After installing version 62 crashpad_handler is using up to 56% cpu on two cores, causing a system wide slowdown and my fans sound like a jumbo jet taking off. Let me know what I can do to help debug.
yep, I have it too. Killing it won't get it started again.
Can confirm same problem when running on 10.11.6. Also noticed that the mds/mdworker metadata daemons for Spotlight were running haywire during this - probably indicating high disk output by the crashpad_handler processes - though I couldn't locate exactly what or where.
63 is ready for testing. If this is still a problem, please report here.
Still there...
Could you guys report what arguments are passed into crashpad_handler? What's the parent process? Is there an instance of run_with_crashpad anywhere?
For reference, here's documentation for Crashpad: https://chromium.googlesource.com/crashpad/crashpad
user 77256 50.4 0.0 2437952 6168 ?? R 1:09AM 0:16.72 /Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/Versions/63.0.3239.132/Chromium Framework.framework/Helpers/crashpad_handler --no-periodic-tasks --monitor-self-annotation=ptype=crashpad-handler --database=/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Chromium/Crashpad --annotation=plat=OS X --annotation=prod=Chromium_Mac --annotation=ver=63.0.3239.132 --handshake-fd=4
user 77254 50.3 0.0 2457936 6308 ?? S 1:09AM 0:16.68 /Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/Versions/63.0.3239.132/Chromium Framework.framework/Helpers/crashpad_handler --monitor-self --monitor-self-annotation=ptype=crashpad-handler --database=/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Chromium/Crashpad --metrics-dir=/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Chromium --annotation=plat=OS X --annotation=prod=Chromium_Mac --annotation=ver=63.0.3239.132 --handshake-fd=9
Quitting those two processes won't bring them back (until chromium restart)
no run_with_crashpad spotted.
@tectiv3 Do those processes have any parents or children that should be noted?
No children, parent is launchd, process group - Chromium.
Actually I was wrong, sending them SIGTERM will quit that stuck process and re-spawn a normal one:
user 77256 0.0 0.0 2438976 5384 ?? S 1:09AM 0:24.01 /Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/Versions/63.0.3239.132/Chromium Framework.framework/Helpers/crashpad_handler --no-periodic-tasks --monitor-self-annotation=ptype=crashpad-handler --database=/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Chromium/Crashpad --annotation=plat=OS X --annotation=prod=Chromium_Mac --annotation=ver=63.0.3239.132 --handshake-fd=4
user 77254 0.0 0.0 2457936 5496 ?? S 1:09AM 0:27.29 /Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/Versions/63.0.3239.132/Chromium Framework.framework/Helpers/crashpad_handler --monitor-self --monitor-self-annotation=ptype=crashpad-handler --database=/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Chromium/Crashpad --metrics-dir=/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Chromium --annotation=plat=OS X --annotation=prod=Chromium_Mac --annotation=ver=63.0.3239.132 --handshake-fd=9
Even better, sending them SIGTERM will just stop them using all CPU without restarting a process :/
Notice the same PID.
BTW after that quitting Chromium won't quit those two crashpad_handler processes. They have to be killed with SIGKILL.
Hmm, well it seems none of the debugging options will be easy. Either we look through the code and patches, do a debug build/make modifications and debug at runtime, or both. I haven't worked with this area of Chromium before so I have no ideas.
Can we just disable it all-together?
I was thinking about it, but I'm not sure how integrated the crashpad client (or the whole client module) is in Chromium. It may not be that straight-forward to remove. That can cause some more unintended side-effects.
It's an option we can take if we aren't able to fix crashpad_handler.
Could you guys check to see if dbf4c0e58765b77b9e3569facd3eee589084b0ee changes anything? I doubt this is the cause, but I'd like to be certain.
OK, I will try it a bit later.
This happens on my machine too.
@Eloston any progress on this bug?
I have nothing to add as dbf4c0e unfortunately refuses to build on my El Capital setup. I'm too swamped with work right now to get enough time to dig into it. @tectiv3, have perhaps you gotten around to building it?
@stfnhrrs I just finished up major rework to the build system. I'm starting development on 64, so we can test again once I merge everything in.
@stolendata nope, it refuses to build for me too.
I experienced this problem as well. I left my computer overnight to upload videos to a cloud using Google Chrome and my fans started to sound very loud to the point that they woke me up.
After checking Activity Monitor, crashpad_handler was taking 199% CPU. Please see image below.

How can this be troubleshooted?
Thank you
@sebvargo That process shouldn't be active. Maybe the patch is no longer valid
@sebvargo If you experience this with 72.0.3626.109-1, please create a new issue. Thanks.
yep, I have it too. Killing it won't get it started again.
thanks a lot.I thought my MacBook would bomb with the problem.
apple is shit! mac is shit! crap!
any solution ? crashpad_han running at 192 % cpu for me as well
@krishnadamarla, are you using the current version? Try updating first if you're still on an older version.
If the issue persists try a new profile:
โ make sure (ungoogled) Chromium is not running
โ make a backup of your profile folder (should be ~/Library/Application Support/Chromium/Default ) and then delete it, or simply rename it
โ restart (ungoogled) Chromium
If this resolved it start migrating your settings/bookmarks etc. (always with Chromium not running)
If it still persists, please open a new issue in the macOS repo.
Remember to always have a backup first...
End the process with the command:
kill -KILL {PID}
after ending the kernel_task from activity monitor, it fixed this situation for me
This happened to me today, macOS Big Sur (11.1). The open files of this process suggest Visual Studio Code uses it.
/private/var/folders/gc/๐/T/AppTranslocation/๐/d/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Frameworks/Electron Framework.framework/Versions/A/Helpers/chrome_crashpad_handler
/Users/๐ /Library/Application Support/Code/CrashpadMetrics-active.pma
/Users/๐ /Library/Application Support/Code/CrashpadMetrics-active.pma
I decided to reboot and, so far, it's behaving. Note: I don't have Chromium or Chrome installed. HTH
This happened to me too. mac Big Sur (11.1). Fanning is running crazy. So Force quit "Chrome crashpad_handler" in Activity Monitor
I've been hearing a number of applications breaking under Big Sur, so it could be a Chromium issue. Please open an issue on ungoogled-chromium-macos if this is a problem for you instead of posting on this old issue.
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This happens on my machine too.