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WindowServer

WindowServer is hungry for memory on M1 Macs

Each additional Safari window increases WindowServer’s memory use by 1.7 MB on an Intel Mac, but 50 MB on an M1 Mac – thirty times more.

February 22, 2022 Macs, Technology

Explainer: WindowServer

The master compositor of windows, WindowsServer is a key part of the GUI which runs from when the login window appears until your Mac shuts down.

February 19, 2022 Macs, Technology

Explainer: Logging out and in

Is logging out and back in again a good way to deal with problems? Although it can be, it might not do what you think it does any more.

January 8, 2022 Macs, Technology

How to recognise and diagnose kernel panics

Recognition, immediate action including capturing the panic log, discovering clues as to cause, further investigations to diagnose and address the cause.

July 5, 2021 Macs, Technology

Reading a Panic Log in Catalina

Your Mac starts up after kernel panic, and shows mystifying details about that panic. Here’s how to get the most out of that information.

August 11, 2020 Macs, Technology

Understanding ‘crashes’ and kernel panics

What’s the difference between a crash and a panic? How can you tell what’s likely to have caused a panic?

August 10, 2020 Macs, Technology

WindowServer: display compositor and input event router

This vital service composites individual windows to form what will be displayed, and routes clicks/taps to the correct app.

June 8, 2020 Macs, Technology

Did your Mac crash, freeze or panic?

How to tell apart unexpected quits, WindowServer crashes, kernel panics, and more – and what to do about them.

June 6, 2020 Macs, Technology

WindowServer-GPU crash: different from a kernel panic

What is wrong when, out of the blue, the display freezes for ten seconds, then you see a black screen and are asked to log back into your account? Malware perhaps?

June 5, 2020 Macs, Technology

Reading logs: shutdown and startup

How to understand Console’s log entries for a normal shutdown, and a normal startup.

July 8, 2016 Macs, Technology
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