WindowServer crashes after key stroke

Originator:maurits
Number:rdar://6423987 Date Originated:05-Dec-2008 05:22 PM
Status:Duplicate/5432883 Resolved:
Product:Mac OS X Product Version:10.5.5
Classification:Crash Reproducible:sometimes
 
Summary: 
From time to time, WindowServer crashes spontaneously after a keystroke.

Steps to Reproduce:
This issue cannot be deterministically reproduced. Press a key (if I'm not mistaken, it has always happened in a Carbon/PPC application - Eudora)

Expected Results:
The keystroke is processed normally

Actual Results:
WindowServer crashes, taking all user processes with it

Regression:
It has happened three times for me (twice in November, once today), totally randomly. I can't associate any specific circumstances with it except that I believe I always had Eudora frontmost, but that could also be because that's what I use most. The fact that the problem didn't happen before November doesn't mean anything - I only upgraded from a Powerbook with Tiger to a MBP with Leopard in November.

Notes:
Stack trace of the crashing thread has always been identical, so I only provide one. See attachment.

relevant excerpt from CrashReport:

Process:         WindowServer [71]
Path:            /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Resources/WindowServer
Identifier:      WindowServer
Version:         ??? (???)
Code Type:       X86 (Native)
Parent Process:  launchd [1]

Date/Time:       2008-11-28 15:39:10.435 +0100
OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.5.5 (9F2114)
Report Version:  6

Exception Type:  EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE at 0x00000000bd14a083
Crashed Thread:  0

Thread 0 Crashed:
0   ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore	0x9070cb01 UCKeyTranslate + 363
1   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x93489a93 CGSUniCodeForKeyAndFlags + 152
2   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x9305d00a CGXCheckForHotKey + 499
3   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x9302d576 sPostContinuation + 1759
4   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x934f6402 postAfterTapID + 266
5   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x934f7369 postFilteredEventTapData + 496
6   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x930b2517 _XPostFilteredEventTapData + 221
7   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x92fb2af7 CGXWindowServer_server + 117
8   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x9303dda3 rendezvousHandler + 155
9   com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x9302e86e CGXPostPortData + 158
10  com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x9302e664 CGXRunOneServerPass + 556
11  com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x9302ac6f CGXRunOneServicesPass + 377
12  com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x93036002 CGXServerLoop + 161
13  com.apple.CoreGraphics        	0x92fc4149 CGXGetRootAdminCredentials + 0
14  WindowServer                  	0x00001ff4 main + 24
15  WindowServer                  	0x00001fbe start + 54

Comments

Still happens with Eudora

I must have changed some System Preference or installed some software that has now triggered this on my Snow Leopard 10.6.0 MacBook Pro. Based on lots of web posts and blogs, the issue is Rosetta and a PPC executable (Eudora and Excel are most often mentioned). Typing a character triggers it.

See http://blog.plasticsfuture.org/2009/03/11/data-loss-through-windowserver-crashes-in-leopard

I'm now getting one or two crashes a day - this will force me to abandon Eudora after decades of use. I have no idea of what change I did, so no idea how to revert...

David

By david.hoerl at Sept. 5, 2009, 3:13 p.m. (reply...)

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