Unload and Disable unwanted Agents and Daemons on OSX

I will try to put here all bits and pieces that will help disable unwanted items on MacBook, with some explanations. Some of these can be safely disabled, others not so. Proceed carefully and use at your own risk.

WARNING While I do hope this info is extremely helpful to solve unsolvable, use it with great care.
As with any web page, use it as a guide but not as a substitute for your own brain.
As always, make sure you know what you’re doing.

All commands below will need root privileges, so either add sudo before each of those, or su root once in your terminal.

1. Unload System Agents

Instead of deleting, it is safer to move these files to some location so that you can restore them later.

su root
cd /
mkdir RemovedFiles
cd RemovedFiles
mkdir System-Library-LaunchAgents
FLA=/RemovedFiles/System-Library-LaunchAgents/
cd /System/Library/LaunchAgents/



# Disable AddressBook and Calendar
mv com.apple.AddressBook*                      $FLA
mv com.apple.CalendarAgent.plist               $FLA


# iCloud-related
mv com.apple.iCloudUserNotifications.plist     $FLA
mv com.apple.icbaccountsd.plist                $FLA
mv com.apple.icloud.fmfd.plist                 $FLA
mv com.apple.cloud*                            $FLA


# Disable imclient (Facetime) and smth else
mv com.apple.imagent.plist                     $FLA
mv com.apple.IMLoggingAgent.plist              $FLA


# Disable Notification Centre
mv com.apple.notificationcenterui.plist        $FLA
killall NotificationCenter


# spindump (see also code below)
mv com.apple.spindump_agent.plist              $FLA


# Safari is not the only browser in the world
mv com.apple.safaridavclient.plist             $FLA
mv com.apple.SafariNotificationAgent.plist     $FLA
# in future versions of OS X
mv com.apple.SafariCloudHistoryPushAgent.plist $FLA


# Explain these
mv com.apple.AirPlayUIAgent.plist              $FLA
mv com.apple.AirPortBaseStationAgent.plist     $FLA
mv com.apple.bird.plist                        $FLA
mv com.apple.findmymacmessenger.plist          $FLA
mv com.apple.gamed.plist                       $FLA
mv com.apple.parentalcontrols.check.plist      $FLA
mv com.apple.soagent.plist                     $FLA
mv com.apple.SocialPushAgent.plist             $FLA
mv com.apple.DictationIM.plist                 $FLA
mv com.apple.Maps.pushdaemon.plist             $FLA
mv com.apple.locationmenu.plist                $FLA
mv com.apple.java.updateSharing.plist          $FLA
mv com.apple.appstoreupdateagent.plist         $FLA
mv com.apple.softwareupdate_notify_agent.plist $FLA
mv com.apple.ScreenReaderUIServer.plist        $FLA
mv com.apple.speech.*                          $FLA

2. Unload System Daemons

su root
cd /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/



# I don't have Apple TV so disable AirPlay
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.AirPlayXPCHelper.plist


# Disable Apple push notification
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.apsd.plist


# Disable location services (should have done it from System Preferences first)
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.locationd.plist


# No point trying to find your mac
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.findmymac.plist
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.findmymacmessenger.plist


# iCloud. Enough said
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.icloud.findmydeviced.plist
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.cloudfamilyrestrictionsd-mac.plist 
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.mbicloudsetupd.plist


# Disable apple software updates - know why you'd do that
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.softwareupdate*


# don't even have DVD these days
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.dvdplayback.setregion.plist 


# no, thank you
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.SubmitDiagInfo.plist 
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.CrashReporterSupportHelper.plist 
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.ReportCrash.Root.plist 
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.GameController.gamecontrollerd.plist


# Not using FTP these days
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.ftp-proxy.plist


# Disable spindump (spindump is a tool used by various system components
# to create hang reports and notify the user of application hangs)
# if it's crashed - it's crashed, get on with your life and don't slow my system down
# I wonder what OzzyMan would have to say about it
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.spindump.plist
launchctl unload -wF com.apple.metadata.mds.spindump.plist



# Disable IPv6 - if not using it yet
# Run this for each network interface (assuming they are called Wi-Fi and Ethernet)
networksetup -setv6off Wi-Fi
networksetup -setv6off Ethernet


# WARNING - this command disables swap file
# Only use it if you know why you're doing it
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.dynamic_pager.plist


# Disable cups (common unix printing service)
# Don't disable if you have a printer(s) (and wanna use it)
#launchctl unload -wF org.cups.cupsd.plist
#launchctl unload -wF org.cups.cups-lpd.plist


# mDNSresponder/discoveryd - Required for DNS (converting domain name into IP address)
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.mDNSResponderHelper.plist
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.discoveryd.plist
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.discoveryd_helper.plist
# Disable NetBIOS - need to check if macbook actually needs this
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.netbiosd.plist


# Required for Wi-Fi icon
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.airport.wps.plist
#launchctl unload -wF com.apple.airportd.plist
If you found this info extremely useful, you can always buy me a beer :)

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