KEXTs are Kernel Extensions, and I realised that a program that I installed in the past (SteerMouse) had left its KEXT behind even though I uninstalled the. From here on out, the process for kexts will be the same for both Windows and Mac users. Each kext will come zipped. Windows users will have to right-click the file and unzip it whereas Mac users just double-click the.zip file to unzip it. VirtualSMC.kext - This is the primary kext needed among all others. Files, Apps, Kexts, macOS and Hackintosh Installers. Hackintosh Mojave Installer is a smart way to Install macOS Mojave on PC without the need of mac.
If you’re running a Hackintosh, you may be wondering how to install Kexts. There are a lot of options available, but for today, we’re going to focus on installing Kexts using:
- MultiBeast
- Manual installation
Manual and MultiBeast installation will work well, and this is going to teach you how to install kexts without having to rely on a variety of different software.
If you’re scratching your head and wondering what kexts are, don’t worry – we’ll explain.
Related:what is a hackintosh computer? – beginners guide
What are Kexts and Why are They Important?
Kexts might not be important to most Mac users, but when you’ve went through the entire installation of a Hackintosh, it’s a good idea to know what kexts are.
Kext stands for Kernel Extension, and these files will extend your kernel, or the core part of your operating system.
Essentially, kexts are your drivers that will help get a lot of your hardware running properly. When you have a Hackintosh, you may not have sound or ethernet working properly (as seen in our best hackintosh laptop resource), and installing the right kexts will help make these components functional.
Where to Find Kexts
Kexts reside on your Mac already, and there are two main places that you’ll find them:
- /System/Library/Extensions
- /Library/Extensions
When you find the kexts on your system, they will have an icon that looks like a LEGO. If you’re not sure if you have the right file, simply look at the extension which should read “.kexts.”
MultiBeast will include many of the kexts you’ll need if there isn’t the right one that you need in any of the directories listed.
If for some reason MultiBeast doesn’t contain all of the kexts that you’ll need, there are other options available. You can search for kexts on:
- http://www.osx86project.org/
When all else fails, you may have to search forums and ask related forum users questions on which kext you need and where to find them. Oftentimes, there will be files that you can easily download and get up and running with a simple manual install.
How to Install Kexts Manually
Manual installs may be a little more “complicated” at first, but they give you the most freedom when installing kexts.
Why? You won’t have to worry about software issues, and it’s my favorite way to install kexts even if there are easier options.
But when installing manually, you may also get warnings.
What you’ll need to do is:
- Find the kext that you want to use
- Drag the kext into your directory, /System/Library/Extensions
When copying the file into the directory, you’ll be prompted to Authenticate the copying of the file. You’ll want to Authenticate the copy, and then you’ll be asked to enter in all of your credentials.
You’ll have to wait for the file to copy over, and then we’ll be going into the Terminal, which is where you need to type in everything exactly. Open your terminal and then load up your kext by using the following command:
You’ll obviously be replacing “nameofthefile” with the exact name of your file. Make sure that the file is spelled exactly how it appears in the terminal.
Again, you’ll be asked to enter your password, and then you may have to restart your system to get everything working properly.
How to Install Kexts with MultiBeast
Now that you know how to properly install kexts manually, let’s see how to do the same thing in MultiBeast.
What’s really nice about MultiBeast is that it includes a lot of the kexts already, so it makes installing kexts very easy.
However, you may lose out on the entire process of understanding what’s happening internally when installing a kext. That’s why I feel it’s important to understand how to install them manually first.
But now let’s run through the faster install using MultiBeast.
Open up MultiBeast and:
- Navigate to Drivers
- Choose the type of drivers you want to install:
- Audio
- Disk
- Misc
- Network
- USB
If you’re not sure which drivers you’ll need, it’s best to go to the manufacturer’s website and take a look at the specifications of your hardware. This information will then be compared to what MultiBeast offers.
Kexts Mac Os X
All you’ll need to do is select the drivers you want to use and then click Build. You’ll then need to restart your system to see if your kexts are working properly.
What’s good is that you won’t need to install kexts too often once you have your Hackintosh setup properly. But when you first get your system up and running, you can expect to install a few kexts to get your hardware working properly.
Help! I Installed a Kext That Doesn’t Work
If you’ve installed kexts that aren’t working, you’ll want to remove them from your system.
The best way to do this is manually, and you’ll need to navigate to your terminal as we did in the beginning of this article.
Once opened, you’ll want to jot down the name of the kext that you want to remove.
In your terminal, type in the following command:
Again, we’re going to change the “nameofthefile” to the exact name of the file.
Macos Remove Kext
You’ll be prompted to enter your administrator password before the command will go through.
Then you’ll want to restart the system and see if everything worked well.
There are some users that have had issues unloading their kext properly.
If you run into this problem, you can always remove the file completely. I only recommend doing this if it’s a file that you know you’ve installed to make your Hackintosh run properly.
The command is simple:
Kexts will be responsible for much of your system’s function and hardware running properly.
When you first install your system and get everything moving along, you’ll have to install a lot of kexts to get your hardware running properly.
Take your time and try to narrow down all of your system’s issues one at a time, and you’ll have a much easier time finding the right kexts for your system.
Related posts:
This contains a list of the kext files I use for my hackintosh. You may eventually need to update your kext files when new versions of macOS comes out for continued support.
Kext Locations:
- If using the Clover method I like to stuff my kexts in/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other
- If not you can place non-required kexts in /System/Library/Extensions
Required
These two kexts you should always have in your EFI partition.
FakeSMC.kext – Mantatory kext that emulates a Mac and is required to boot a hackintosh. When you download FakeSMC the folder will also contain Sensor kexts that you can use to monitor your hackintosh read about that here : HWMonitor Sensor Guide
Lilu.kext – Arbitrary kext that is required other kexts to work like AppleALC.kext & NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext. Some Gigabyte motherboards have trouble with some versions of Lilu.kext breaking audio. I recommend those users use v1.0.0, instead of the latest version.
USB
USBInjectAll.kext – Injects all USB ports
XHCI-200-series-injector.kext – Enables USB 3 device detection and USB 3 speeds on Kaby Lake motherboards. This kext is also recommended to have during the macOS install process so you can use those USB 3 ports and flash drives.
Ethernet
IntelMausiEthernet.kext – Enables ethernet for motherboards using an Intel Ethernet Chipset.
RealtekRTL8111.kext – Enables ethernet for motherboards using a Realtek Ethernet Chipset
AtherosE2200Ethernet.kext – Enables ethernet for motherboards using Killer Lan Ethernet Chipset
Graphics
NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext – Allows the latest Mac SMBIOS definitions to be used like iMac 17,x and iMac 18,x. You would want to use these SMBIOS defintions if you are using a Skylake or Kabylake CPU respectively. Updating to the latest version may fix black screen issues.
IntelGraphicsFixup.kext – Fixes display and graphical issues when using integrated graphics. I also recommend setting DVMT Pre-Allocated to 128M or higher in BIOS if using the Intel iGPU to enable high resolution displays.
WhateverGreen.kext – Enables AMD graphic cards in macOS 10.12.6 or later. Will require Lilu.kext. Read about it here : How to hackintosh AMD graphics cards in Sierra 10.12.6+
Shiki.kext – Protects against graphical issues with video playback
Kexts Macos Catalina
Audio
AppleALC.kext – Enables audio on a hackintosh. Read about how to enable audio here: Hackintosh Audio Guide. Some gigabyte users have problems with AppleALC.kext not enabling audio. I recommend them using v1.1.0, instead of the latest version.
HDMIAudio.kext – May help enable HDMI audio on some graphic cards. Read about it here : Hackintosh HDMI Audio + DisplayPort GFX Card Sound Guide
CodecCommander.kext – Fixes a problem with dim sounding or lower volume audio after sleeping/botting the hackintosh by updating EAPD (External Amplifier) state on HDA.
Spoofs
Kexts For Mac Os
FAKEPCIID.kext – Enables support for Intel processors on earlier versions of macOS that don’t support that processor by pretending to be a supported processor. Kaby Lake CPU’s are nativily supported as of macOS 10.12.6
FakePCIID_Intel_HD_Graphics.kext – Enables integrated graphics on iGPU’s that are not supported in macOS by mimicking another supported iGPU. Kaby Lake CPU’s with HD 630 are supported nativily in 10.12.6. If you have upgraded to 10.12.6 you can remove this kext.
NullCPUPowerManagement.kext – Used to enabled hackintosh support for Pentium Processors like the G4560