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NetExtender error needs to perform maintenance tasks. Does not work after giving permission to do so. Just upgraded to El Capitan.

I just upgraded to El Capitan. I get the following error message after logging into NetExtender: "NetExtender error needs to perform maintenance tasks. You will need to enter your MAC administrator password in the next window." After typing that in, it says it's connecting to NetExtender but then logs me out. This continues over and over.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), NetExtender

Posted on Dec 26, 2015 9:57 AM

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3 replies

Dec 26, 2015 10:00 AM in response to Leetsa1

Having never heard of NetExtender before, I can only go on how you've described it in your post, and I have to say, Macs don't need third-party programs to perform "maintenance" on them. One thing I can say is that before you upgrade your operating system, you should always make sure that all of your applications, plug-ins, drivers, extensions, etc., are compatible with what you're upgrading to. That could be part of the problem, should this program not be what I think it sounds like. Are you running the most current version, and is that version compatible with El Capitan?

Dec 26, 2015 2:48 PM in response to Leetsa1

It's a "SonicWALL" VPN client. Please either remove it or refer to the developer for support or an update.

Any third-party software that doesn't install from the App Store or by drag-and-drop into the Applications folder, and uninstall by drag-and-drop to the Trash, is a system modification.

Whenever you remove system modifications, they must be removed completely, and the only way to do that is to use the uninstallation tool, if any, provided by the developers, or to follow their instructions. If the software has been incompletely removed, you may have to re-download or even reinstall it in order to finish the job.

I never install system modifications myself, and except as stated in this comment, I don't know how to uninstall them. You'll have to do your own research to find that information.

Here are some general guidelines to get you started. Suppose you want to remove something called “BrickMyMac” (a hypothetical example.) First, consult the product's Help menu, if there is one, for instructions. Finding none there, look on the developer's website, say www.brickmymac.com. (That may not be the actual name of the site; if necessary, search the Web for the product name.) If you don’t find anything on the website or in your search, contact the developer. While you're waiting for a response, download BrickMyMac.dmg and open it. There may be an application in there such as “Uninstall BrickMyMac.” If not, open “BrickMyMac.pkg” and look for an Uninstall button. The uninstaller might also be accessed by clicking the Customize button, if there is one.

Back up all data before making any changes.

You will generally have to restart the computer in order to complete an uninstallation. Until you do that, there may be no effect, or unpredictable effects.

If you can’t remove software in any other way, you’ll have to erase and install OS X. Never install any third-party software unless you're sure you know how to uninstall it; otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.

Trying to remove complex system modifications by hunting for files by name often will not work and may make the problem worse. The same goes for "utilities" such as "AppCleaner" and the like that purport to remove software.

NetExtender error needs to perform maintenance tasks. Does not work after giving permission to do so. Just upgraded to El Capitan.

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