Uninstall Soundflower from Mojave OS

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Uninstall Soundflower from Mojave OS

It has been so frustrating to have Soundflower constantly intercept the audio output, and force me to go to System Preferences to click back to the Internal Speakers. But you can get rid of it once and for all.

The previous version of this question was answered for High Sierra, but the answer is different for Mojave.

Go to the System Library and find the Extensions folder.

Drag the soundflower.kext file into the trash.

Empty trash.

Restart computer.

(I've been frustrated by other advice that told me to remove something from the Library. I recently realized that there are two Libraries in the Mac, and I was searching the wrong one. One Library is inside the User folder (and it doesn't contain an extensions folder). The Library that you want is inside the HD folder (at the highest level of the folder hierarchy). (There is also a third Library that is inside the System folder at this same level, but it isn't modifiable.)

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.14

Posted on Jun 19, 2019 9:57 AM

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Answer 1

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Barney-15E

Level 10

116,500 points

Jun 19, 2019 5:04 PM in response to Eric Larsson

When uninstalling anything, you should use the uninstaller app or directions provided by the developer. If they don't provide either, you should never install the software.

The instructions are here: https://github.com/mattingalls/Soundflower

However, as you have noted, the /System/Library/Extensions folder can no longer be modified. Kernel extensions should only be installed if the developer actually knows what they are doing. If they installed their kernel extension inside /System/Library/Extensions, then that demonstrated that they have no idea what they were doing.

Soundflower caused lots of kernel panics in its early development. Many third-party kernel extensions have done the same.

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Answer 2

Eric Larsson Author

Level 1

15 points

Jun 19, 2019 5:08 PM in response to Barney-15E

What has been frustrating, is that I have no memory of ever being asked if I wanted to install soundflower, or what it was supposed to do. It just showed up, interfering with my audio a couple of years ago. And there is no uninstall app. I hadn't even been able to browse for a likely developer site.

Do you have any idea what other app might be installing soundflower?

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

125,021 points

Jun 19, 2019 5:24 PM in response to Eric Larsson

FWIW, there are any number of apps that will install Soundflower. Many of the apps designed to record the screen with system audio, audio enhancement programs. Boom 2D and 3D did until relatively recently when they decided to "roll their own" loopback code.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,500 points

Jun 19, 2019 5:29 PM in response to Eric Larsson

It likely came with some audio processing software suite or hardware. It was likely installed as part of that software.

It was picked up by Rogue Amoeba for a while, then the original developer took back control of it. That is what I linked to.

I almost never install anything that requires an installer. If I really think it is necessary, I use SuspiciousPackage to determine what the installer is going to do. Most software that supports some piece of hardware will likely install a kernel extension or at least a Launch Agent. For other software that isn't supporting a piece of hardware, there is likely no reason it requires an installer that asks for an admin password.

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