What does macOS kernel return 0xDC00801C (kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailure) mean?

 
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kOSKextReturnSystemPolicy kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailureSystemKC

kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailure

A Kernel Collection loading failure

kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailure is the base OSKext result for failure to load the System Kernel Collection. XNU separately defines System KC and Auxiliary KC subcodes, so the base result should not be treated as enough detail when a more specific code or prior diagnostic is available.

On macOS 11 and later, third-party kexts are incorporated into an Auxiliary Kernel Collection (AuxKC) that is loaded during boot. Therefore a collection failure should be investigated as a boot and collection-selection issue, not as proof that the user-space installer itself failed.

Related result values

StatusScope
kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailureBase Kernel Collection load-failure family.
kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailureSystemKCSystem KC subcode.
kOSKextReturnKCLoadFailureAuxKCAuxKC subcode.

What to preserve

  • The exact code, including whether a subcode or a combined low-bit result was reported.
  • Boot logs and the preceding collection validation or construction diagnostics.
  • Whether the target kext was expected to be part of the AuxKC and what approval, policy, and restart state applied.

References


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