The Tool Desk
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Before you uninstall
- Close the game and its launcher completely.
- Confirm that you have selected the correct title, edition, or publisher entry.
- Back up local saves, mods, screenshots, and configuration files if they matter to you.
- Check whether the game and launcher use cloud saves.
- If your goal is to reclaim storage, note the game’s installation drive and size first.
Uninstalling removes the local game installation and registered components. It normally does not remove the purchase or entitlement from your platform account. Deleting a desktop shortcut only removes the shortcut; it does not uninstall the game or recover its disk space.
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Uninstall a game through Windows 10 Settings
- Open Start.
- Select Settings (the gear icon).
- Choose Apps.
- Open Apps & features.
- Search for the game, or scroll through the list.
- Select the game and click Uninstall.
- Confirm the removal and complete the game’s own uninstaller if it opens.
- Restart Windows if the uninstaller requests it.
Windows 10 commonly uses the Apps & features label. Microsoft’s newer cross-version documentation may display the equivalent page as Installed apps. Menu names can also vary by Windows build, language, and permissions. See Microsoft’s official uninstall instructions.
Remove a game from the Start menu
- Open Start.
- Find the game in the app list.
- Right-click it.
- Select Uninstall.
- Follow the confirmation prompts.
This command may open Settings or the game’s own uninstaller. If Uninstall is not available, use the Settings or Control Panel method instead.
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Use Control Panel when Settings does not work
Traditional desktop games may be registered in Control Panel rather than appearing normally in Settings.
- Type Control Panel into the taskbar search box and open it.
- Select Programs.
- Choose Programs and Features.
- Find the game, right-click it, and select Uninstall or Uninstall/Change.
- Follow the program’s instructions.
Control Panel is particularly useful when the Settings uninstall button is missing or fails. Some Microsoft Store and packaged apps may not appear in Programs and Features, so use Settings or the relevant Microsoft/Xbox app for those titles.
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Uninstall games from a launcher
If a launcher installed the game, its own library is usually the clearest first place to remove it. Open the launcher, find the game in the installed-games list, and look for a context menu, gear icon, or Manage option followed by Uninstall. Launcher controls change with app versions, so labels are not universal.
Epic Games Launcher
- Open Epic Games Launcher.
- Select Library.
- Find the game.
- Click the three dots beside its title.
- Select Uninstall.
- Confirm the removal.
Epic’s official procedure recommends using Windows’ normal app or program removal process if the launcher does not show an uninstall option. Steam, Xbox, EA, Battle.net, and other launchers may use different menus, but the same general approach applies.
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What if the game is not listed?
Try these checks in order:
- Search for the publisher’s name, an alternate title, or a different edition name in Apps & features.
- Check the launcher that installed the game and look in its library.
- Check Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features.
- Open the confirmed installation folder and look for an official
uninstall.exeor similarly named uninstaller. - Restart Windows and search again.
A missing entry can mean the game was installed as a portable program, the installation is incomplete or corrupted, the wrong Windows account is being used, or the game was manually deleted while its uninstall record remained. An anti-cheat service, launcher, or publisher component may also own part of the installation.
What to do when uninstall fails
- Close related software. Exit the game, launcher, installer, updater, and any visibly running anti-cheat process. Check the notification area as well as open windows.
- Restart the PC. Then try the same uninstall again.
- Use another removal route. Try Settings, Start-menu uninstall, Control Panel, the launcher, or the game folder’s official uninstaller.
- Try Repair before Reset. If Windows shows Advanced options, some apps offer Repair or Reset. Repair is the safer first choice; Reset can remove app data, and not every desktop program supports these options.
- Use Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter. It can help with corrupted uninstall data, damaged registry information, and programs blocked from removal. In advanced cases, it may request the program’s product code.
Use Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter guidance rather than immediately using registry cleaners or random third-party uninstallers.
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Will uninstalling delete saved games?
There is no universal answer. Uninstalling usually removes the installed game, not your account license, but save files may remain, synchronize to the cloud, or be deleted depending on the game and their location.
Before uninstalling, check the game’s support documentation and the launcher’s cloud-sync status. Common local save locations include:
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DocumentsorSaved Games%AppData%%LocalAppData%- The game’s installation folder
Epic specifically notes that cloud-save support and save-file location determine whether progress is retained after uninstalling. Back up the relevant folders before removal if the progress matters.
Remove leftover files safely
A normal uninstall may leave saves, shader caches, mods, screenshots, recordings, launcher downloads, temporary update files, or shared redistributables. Anti-cheat or publisher components may also be shared with other games. Therefore, the recovered space may be less than the game’s listed installation size.
Do not delete the game folder first. Manual deletion can leave a broken uninstall entry, remove local saves, and make repair or reinstallation harder. If the official uninstaller is genuinely unavailable:
- Back up saves and configuration files.
- Confirm the exact installation directory.
- Try removing the game through its launcher or Windows first.
- Delete only the clearly identified leftover game folder.
- Do not delete random folders under
Windows,Program Files, or other system directories.
Avoid registry editing unless you are following a trusted, game-specific support procedure. No command-line command is required for the normal Windows 10 process; generic PowerShell removal commands are not a universal solution for traditional desktop games.
Quick Recap
Quick decision guide
| Situation | Best first method | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional desktop game | Settings or Control Panel | It may be listed under the publisher’s name. |
| Epic-installed game | Epic Games Launcher | Check cloud saves and local progress first. |
| Game managed by another launcher | That launcher’s library | Labels and menus vary by version. |
| Game missing from Settings | Control Panel or its official uninstaller | Do not immediately delete random folders. |
| Uninstall blocked | Restart, try another route, then use Microsoft’s troubleshooter | Advanced cases may require product-code information. |
| Only removing a shortcut | Delete the shortcut | This does not free disk space. |
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