How to identify cause of crashes in Console

Question

Hi. My MacBook Pro has locked up several times in the last few days. Is there a way I can look in Console (or somewhere else) to identify the cause of each crash?
I am not very familiar with Console. There is a CrashReporter file in Console, but it is empty. When I peruse the "All Messages" listing, it is mostly a bunch of gibberish to me. Any ideas what specifically to look, for example, for after I have performed a Force Quit on an application?
Thank you

Answer 1

Go to developer.apple.com and register for a free membership. Then you can search for document number TN2123 that documents the CrashReporter. I'm afraid, however, that it won't be of much help. It's intended to be used in conjunction with a debugger to trace a problem in a program. Rarely will one see anything in a crash report that will prove helpful.
However, the console log can tell you what caused a lockup or at least what the last thing was that logged an entry before the lockup. You can also provide a more complete description of what exactly was going on when the machine locked up along with any additional information such as error messages. The CrashReporter will at least tell you what process crashed and the timestamp. Then use the timestamp to investigate what's entered in the console log.
Frequent crashes (not kernel panics) of programs that have not normally exhibited a problem may be caused by corrupted preference files or cache files. They can also be caused by font problems - corrupted fonts or duplicate fonts. If you've added fonts to your system then you might check that.
If specific applications are causing the crash and you've already tossed their preference files and any associated cache files but they are still acting up, then consider uninstalling them and then reinstalling. Be sure to fully uninstall the application:
Uninstalling Software: The Basics
Most OS X applications are completely self-contained "packages" that can be uninstalled by simply dragging the application to the Trash. Applications may create preference files that are stored in the /Home/Library/Preferences/ folder. Although they do nothing once you delete the associated application, they do take up some disk space. If you want you can look for them in the above location and delete them, too.
Some applications may install an uninstaller program that can be used to remove the application. In some cases the uninstaller may be part of the application's installer, and is invoked by clicking on a Customize button that will appear during the install process.
Some applications may install components in the /Home/Library/Applications Support/ folder. You can also check there to see if the application has created a folder. You can also delete the folder that's in the Applications Support folder. Again, they don't do anything but take up disk space once the application is trashed.
Some applications may install a startupitem or a Log In item. Startupitems are usually installed in the /Library/StartupItems/ folder and less often in the /Home/Library/StartupItems/ folder. Log In Items are set in the Accounts preferences. Open System Preferences, click on the Accounts icon, then click on the LogIn Items tab. Locate the item in the list for the application you want to remove and click on the "-" button to delete it from the list.
Some software use startup daemons or agents that are a new feature of the OS. Look for them in /Library/LaunchAgents/ and /Library/LaunchDaemons/ or in /Home/Library/LaunchAgents/.
If an application installs any other files the best way to track them down is to do a Finder search using the application name or the developer name as the search term. Unfortunately Spotlight will not look in certain folders by default. You can modify Spotlight's behavior or use a third-party search utility, Easy Find, instead. Download Easy Find at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Some applications install a receipt in the /Library/Receipts/ folder. Usually with the same name as the program or the developer. The item generally has a ".pkg" extension. Be sure you also delete this item as some programs use it to determine if it's already installed.
There are many utilities that can uninstall applications. Here is a selection:
AppZapper
Automaton
Hazel
CleanApp
Yank
SuperPop
Uninstaller
Spring Cleaning
Look for them at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
For more information visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on removing software.
It also doesn't hurt to repair your hard drive and permissions:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Message was edited by: Kappy