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AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext error on installing iTunes update

OK I'm starting to think there is a problem deep inside my computer's main brain. I have had a problem with an external drive and Time Machine and today I'm getting weird errors regarding this ethernethost thing when I back up iTunes.

The thread for the Time Machine thing is here: Re: Time Machine fails - cannot make backup folder

I think the repair keeps failing and the computer doesn't know it because something is "missing". Please excuse my ignorance on this subject. I'm just relating as best I can.

OK so up until today, I've had NO issue updating iTunes. Today I get this error:

Now, this looks familiar because just this morning I had to look up how to tether my iPhone 5 to the laptop (macbook pro). I had to go out and needed to make sure I had internet somehow in case there was none where I was. WHY did I need to look this up you ask? Because I've never been able to tether my phone on the iMac and thought I would have a problem so I did research before a test. It's easy-peasy. plug it in and turn it on and there you go. On the laptop anyway.

Now, the iMac was originally Snow Leopard and I really regret updating to Mountain Lion. It's slow and piggy now and take ages to wake up. Yes, I turned off allowing hard disks to sleep too. Did my research on that.

Anyway, while looking for the instructions to tether the phone, I found a site with familiar string of wording and I recognized it when the error popped up:

http://blog.iphoting.com/blog/2012/09/04/fixing-broken-iphone-usb-tethering-on-o s-x/

So I followed the instructions on the page and here is a copy of what the info in the terminal says:

Last login: Wed Sep 10 13:50:19 on ttys000

computer:~ me$ $ sudo rm -Rf /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

-bash: $: command not found

computer:~ me$ $ sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

-bash: $: command not found

computer:~ me$

I changed the computer name and my name for my own peace of mind.

So when following the steps and installing the iTunes like it says, after I ran the command they gave, I got the same error in the screenshot above.

iTunes installer said the thing installed correctly as well as the install on the App Store in the updates tab.

Could these be connected?

My phone still does not show on the iMac and nothing showed like they said in that link.

Any ideas Mac people?

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Sep 10, 2014 11:51 AM

Top-ranking reply

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Posted on Sep 10, 2014 11:59 AM

Your rm command never succeeded. You have an extra "$" when you copy/pasted it from the link you mention. It needs to be run without the "$" from the website. Sudo prompts you for your password.

The kextload also failed similarly.

View in context

59 replies

Sep 14, 2014 10:24 AM in response to Peter Wulff

Thx Peter - this worked for me - the other options were a little more complex than I wanted to try! 😁 Just updated iTunes today - had not updated in over a year. We're preparing to upgrade from OS X 10.68 to either Mtn Lion or Mvericks, after I do Carbon Copy Cloner etc that is...

Sep 14, 2014 7:31 PM in response to Twitchin Kitten

Hi All,

This error message feels familiar but I can't recall when? I had the same issue when updating to iTunes 11.4 via Software Update.

I did not launch iTunes nor try to connect my iPhone before Googling it. In my search, I found and read through solutions on this forum… http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/itunes/#d11sep2014

I took the easiest suggestion and did the following. Find "Larry Beam's" post in the thread above...

"Larry Beam

As suggested, trashed the "AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext" file and reinstalled iTunes using the installer from the Apple support website. Did not trash iTunes, and did not restart the machine after trashing the file. Still worked like a charm! Many thanks Jean-Luc."

There's more there if you feel the need.

I'm on Lion 10.7.5. I had a couple of external drives mounted via FW800. For safety, I unplugged before reinstalling iTunes. I see that the ""AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext" file has a newer creation date than the one I trashed.

iPhone now plugged in. Syncing seems fine. No error messages at all.

Hope this helps.

CRBW

Level 1

0 points

Sep 15, 2014 11:15 AM in response to Greg Earle

Not so easy. Doing the simple steps you suggest, I get

/Users/charleswright/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) not found; check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8).

Can't open CFBundle for /Users/charleswright/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext.

CFBundle means nothing to me. Is something in the wrong place, or missing entirely?

Please advise.

Sep 15, 2014 11:24 AM in response to CRBW

"Not so easy. Doing the simple steps you suggest, I get

/Users/charleswright/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) not found; check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8)."

I don't know what exactly you did, but there is no way that a solitary kernel extension (kext) should have ended up in your own Home folder!

That kext belongs in (Your Hard Drive Name) -> System -> Library -> Extensions, not in your Home folder ...

CRBW

Level 1

0 points

Sep 15, 2014 11:33 AM in response to Greg Earle

Agreed. So I did a symlink to my home directory and tried the kextload again. This time it found the AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext, of course, but I got the

/Users/charleswright/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) requested architecture/executable not found; message, which I'd gotten earlier as well. I'm running 10.6.8 on a Mac mini, which should be standard enough, you'd think.

Ideas?

Sep 15, 2014 12:07 PM in response to CRBW

The kext belongs in /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext and nowhere else.

Just get rid of that symbolic link in your home directory. kexts can't be loaded in 10.6.8 from outside the /System/Library/Extensions folder.

If you are conversant with Terminal.app and are running kextload to try and load it manually, just do a

cd /System/Library/Extensions

first and then do the

kextload AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext

from in there.

BTW you didn't say which model of Mac mini you have. If it is an old one that is 32-bit only, you won't be able to load the iTunes 11.4 AppleUSBEthernetHost.kext because it is a 64-bit only version!

Sep 15, 2014 2:59 PM in response to sdviewpnt

This method worked perfectly for me. I am on a Mac Pro running Mountain Lion.

Dragged the kext file to trash (I use EasyFind. Found the file, Revealed in Finder, dragged to Trash, entered admin password when requested).

Downloaded iTunes 11.4 from the website.

Installed from that download.

Checked for that kext file in EasyFind again and found it had a creation date of 7/29/14 (the trashed one had a creation date from 2009).

No more error messages. ITunes opens fine. Everything good.

Will not update on my MacBook Pro until they fix this issue.

CRBW

Level 1

0 points

Sep 15, 2014 6:14 PM in response to Greg Earle

It's 32 bit. Why doesn't Apple tell us that this add-on won't work,

instead of just sending the "architecture not found" message?

Arrrgh!

Don515

Level 1

9 points

Sep 15, 2014 7:45 PM in response to Royal_Scam

I have a Macbook pro with Mountain lion 10.8.5. I have the same issue as everyone else. Upon updating to iTunes 11.4, the error in question popped up. I went to it's address and found the file with the date 4/5/12. iTunes was working and iPhone connected and was syncing OK. I used the terminal as someone mentioned to check the USBEthernetHost file and the return line "that must be there" was there. So far, the error hasn't reappeared, however, I did as you suggested and now the file reads 7/29/14. Nothing seems to have changed.

sfrench

Level 1

9 points

Sep 15, 2014 7:52 PM in response to Peter Wulff

This worked for me. Thanks!

zenluiz

Level 1

0 points

Sep 16, 2014 6:02 AM in response to Twitchin Kitten

For those of you who went through the proccess of deleting the kext and reinstalling iTunes, did you install the downloaded iTunes on top of the existing one? If so, were your settings, library, music, videos, etc, there the same way it was before installing? I mean, no need to backup/restore something in iTunes before the procedure?

Thanks

Sep 16, 2014 6:35 AM in response to zenluiz

Personally, I installed right over the previous installation, and didn't back anything up (I already had a full HD clone from a few days back that I could've restored if things got too jiggy). Everything was fine and all settings were the same. iPhone was recognized and synced fine. As always, YMMV. I'd make sure to have a backup of some sort first.

Lanny

Level 6

13,207 points

Sep 16, 2014 10:58 AM in response to zenluiz

did you install the downloaded iTunes on top of the existing one? If so, were your settings, library, music, videos, etc, there the same way it was before installing?

Yes, on top

Yes, the same