system extension cannot be used AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

Jeff Ree wrote:

Same with me only I did not Restore my iPhone. I also tried to restore the previous version of iTunes (11.3.1) form Time Machine along with the AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext from that same Time Machine backup date and still can't sync my iPhone...SYNC button is grayed out and all data is showing as OTHER. Next step might be a full restore to a date when all was working right, for me was 9/8/2014. Went to the Apple store and they had no idea what I was talking about and started to read our posts. There suggestion was to insert my Snow Leopard 10.6.8 disc and to a INSTALL not RESTORE. That kinda scared me so I thought I'd try a few other less drastic fixes first. Any thoughts???

Restoring iTunes from Time Machine doesn't restore all the associated system files that the iTunes installer splatters all over the place. Reverting to an earlier version of iTunes is a complicated task that involves restoring your iTunes library, deleting the full current iTunes version and then using Pacifist to install the earlier version. You'll need to source the 11.3.1 installation DMG to be successful with this. You cannot manage it strictly from an application-level Time Machine restore.

This article is oriented around going from iTunes 11 back to iTunes 10.7, but is an accurate roadmap of the steps involved. The only things that differ are the starting version (11.4) and target version (11.3.1). http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/03/how-to-downgrade-from-itunes-11-to-version- 10-7-on-your-mac/

I've done such a version back-step and it's a pain in the butt that is only one step less of a bother than a full system restore. Before being that drastic, I would:

1. Restore the iTunes 11.3.1-era AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext from your Time Machine backup.
2. Download the iTunes 11.4 installer DMG from: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
3. Run the iTunes installer and then reboot the system.

That should, hopefully, restore your ability to sync/backup your phone.

"I installed iTunes 11.4 on Sept 10th and until I installed the new HP Printer Driver, this error message has never occurred."

That was the original iTunes 11.4 release, which biffed everything.

Apple quietly replaced that version with an updated version back on Sept. 23rd or 24th, without telling anyone.

My advice to you (and to zspy7274, and anyone else similarly afflicted) would be:

1. Trash /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext
2. Reboot
3. Re-download iTunes 11.4 (I call it "11.4++") from the Apple iTunes download page
4. Re-install iTunes from the downloaded .dmg file (the .dmg file size should be 242433227 bytes - if it's 242940774 bytes, you have the old/bad version!)
5. Re-install your HP printer drivers
6. Reboot
7. ...
8. Profit!!!

Greg Earle wrote:

"I installed iTunes 11.4 on Sept 10th and until I installed the new HP Printer Driver, this error message has never occurred."

That was the original iTunes 11.4 release, which biffed everything.

Apple quietly replaced that version with an updated version back on Sept. 23rd or 24th, without telling anyone.

My advice to you (and to zspy7274, and anyone else similarly afflicted) would be:

1. Trash /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext
2. Reboot
3. Re-download iTunes 11.4 (I call it "11.4++") from the Apple iTunes download page
4. Re-install iTunes from the downloaded .dmg file (the .dmg file size should be 242433227 bytes - if it's 242940774 bytes, you have the old/bad version!)
5. Re-install your HP printer drivers
6. Reboot
7. ...
8. Profit!!!

Can you confirm that this fixes the missing iPhone-as-a-network-connection problem? When I have my iPhone plugged in via the USB, it does not show up as a network interface for tethering. I can only use the iPhone for tethering over Bluetooth or Wifi.

This error message appeared after five minutes when I just install iTunes 11.4 on Snow Leopard, version 10.6.8...

Below, the error screenshot (It's a Brazilian Snow Leopard 10.6.8 version...):

Any ideas how to fix this error ?

Thanks !!!

Just got the same problem & posted it as "System extension cannot be used" after installing iTunes 11.4

Have any of you peeps found it stops things from working? All I've tested so far is Time Machine backup to an external USB drive: seems to have worked fine.

I fixed it by opening up a Finder browser where I found AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext and dragged it into the trash can. Then, I downloaded and installed itunes from https://www.apple.com/itunes/download

Hello All-

I had the AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext problem when downloading iTunes 11.4.

I found help here: https://www.discussions.apple.com/message/26574841#26574841

See Lanny’s post, I did as he suggested.

1st- Close iTunes.

2nd- Delete the system extension "AppleUSBethernetHost.kext" from here: //System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBethernetHost.kext

3rd- go to iTunes 11.4 download here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

click on the Download Now link.

4th- Find the downloaded iTunes11.4.dmg file, open it, now open the Install iTunes.pkg

After the re-install as above I got the successfully installed window and no “pop up”

improperly installed AppleUSBMultitouch.kext warning window.

I've read the solutions posted by a number of people way more expert than me, and seen they may not necessarily fix my problem. Even tried a couple of them. I'm now more sure than ever that I'll wait for Apple to sort this mess out. After all, they created it by letting a poorly tested release out the door. Suggest everyone contacts Apple here: Feedback

and lets them know we're each impacted by it. I have already. Apple don't monitor these discussions so if we don't tell 'em, they'll never know!

"For me, the kernel extension was left with missing code signatures."

Right - because of what I posted long ago, the fact that the new iTunes 11.4 installer doesn't install Contents/_CodeSignature/{CodeDirectory,CodeSignature,CodeRequirements} into the new 11.4 AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext version.

The real question is, what are the ramifications of losing those 3 files (and their matching symbolic links)?

I no longer have those 3 files/links in my 11.4 installation, yet I can still sync to my 3 iDevices just fine.

So what are the ramifications if AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext isn't code signed?

[21:41] nightowl:/ % codesign --verify --verbose /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext: code object is not signed

[21:41] nightowl:/ % codesign --verify --verbose /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBAudio.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBAudio.kext: valid on disk

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBAudio.kext: satisfies its Designated Requirement

Edit: http://devstreaming.apple.com/videos/wwdc/2013/707xfx3xysb4yyrvtxbbu6t9fono/707/ 707.pdf?dl=1

Very interesting comments about kext code signing in Mavericks from page 20 onwards ...

I fixed it by opening up a Finder browser where I found AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext and dragged it into the trash can. Then, I downloaded and installed itunes from https://www.apple.com/itunes/download

This worked for me. I'm running OS 10.6.8 on my MacBook. After updating iTunes via software update and getting the error message, I never opened iTunes. Used Tingly's fix and haven't gotten another error message. All seems to be working well.

Ryan, for what it's worth, I'm also running Snow Leopard (10.6.8) on a 2009 MacBook and Tingly's fix worked great for me. Here it is:

I fixed it by opening up a Finder browser where I found AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext and dragged it into the trash can. Then, I downloaded and installed itunes from https://www.apple.com/itunes/download

Greg Earle wrote:

"Gaia:~ trane$ sudo kextutil /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

Password:

Warnings: Executable does not contain code for architecture:     i386

Can't load /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext - no code for running kernel's architecture."

Yep - it means you are either on a 32-bit only Mac or you are (inexplicably) running a 64-bit machine with a 32-bit kernel.

I should mention that I am on a Mac Pro with a 64-bit kernel and even with that, I couldn't load the 2.3.6 version of the .kext - I had to go back to 2.3.0 to get something that would load. But after I load it (manually via kextutil), at some point later it mysteriously gets unloaded!

So I can't fix USB tethering, even on a 64-bit system.

It's not at all inexplicable. The first few iterations of Core 2 Duo machines ran 32-bit kernels. More information here:

Mac OS X v10.6: Macs that use the 64-bit kernel

This box uses a 32-bit kernel that supports 64-bit applications. It has a 32-bit EFI, so its days are numbered with Lion. There are no updates forthcoming with this system. Shame, that, as 6 GB RAM and a 960 GB SSD ensure that it's still quite spritely despite its declining years.

I'd complain about the tethering, but I've never actually even tried to do USB tethering. So I'll hold my whining for another day. 🙂

"It's not at all inexplicable. The first few iterations of Core 2 Duo machines ran 32-bit kernels. More information here:

Mac OS X v10.6: Macs that use the 64-bit kernel

This box uses a 32-bit kernel that supports 64-bit applications. It has a 32-bit EFI, so its days are numbered with Lion. There are no updates forthcoming with this system. Shame, that, as 6 GB RAM and a 960 GB SSD ensure that it's still quite spritely despite its declining years.

I'd complain about the tethering, but I've never actually even tried to do USB tethering. So I'll hold my whining for another day."

I knew I should have qualified that "inexplicable" 🙂

Yes, I'm aware that the first Core 2 Duos (and other machines) ran 32-bit kernels.

What is "inexplicable" to me is why anyone with a 64-bit capable machine would still run a 32-bit kernel these days, given the existence of easy apps like "32- or 64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector", plus the fact that it lets you address all your 6 GB of RAM address space instead of 4 GB per-process.

I'm aware that someone with a 2 or 4 GB system might say "Why bother?", but to me the compelling argument is that the slight performance hit is worth it given the fact that Apple is throwing 32-bit users under the bus - either by design or by accident.

(Conveniently "forgetting" to put a dual-architecture .kext into the iTunes 11.4 distribution is another signpost on that road. The fact that they wouldn't release an updated bash and sh for 10.6.8 to cure the recent "Shellshock" UNIX® shell vulnerability is another case of throwing the users under the bus, too.)

Greg Earle wrote:

"It's not at all inexplicable. The first few iterations of Core 2 Duo machines ran 32-bit kernels. More information here:

Mac OS X v10.6: Macs that use the 64-bit kernel

This box uses a 32-bit kernel that supports 64-bit applications. It has a 32-bit EFI, so its days are numbered with Lion. There are no updates forthcoming with this system. Shame, that, as 6 GB RAM and a 960 GB SSD ensure that it's still quite spritely despite its declining years.

I'd complain about the tethering, but I've never actually even tried to do USB tethering. So I'll hold my whining for another day."

I knew I should have qualified that "inexplicable" 🙂

Yes, I'm aware that the first Core 2 Duos (and other machines) ran 32-bit kernels.

What is "inexplicable" to me is why anyone with a 64-bit capable machine would still run a 32-bit kernel these days, given the existence of easy apps like "32- or 64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector", plus the fact that it lets you address all your 6 GB of RAM address space instead of 4 GB per-process.

I'm aware that someone with a 2 or 4 GB system might say "Why bother?", but to me the compelling argument is that the slight performance hit is worth it given the fact that Apple is throwing 32-bit users under the bus - either by design or by accident.

(Conveniently "forgetting" to put a dual-architecture .kext into the iTunes 11.4 distribution is another signpost on that road. The fact that they wouldn't release an updated bash and sh for 10.6.8 to cure the recent "Shellshock" UNIX® shell vulnerability is another case of throwing the users under the bus, too.)

While Startup Mode Selector might be useful for a fair number of users, MacBooks are excluded from the party. Apple has absolutely disabled booting the kernel in 64-bit mode on MacBooks. This may have been undone in later iterations of the MacBook or MacBook Pro, but even holding 64 during boot has no effect whatsoever other than to elicit further keyboard wear here. An Early 2008 MacBook4,1 cannot boot to a 64-bit kernel with an un-hacked OS X. Unless, of course, there's something out there of which I don't yet know. (Always a possibility.)

If you look at Apple Support Downloads now you'll see now that version iTunes 12.0.1 is out they also have an 11.4 for OS X 10.6 also available.

Apple - Support - Downloads

I believe Apple may of been distributing two versions of 11.4. One version for Snow Leopard and another for Lion and up. The reason I think this is because I updated my MacBook Pro's iTunes to 11.4 running 10.6.8 and my USB tethering broke. I searched for and ran across the Apple Support thread shown below and was able to begin tethering again with the fix from DopeyDupe on page 3.

USB tethering lost after installing iphone configuration utility

However, after I updated to Lion just few days later the USB tethering once again broke. So I once again began to look for yet another fix for Lion. That's when I ran across this thread. I decided to try the solution given in this thread and re-download iTunes via a downloaded dmg file. That's when I discovered iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6. So that made me think that if Apple was distributing version 11.4 for 10.6, they must of been distributing a version of 11.4 for Lion and up. And these versions might of been 32bit and 64bit respectively. Whether this is true or not, I don't know. However after I downloaded iTunes 11.4 for OS X 10.6, deleted the kext file and iTunes (http://osxdaily.com/2012/02/06/delete-itunes-mac-os-x/), reinstalled iTunes with the downloaded installer, and reloaded the kext that Fab11 from the above thread made available (http://www.mediafire.com/?zo22n2u2eml78vc) I once again was able to tether my iPhone to my MacBook via USB.