How to find and delete .kext legacy extensions?

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Level 1

8 points

How to find and delete .kext legacy extensions?

Old legacy extensions not compatible with future Os update. No longer is there an “Extensions” folder in System Library. An example: soundflower.kext?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Oct 19, 2022 5:01 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,318 points

Oct 19, 2022 7:27 AM in response to eekim

Out of the Box, Apple Silicon Macs will not load legacy extensions. You have to set "Reduced Security" to enable them. They will probably migrate over, but won't load at all.

Third-party kernel extensions should have never been in the System folder. That folder is and always has been reserved for Apple. Third-party extensions should be in /Library/Extensions.

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Answer 2

eekim Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 19, 2022 6:30 AM in response to Rudegar

Thanks Rudegar. I’m running Os 12.6 Monterey and will migrate from a 2015 MacBookpro to a Mac mini M1 (also on 12.6) Do you think I MUST remove the legacy extensions (.kext) before migrating to Mac mini or migrate as is and hope the upgrade to next system (on mini) will be ok ignoring or deactivating the old .kext’s? All 3 of these .kext files are residual from old apps no longer used and deleted.

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Answer 3

eekim Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 19, 2022 8:26 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks Barney-15E. You’ve solved my quandary and I can forget about messing around in terminal on my macbookpro to delete these legacy extensions. Migrating to my new Mac miniM1 will resolve this and the .kext stuff becomes more system junk with out affecting my macmini M1. Yes!

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Answer 4

Rudegar

Level 10

180,708 points

Oct 19, 2022 5:06 AM in response to eekim

How to Add and Remove Kexts from macOS - Make Tech Easier

different, alternative .kext location - Apple Community

more

macos location of .kext - Google-

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How to find and delete .kext legacy extensions?

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