Fix VST3, AU & VST plug-ins that macOS marks “damaged.” Re-signed and working in one click.
A real run, looped: drop, Fix & Sign, fixed.
After an OS update, a migration, or copying your library to another Mac, plug-ins stop loading or show “damaged and can't be opened.” That's Gatekeeper rejecting a broken code signature, not a broken plug-in. Plugin Medic repairs the signature so your DAW loads it again.
The plug-in vanishes from your DAW, or macOS refuses to load it. Reinstalling often doesn't help.
“Pure SUB.vst3” is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash.
One click strips the quarantine flag, re-signs the code, and repairs permissions in place. No reinstall.
Signature is valid. The plug-in loads normally in your DAW.
Drop a plug-in, several at once, or a whole folder onto the window. Plugin Medic finds every VST3, AU, VST and AAX inside.
Click once. It strips quarantine, re-signs (ad-hoc), and repairs permissions, asking for your password only when a system folder needs it.
The console turns green when it's fixed. Relaunch your DAW or rescan, and the plug-in loads like new.
Quarantine, code signature, and permissions, all handled in a single action.
Drop your entire VST3 or Components folder and repair every plug-in in one pass, with a per-item result.
Watch the exact codesign and xattr commands run. Nothing hidden.
Confirm a signature is valid, or inspect its details, straight from the app.
Fixes “operation not permitted” ownership problems, escalating safely only when needed.
Runs entirely on your Mac using Apple's own tools. Nothing is uploaded, ever.
Yes. Plugin Medic is free to fix plug-ins and apps one at a time, forever. A one-time $5 Pro unlock adds batch mode (drop a whole folder and repair every plug-in at once) plus the standalone permission tools (reset privacy & repair ownership).
The plug-in itself is almost always fine. macOS is rejecting its code signature, broken by an OS update, a quarantine flag added when files were downloaded or copied, or a move between Macs. Plugin Medic re-signs it so Gatekeeper accepts it again.
Yes. It's a Universal app that runs natively on both, on macOS 11 Big Sur and later, up through the newest macOS.
It runs entirely on your Mac and never uploads anything. Under the hood it uses Apple's own codesign, xattr and spctl tools, and it only asks for your password when a plug-in lives in a protected system folder, handled by the standard macOS prompt.
No. Plugin Medic is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens straight away like any trusted Mac app. Just double-click. If your browser adds a quarantine flag on download, macOS may show a one-time “downloaded from the internet” confirmation, click Open and you're in.
VST3 (.vst3), Audio Unit (.component), VST (.vst), AAX (.aaxplugin), plus .app bundles and other signed binaries.
No. Plugin Medic repairs them in place. After it finishes, quit and reopen your DAW (or trigger a plug-in rescan) and they load normally.
Repair plug-ins one at a time for free, forever. Unlock batch mode once to fix a whole library in a single click.
Common macOS plug-in problems, explained with step-by-step fixes.