By default the system will perform an automatic switch, but you can force it to use only one of the graphics processors and thereby avoid this behavior.

This issue has been identified as being triggered by the automatic switch between graphics processors when the system uses programs that demand more capability. Uncheck this box to keep the system from automatically changing graphics cards. If you are experiencing these crashes on your system after updating OS X to the latest version, the workarounds that helped prevent this issue in the past may still apply now. The model for affected systems is primarily MacBookPro6,2. In the window that pops up you will see the model name, such as 'MacBook Pro 15-inch, Mid 2010.' Additionally, you can click System Report and see the model identifier in the Hardware section of the report window. This model information can be looked up by choosing 'About this Mac' from the Apple menu and then clicking the More Info button. The panic reports from these systems show the familiar model identifier 'MacBookPro6,2' (the 15-inch mid-2010 MacBook Pro), and show the last kernel extensions being accessed before the crash as the graphics drivers for the Nvidia GPU. This time, instead of displaying black screens, the systems are largely experiencing kernel panics where the system's screen fades to gray with a message stating the system will need to be restarted. While the software fix has kept this issue relatively silent, it appears in the latest updates to OS X 10.8 may have undone it a bit, causing these systems to experience graphics-related problems again. (Click for larger image.)Īpple eventually issued a software fix for the problem, but this appeared to be more of a workaround than a true fix. If this identifier is 'MacBookPro6,2' then your system may be affected by this bug. You can check the model identifier here in the System Information tool. This issue affected a number of people, and because some users were able to overcome the issue with a logic board replacement in their systems, it was suspected of being a hardware-related issue. When Apple released OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011, a number mid-2010 model MacBook Pro owners found their systems inundated with crashes and graphics-related errors in which the system would show a black screen and freeze, requiring a forced shutdown and restart of the system. A graphics related bug that affected MacBook Pro systems upgraded to OS X 10.7 Lion has resurfaced for a number of people who have upgraded and subsequently updated their systems to Mountain Lion.

Macbook mid 2010 model number