobe Photoshop.

Going a bit deeper in the Photoshop KPs:

What could cause these?

• Software Issue (Most Likely)
  • A bug in Adobe Photoshop, especially if you recently updated it.
  • macOS compatibility issues—are you running a recent update?
  • Third-party plugins installed in Photoshop causing instability.
• Hardware Issue (Less Likely)
  • The errors suggest memory-related failures. Running Apple Diagnostics could help detect RAM problems.
  • If Photoshop crashes while swapping memory, your SSD might have errors. Try running First Aid in Disk Utility. Although the report does not indicate that any Swap Memory is being used.
  • Overheating or power issues—if your Mac has thermal or power-related instability, it could lead to these panics.

I generally agree with most of @Tesserax's evaluation. CleanMyMac and that unknown Launch Agent make it hard to know if they are the cause or if a hardware issue is involved (or a file system issue).

Personally with all those different Kernel Panics, I lean more to bad or incompatible memory being the problem than the SSD being bad. If the memory is bad or incompatible, then it could corrupt the file system and cause random issues like we are seeing with all those different Kernel Panics. If memory is the problem, then even if you get rid of the bad or incompatible memory, it could still leave your current macOS installation broken from corrupted files and/or file system.

Unfortunately the Apple Diagnostics rarely detect issues. You can try creating & using a bootable MemTest86 USB stick which runs a much longer and thorough memory test. Just make sure to use the default MemTest86 settings since any modifications will likely make the test freeze the system. I've personally used MemTest86 on the 2019 Macs (even the iMac) so I know it will run fine with default MemTest86 settings.

You can use the downloaded MemTest86 .img file as a source for Etcher (Mac, Windows, Linux) to create the bootable MemTest86 USB stick.

DriveDx as suggested by @Tesserax will allow us to examine the SSD's health, although that SSD has very limited health information available.

I’ve researched the process of disassembling the iMac to replace the the

HDD, and the mechanical process of this upgrade is doable for me. I am

less confident about the technical aspects of getting it to become a

Fusion drive again, which has already failed once.

Hi theresalynn,

Following your comment, I am an advocate for self managed iMac upgrade. I have the same 2019 iMac

and decided to do the research and upgrade two years ago. It is light years faster and more efficient and has raised my ability to maintain myself technically.

Fusion not needed or recommended. Upgrade with either WD Black SN770 or SN850x SSD according to needs and affordability. Although your iMac is limited to PCIe 3.0 and I am recommending PCIe 4.0 SSD’s. Buying a WD Black SN570 running at PCIe 3.0 will cost nearly the same as PCIe 4.0, assuming you can find a SN570, and the PCIe 4.0 will work faster in any future Mac PCIe 4.0 capable M series, so it is future proofing purchase.

Look at page one of this site and page 59 onwards for recent 2019 discussions: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/a-list-of-successful-imac-27-2012-2019-ssd-upgrades.2162435/

Also let me make clear I am not being cavalier or egotistical in making this suggestion. I would not wish to encourage you or anyone to undertake an upgrade without acknowledging the risks of damaging the computer and involving you in time consuming repairs and costs. However the tools and information are readily available.

You have just been through a grueling Kernal Panic process which is much more complex and frustrating than a mechanical upgrade. Your description suggests to me a Fusion breakdown and your machine is probably perfectly sound. Cancelling or repairing Fusion requires Terminal commands which can easily be found online. But you do not need Fusion if you replace the NVMe SSD.

Like many users, I seek to avoid Apple’s disproportionately expensive charges and for me, unnecessary upgrade cycle. What I have is more than adequate for my commercial graphic design or personal needs. If you are good with your hands and are prepared to be patient, learn from the experience of others, you may find yourself running your 2019 iMac many times faster and more efficiently, and you will have empowered yourself with greater knowledge to self manage your iMac in the process.

May the Force be with you.

"The HDD part of the Fusion drive is definitely dead. At some point the

drives split - I think they are supposed to behave as one drive but Disk

Utility showed two."

Good point Alan.

I assumed Fusion - as theresalynn said Fusion. So there is no Fusion, just OSX on the 2TB SSD.

So trashing and rebuilding OSX Sequoia should have worked. It seemed to have done so until theresalynn installed Adobe, then KP occurred which brings us back to Tesserax’ original software comments re Adobe Photoshop.

So, a trash/format/reinstall of OSX may succeed. Load Apple apps, not Photoshop. If all works properly, Adobe may be the problem. If KP occurs without Adobe installed, it may be a faulty SSD/PCIe connection? See below.

There is a recent post on MacRumors from a user with a 2019 iMac with a similar 2TB SSD Apple factory set-up. It seems the Apple 2TB SSD failed after five years! The user wrote asking DIY advice about replacing the dead SSD.

A coincidence obviously; or is this indicative of poor Apple SSD quality. Perhaps theresalynn has just witnessed a post Entre Check, SSD death?

I don't think the SSD is the problem. None of the Kernel Panics seem related to a bad SSD, at least not in their typical failures. I think the upgraded memory in the system is the most likely cause of the Kernel Panics.

I definitely agree with @Allan Jones' assessment that you should get a second opinion because the tech obviously has no clue.

Edit: Or try creating & running the MemTest86 USB stick to see if any memory issues are detected. Unfortunately a passing or no errors detected does not really mean anything, but if it detects a memory problem, then you have options to identify the bad module & confirm the system no longer panics or crashes. Unfortunately the memory test within the Apple Diagnostics are not quite as thorough as they run few tests & for a shorter period of time.

theresalynn wrote:

"the tech obviously has no clue"

That made me chuckle, because it's absolutely true. I am the tech, and I am clueless. I knew that going in, but hoped I'd be able to get a couple more years of use from the iMac.

I'm sorry, I thought you had someone else look at it, but perhaps I got this thread mixed up with another one (actually helping about three people with 2019 iMacs). I did not mean to offend or insult you. There is a difference between a paid tech doing this and the user/owner attempting their own troubleshooting & repair. Unfortunately I've seen a lot of actual "professional" techs who have no clue. I try never to put anyone down who is trying to do things on their own. I think it is great for people to learn & try doing as much as they can while keeping in mind safety concerns & knowing limitations when opening hardware devices. I think it is awesome for you to troubleshoot your system.

I'm certainly glad you could get a chuckle out of it. I wish more people could do that. Again, I am sorry.

Judging from the response to my last edit, I just need to just stop messing around, return the SSD I ordered and move on with recycling the iMac and getting the M4 mini before prices go up from the tariffs.

The best case with this iMac is bad memory. The memory upgrade is usually the first place to start, but even an Apple OEM memory module can go bad once in a while. However, I have found the Logic Boards of these 2019 models tend to fail more than any older models with no consistent types of failures. Those are my two best educated guesses here.

It probably would be a good idea to get another computer, but I think you should at least try your hand at seeing if any of the memory modules may be bad. The easiest way is to run the bootable MemTest86 USB stick. If it reports a failure, then remove one stick of the memory upgrade and run MemTest86 again. If there are errors, then remove the other large module & reinstall the 1st one into the iMac. Rinse & repeat. If MemTest runs clean without errors, then run it several more times to confirm. Then reinstall the suspect bad module. If MemTest86 fails again, then you have confirmed that module is most likely bad.

If MemTest86 doesn't report any memory errors even after running the tests multiple times, then I would remove one of the memory upgrade modules to see if the system runs macOS without crashing (you may need to perform a clean install again after removing the module since bad memory could corrupt the file system or preference files).

The tricky part is keeping track which memory module is which when you start removing them & swapping them. This is something you can do especially if this iMac is your secondary computer since it gives you time to test.

Thank you all again for helping me to get to a point that I maybe should have gotten to a month ago. I admit to being stubborn. I wanted to try, and I did. I hope I didn't frustrate the heck out of you all by fiddling with something that was too difficult for me.

Not a problem. I like sharing knowledge & helping people resolve their computer issues. I encourage you to at least test the memory. If you can find a bad memory module (or perhaps it is the memory upgrade itself which is incompatible....Macs are very picky about the memory used) and get this iMac running smooth & stable again, then you can use it as a backup/spare system, or give/sell it to someone else. After all what do you have to lose if you have another new computer?

Please provide the full report, not just the Diagnostics Information section.

The kernel panics you posted indicate potential issues related to the macOS indexing services (mds and mds_stores) and possible hardware-related faults.

Some Observations, based on the first three KPs in the report are:

Panics involving mds and mds_stores (Metadata Server Processes)

• mds and mds_stores are processes responsible for Spotlight indexing.
• A panic from these processes suggests Spotlight-related corruption, filesystem issues, or storage-related failures.

What some of these kernel traps may indicate:

• General Protection Fault (type 13) (first panic)
  • Typically caused by invalid memory access, bad pointers, or corrupted memory structures ... but it could also be due to a bug in macOS or hardware instability (RAM, SSD, etc.).
  • Page Fault (type 14) (second and third panics)
    • Happens when the kernel tries to access memory that isn’t available. This can indicate RAM issues, SSD problems, or corrupted files.

Repeated Kernel Panics with kernel_task

• The kernel_task panic suggests a deeper issue at the system level, possibly hardware-related.
• Since it occurred multiple times, it could be:
  • A failing SSD (especially if it’s an older Mac or has heavy disk usage).
  • RAM corruption (bad memory modules).
  • Kernel extensions (kexts) causing issues.

Read your Entre Check report and from my limited experience I reckon you have excellent advice above. However identifying a specific cause can be impossible.

Having gone through several KP experiences in which external hardware was not involved, I have found the only secure way to resolve KP is to entirely trash and rebuild the drives and the system. In this case that includes rebuilding Fusion drives. It is not hard, just time consuming. This Apple report tells you how. How to fix a split Fusion Drive - Apple Support. Then reinstall OSX.

Ensure OSX is up to date and running fine configured before re-installing apps or Account files from backup. If KP occurs during this reinstall process, hardware problems are indicated, so take the iMac to Apple for free diagnosis and quote.

According to Apple findings, this is the time to consider replacing the HDD with an SSD and rebuilding your iMac without Fusion. This will make you iMac faster and more efficient. I use a free version of Disk Drill to make a quick check of SSD drive health etc. Certainly Drive DX is more comprehensive but is an annual subscription for an occasional tool.

This is also, with Apple quote in hand, the point at which you may consider whether to embark upon the DIY upgrade journey, or play it safe and spend on Apple parts and service.

Alternatively, if hardware is OK, by restoring the iMac with Fusion yourself, you can get operational without spending any money.

Should you wish to upgrade your HDD to SSD and seriously consider Apple or DIY; your iMac is now operational to do the research without being under pressure pressure.

Good Luck.

Just to pile on a bit....

EtreCheck is able to query SMART information from Apple. That also says your 2 TB SSD is healthy:

S.M.A.R.T. Details: 0% used, 54.57 TB written, 100% health, 99 unsafe shutdowns

8 panics a day, or repeated panics when trying to reinstall, is a guaranteed indicator of hardware failure. These are consumer electronics devices. The electrical components simply wear out over time due to the repeated heating and cooling. The older Intel Macs with discrete GPUs were more susceptible to this problem. In this case, it's just bad luck that the computer didn't last longer.

"I managed eventually to get the original macOS reinstalled and updated back to Sequoia" "I am the tech, and I am clueless."

Hi Theresalynn,

I do not think you are being fair to yourself. I can understand you are confused so lets look at basics. As entresoft indicated, ordering another SSD and considering spending $$$ for an M4 puts the cart before the horse and will not fix your iMac.

Analyse the information above: Comments have pointed out that probably:

1. Your computer is sound,
2. Your SSD is sound
3. You are not running Fusion.
4. Recovery is working

Do this: Recovery can get you to a working state again. According to your comments, you have already achieved that once and upgraded to Sequoia. Do it again from Recovery without loading Adobe or other non-Apple apps.

If you can boot iMac into Recovery, you can reformat the SSD and load an OSX onto it. The 2019 iMac Recovery will offer you an OSX version previously used. Load it, but do not update OSX until you are sure it functions with no KP.

If no KP, Upgrade OSX to version you require; download Entre Check, MemTech86 and Onyx which are safe, valuable tools.

Run Entre Check and post the report to this Forum for comment.

I added the memory not long after I bought the iMac

Do you remember what brand? Many RAM brands, especially those with a "value line," are NOT Mac friendly and can cause kernel panics.

I use only OWC RAM in our Macs with upgradeable RAM and have never had a issue in 20 years. Crucial was good (a Micron subsidiary) but no longer shows iMac RAM on their web site.

I'm confused. A Fusion drive has a small SSD, usually 24 to 28GB in the 2019 models. Yours is factory-installed straight SSD:

Drives:

disk0 - APPLE SSD SM2048L 2.00 TB (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)

Internal PCI-Express 8.0 GT/s x4 NVM Express

and too big to be part of a Fusion system. The shop you used should've pick the up. Consider a second opinion.

Your drive speeds confirm it is working at expected performance for a factory SSD-only system:

Performance:

System Load: 2.17 (1 min ago) 1.61 (5 min ago) 1.69 (15 min ago)

Nominal I/O usage: 0.12 MB/s

File system: 19.40 seconds

Write speed: 2097 MB/s

Read speed: 2747 MB/s

These are the same speeds my 2017 iMac posts with a factory SSD-only options. The File system score suggests the drive is healthy.

Based on your EtreCheck report, if you open the computer I doubt you will see a conventional HDD>

theresalynn wrote:

I’m kinda-sorta sure my 19,1 early 2019 iMac actually is a Fusion Drive

I'm absolutely certain it is not a Fusion Drive.

it seems to have split. I’m attaching some screen shots of what I saw when trying to erase and reformat the hard drive. It does show a small drive and a bigger 2T drive, which I’m sure it isn’t supposed to be.

That's just Apple's standard, but convoluted, formatting. It's actually even more complicated than it appears in your screenshot. But it is only one drive.

The "Creedence" disk is just a recent bug in the operating system. Ignore it.

To try to continue the DIY repair process, I’ve ordered a replacement 2T SSD from OWC to replace the drive named Mac 2025 - Data. I’m uncertain if I can join it up with the 4.2mb Creedence to make the iMac a Fusion Drive again, and I may not try. I’m hoping installing the new SSD, and maybe erasing the Creedence will stop the kernel panics, and allow me to re-retire my 2010 MacBook Pro.

See if you can return that purchase. None of that is going to work. Not a chance.