Is WindowsServer a part of OSX?

Question

My macbook just shut down without warning, and it appears that an inability to check in with windows server was the issue?

Any insight as to what WindowsServer has to do with running MacOS will be appreciated!

I do run bootcamp to dual boot Windows - if that has any impact. Just surprised WindowsServer would be running at any point MacOS is selected OS at boot.

text:

panic(cpu 4 caller 0xffffff802297999f): userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from WindowServer in 120 seconds
service returned not alive with context : is_alive_func returned unhealthy : WindowServer initialization not complete (post IOKitWaitQuiet)
service: logd, total successful checkins since wake (180 seconds ago): 19, last successful checkin: 0 seconds ago
service: WindowServer, total successful checkins since wake (180 seconds ago): 7, last successful checkin: 120 seconds ago
service: remoted, total successful checkins since wake (180 seconds ago): 19, last successful checkin: 0 seconds ago
service: opendirectoryd, total successful checkins since wake (180 seconds ago): 19, last successful checkin: 0 seconds ago
`Panicked task 0xffffff9e20c77000: 4 threads: pid 89: watchdogd
Backtrace (CPU 4), panicked thread: 0xffffff9e21857aa0, Frame : Return Address
0xffffff8dd39c3690 : 0xffffff801f47fd6d 
0xffffff8dd39c36e0 : 0xffffff801f5e1016 
0xffffff8dd39c3720 : 0xffffff801f5d0383 
0xffffff8dd39c3770 : 0xffffff801f41fa70 
0xffffff8dd39c3790 : 0xffffff801f48013d 
0xffffff8dd39c38b0 : 0xffffff801f47f8f6 
0xffffff8dd39c3910 : 0xffffff801fd14e53 
0xffffff8dd39c3a00 : 0xffffff802297999f 
0xffffff8dd39c3a10 : 0xffffff80229795f2 
0xffffff8dd39c3a30 : 0xffffff8022978971 
0xffffff8dd39c3b60 : 0xffffff801fc835ec 
0xffffff8dd39c3cc0 : 0xffffff801f586d16 
0xffffff8dd39c3dd0 : 0xffffff801f45a98b 
0xffffff8dd39c3e60 : 0xffffff801f4711d9 
0xffffff8dd39c3ef0 : 0xffffff801f5b2fea 
0xffffff8dd39c3fa0 : 0xffffff801f420256 
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.driver.watchdog(1.0)[8BE4EE7F-9150-3161-BE84-36874BF82DE2]@0xffffff8022977000->0xffffff8022979fff
Process name corresponding to current thread (0xffffff9e21857aa0): watchdogd
Boot args: chunklist-security-epoch=0 -chunklist-no-rev2-dev
Mac OS version:
21G72
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 21.6.0: Sat Jun 18 17:07:25 PDT 2022; root:xnu-8020.140.41~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: E3E2BC4D-7B6F-39CC-8890-73A6FB513830
KernelCache slide: 0x000000001f200000
KernelCache base:  0xffffff801f400000
Kernel slide:      0x000000001f210000
Kernel text base:  0xffffff801f410000
__HIB  text base: 0xffffff801f300000
System model name: MacBookPro16,1 (Mac-E1008331FDC96864)
System shutdown begun: NO
Hibernation exit count: 0
System uptime in nanoseconds: 122875484981976
Last Sleep:           absolute           base_tsc          base_nano
  Uptime  : 0x00006fc12da24dcb
  Sleep   : 0x00006f96af8fec81 0x00025a9a06092fda 0x00006f94186b1fa8
  Wake    : 0x00006f96e4362206 0x00025aab580c18ac 0x00006f96c344dc52
Compressor Info: 0% of compressed pages limit (OK) and 5% of segments limit (OK) with 0 swapfiles and OK swap space
Zone info:
  Zone map: 0xffffff8e2033d000 - 0xffffffae2033d000
  . PGZ   : 0xffffff8e2033d000 - 0xffffff8e2233e000
  . VM    : 0xffffff8e2233e000 - 0xffffff92eeb3d000
  . RO    : 0xffffff92eeb3d000 - 0xffffff948833d000
  . GEN0  : 0xffffff948833d000 - 0xffffff9954b3d000
  . GEN1  : 0xffffff9954b3d000 - 0xffffff9e2133d000
  . GEN2  : 0xffffff9e2133d000 - 0xffffffa2edb3d000
  . GEN3  : 0xffffffa2edb3d000 - 0xffffffa7ba33d000
  . DATA  : 0xffffffa7ba33d000 - 0xffffffae2033d000
  Metadata: 0xffffff8dda32d000 - 0xffffff8dfa32d000
  Bitmaps : 0xffffff8dfa32d000 - 0xffffff8e0032d000
last started kext at 122430175002317: >!UAudio  416.2 (addr 0xffffff7fb8223000, size 335872)
last stopped kext at 93243463038351: >!UAudio   416.2 (addr 0xffffff7fb8223000, size 335872)
loaded kexts:
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>!AActuatorDriver   5460.1
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It's the process that 'serves' (and thus controls) every window that is created. — benwiggy, Sep 03 '22 at 17:31

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 03 '22 at 15:00

6

If you check carefully it’s “window server” with one S.

WindowServer is a normal process, part of macOS (and OS X before the name change) and that watchdog indicates the system could not continue with a key instruction so it dumped internal state and forced a reboot.

Fixing these can go several ways

reinstall the os
remove accessories
remove software and modifications
collect more data on when and how this happens

answered Sep 03 '22 at 15:00

bmike

235,889

1

wow, thank you - makes perfect sense – TCooper Sep 03 '22 at 16:30
Your question was astute as well @TCooper , this is pretty deep inside the foundation of an operating system. Better to be sure these days. – bmike Sep 03 '22 at 22:03

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 03 '22 at 23:15

Just wanna pipe in on what it is and say that, when my mac is sluggish, windowserver cpu usage often seems to be involved.

How to lower down WindowServer CPU usage on a Mac

(disregard that blurb about using their products)

What is WindowServer on Mac? Simply, it’s the macOS process that draws elements on the screen, whether they are application windows, icons, or websites. The more windows you have open at any one time, the more CPU cycles WindowServer needs. Most graphical elements are refreshed regularly, which is why WindowServer needs those CPU cycles. Every time you move a window around or edit an image in Photoshop, or switch to a different tab in Safari, WindowServer needs to redraw your screen.

When you consider that windows in macOS have lots of effects, such as transparency and drop shadows, it’s hardly surprising that drawing and redrawing them on screen consumes resources. However, on most Macs, the number of CPU cycles WindowServer consumes should be so small you don’t notice it.

I've never had it cause a shutdown, the T2 security chip fullfills that role, frequently, on my system instead. But if it doesn't reoccur I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

Is WindowsServer a part of OSX?

2 Answers2