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Mac Deleting The Kexts From Library Extensions: The Ultimate Solution for Kernel Panic Issues



When you are removing applications using the uninstaller from Nektony, you may face an error with deleting some service files and folders.This happens because specific applications, mostly antiviruses, can create kernel extensions which are able to protect themselves and some related files from being removed. Kext files are usually stored in the Extensions folder is deep subfolders. If you try to remove such a file to Trash, you will face a situation when Finder ignores the removal command. So in this article, we are going to explain how to remove the kernel extensions.


  • The last step is to restart your Mac.

Read also: How to fix a Kernel Panic error on Mac.Remove kernel extensions when FileVault is enabledWhen the FileVault is enabled on your Mac and your disk is encrypted, your system will not allow you to remove any kext file from your disk using Terminal in the recovery mode. In this case, you will have to disable SIP and remove a kext file manually:




Mac Deleting The Kexts From Library Extensions



The message should have mentioned the name of the vendor the extension is from. But in short, all third party extensions are in the following location, along with ten default extensions installed with the OS.


Had they put a stake in the road saying "the next release will be MacOS 11", they could've made the messaging about "these kexts won't work with MacOS 11, the next major release of MacOS" -- years in advance. Major breakage, like deprecating 32-bit apps and kexts, shouldn't break with 10.x updates. I think Apple learned all the wrong lessons from PowerPC->Intel.. :(


I'm trying to uninstall Parallels completely from macOS High Sierra.I removed everything from the disk except some Parallels extensions that are stored under /Library/StagedExtensions/Parallel Desktop.app


Kernel extensions, called kext for short, are modules of code that are loaded directly into the kernel space of Mac OS X, able to run at a low-level to perform a variety of tasks. Most kexts are part of the core Mac OS X system software, typically hardware device drivers, but some third party apps will install a kext as well.


The first few times I ignored the hints, but they are slowly getting on my nerves and I wanted to get down to work to remove the system extensions or kernel extensions that will no longer be compatible from macOS 10.16 onwards.


The first thing that strikes me: the hint from the system, in which the outdated system extensions are pointed out, is almost completely for the feet. The name of the developer is mentioned, but the program to which the extension belongs cannot be found in the window.


I will not be held responsible for any loss of data or damage to the macOS system while performing my suggested steps. To be on the safe side, a backup should be created first and no extensions from Apple should be deleted.


kernel extensions (o Kexts) extend the Darwin kernel's core capabilities. They're similar to Windows drivers in that they allow the kernel to interface with the computer's hardware. Almost all of the time, such files don't need to be updated. However, if you're having issues, you may need to remove it on Mac with a couple of kexts.


When you try to remove apps, you may get an error when deleting specific support files and directories. This occurs because certain apps, mainly antiviruses, can build kernel extensions to prevent themselves and perhaps some linked files from it being deleted.


Kext, or other extensions, can sometimes cause errors, which becomes annoying and a nuisance for other users. That is why they may decide to remove Kernel Extension instead. For others, it may be easy to do so. But others may find it complicated since it is different from uninstalling an app.


I then attempted to uninstall the program to reinstall it ... this was also problematic as the program is not easy to fully remove - even with the removal instructions that uses the finder to remove hidden library files. Upon re-installation, things are still there from the first installation which suggests not everything had been removed. Two re-installations later and the error still comes up.


Thank you so much for this solution!!!! My late 2015 model froze on reboot from installing Epson Printer drivers. Endless loop and wouldnt start, this fixed it.I have actually done a similar thing before when my older MacBooks GPU kicked it, thankfully they had dual graphics chips so in a similar fashion in Verbose mode i had to create a new folder manually and move GPU drivers to disable the faulty GPU on startup. Just like this script move the bad kexts. Fantastic, thank you so much! I thought i was going to have to bake my motherboard in the oven again.. lol ( actually a legit way to reflow dead GPUs ) but thankfully this wasnt hardware related.


Can this be made into a script so it will just run every time you shut down? there are two canon extensions that keep the machine from booting when we restart, every time we delete them they reappear. I tried putting your code into script editor but it gives me an error:# mount the drive as read/writemount -rw /


Thank you VERY VERY VERY much!I was forced to upgrade (need latest Xcode) and bam, stuck. Happend before & restore from timeMachine took 6 hours.Your kext thing did the trick.Now I have to find out what extensions are default and should be restored, but I at least feel empowered to manage this.


Your solution worked like a charm. Thanks a lot. My questions is what happens to the problematic kexts. You I delete them ? how can I move the non-problematic ones back to where they were moved from ? Note: I am a newbie when it comes to terminal


Some of the kernel extensions are provided by Apple, and some are needed by various pieces of hardware, but some are also incompatible with newer versions of OS X and prevent it from booting. It will take some time but you can move them back one at a time to determine which one is causing the problem or re-install your software to get the latest version of the kext files.


I had the same issue today and thanks to your article I was able to resolve it. What really bothers me are two things:1) why is the safe mode not exactl doing this? Ignoring all non Apple system kernel extensions and all library kernel extensions! I wasted a lot of time because the safe mode did not work and I assumed the problem is somewhere else2) why are there no error messages in the verbose mode about extensions that block the starting process?


Whatever package I download from checkpoint (the pkg, the dmg, the zipp) it seems the checkpoint firewall app is bundled into the installer. I've tried going to composer route to run the installation of the endpoint vpn client, then deleting the firewall app but it looks like starting with version 84.30 the plist, configuration files don't push out so I can't replicate that install from the created pkg from composer to other machines.


I installed Norton AV onto a laptop but now need to remove it as the company require a different AV solution. I have a process named com.symantec.mes.systemextension which runs periodically and crashes because it cannot find a particular library. I would like to remove the application from /Library/SystemExtensions/*/com.symantec.mes.systemextension and stop whatever it is that is attempting to run this process.


As applications attempt to access libraries that developers import from those extensions, the Mac will prompt to provide access to them. If access is granted the box is checked for each. Some work a little differently, like the Password AutoFill Extension. Access to load that Extension needs to be granted explicitly.


The kextcache, kextfind, kextlibs, kextload, kextstat, kextunload, and kextutil commands can still be used to interact with kexts; however given that these types of extensions are being deprecated their usefulness is less and less with each passing year.


Kernel extensions: Kernel extensions, or kexts, live in /System/Library/Extensions and load at startup. They provide low-level features such as processing audio and adding support for peripherals. Most kexts on your Mac are part of macOS. The safest way to remove a third-party kext is to run an uninstaller provided by the developer. 2ff7e9595c


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