If you’re one of the many Minecraft players who have decided to move on to other games, you may be wondering how to remove Minecraft from your computer. Uninstalling Minecraft is a simple process, but there are a few things you should do before you begin.
First, make sure that you have backed up any Minecraft worlds or other important files. Once Minecraft is uninstalled, these files will be deleted. You can back up your Minecraft worlds and other files by copying them to a safe location on your computer.
Next, close Minecraft and any other programs that may be using Minecraft files. This will help to ensure that the uninstallation process completes successfully.
Once you have backed up your Minecraft files and closed all related programs, you can begin the uninstallation process. To do this, open the Control Panel and click on “Programs and Features.” Find Minecraft in the list of installed programs and click on “Uninstall.” Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process.
Uninstalling from Windows
Step 1: Uninstall Minecraft through the Control Panel
Open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Start menu. Click on “Programs and Features” and find “Minecraft”. Select Minecraft and click on the “Uninstall” button. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation process.
If you’re having trouble finding Minecraft in the Control Panel, you can try using a third-party uninstaller like Revo Uninstaller or IObit Uninstaller. These programs can scan your computer for leftover files and registry entries that the Control Panel might miss.
Step 2: Delete Minecraft folders and files
Once you’ve uninstalled Minecraft through the Control Panel, you’ll need to manually delete any remaining folders and files. Here are the default locations of Minecraft folders and files:
| Folder/File | Location |
|---|---|
| Minecraft Launcher | C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft |
| Minecraft game files | C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState |
| Minecraft worlds | C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\saves |
If you’ve installed Minecraft in a custom location, you’ll need to delete the folder you installed it to.
Step 3: Clean up the registry
Once you’ve deleted all of the Minecraft folders and files, you’ll need to clean up the registry. The registry is a database that stores settings for all of the programs and hardware on your computer. Minecraft can leave behind registry entries even after you’ve uninstalled it. These entries can cause problems with other programs and even make your computer unstable.
You can clean up the registry by using a registry cleaner. There are many different registry cleaners available, both free and paid. Some popular registry cleaners include CCleaner, Registry Mechanic, and Wise Registry Cleaner.
Deleting from macOS
It is simple to delete Minecraft from a macOS computer. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Locate the Minecraft icon in the Applications folder.
- Drag the icon to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash to completely remove Minecraft from your computer.
Deleting Saved Games and Other Data
In addition to deleting the Minecraft application, you may also want to delete saved games and other data. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the Finder.
- Click on the “Go” menu and select “Go to Folder”.
- Enter the following path into the text field: ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft
- Click on the “Go” button.
- Select all of the files and folders in the minecraft folder.
- Drag the selected items to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash to completely remove the saved games and other data.
Removing from Linux
From the terminal, you can quickly uninstall Minecraft using a package manager. For Ubuntu, Debian, or Linux Mint, this might look something like this:
sudo apt-get remove minecraft-launcher
sudo apt-get purge minecraft-launcher
For Arch Linux (and its derivatives) you can do the following:
sudo pacman -R minecraft-launcher
If you installed Minecraft using the Debian package from the official website, you can use the following to remove it:
sudo dpkg -r minecraft-launcher
You may need to manually delete any remaining configuration files. Minecraft stores its configuration files in the following locations:
| Location | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ~/.minecraft/ | Game data |
| ~/.config/minecraft/ | Launcher settings |
Purging from Android
To remove Minecraft from an Android device, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your device.
- Tap on the “Apps” or “Applications” section.
- Find Minecraft in the list of installed apps.
- Tap on the “Uninstall” button and confirm your choice.
Note: If you have multiple versions of Minecraft installed, you will need to repeat these steps for each version.
Deleting App Data and Cache
In addition to uninstalling the Minecraft app, you may also want to delete the app’s data and cache. This will remove any remaining files or settings associated with the app. To do this:
- Open the Settings app on your device.
- Tap on the “Apps” or “Applications” section.
- Find Minecraft in the list of installed apps.
- Tap on the “Storage” section.
- Tap on the “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache” buttons.
Note: Deleting the app’s data and cache will not remove the app itself. You will need to uninstall the app separately.
Deleting World Files
If you want to permanently remove Minecraft worlds, you will need to delete the world files. These files are stored in the following location:
“`
/storage/emulated/0/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds
“`
To delete the world files, simply navigate to this location using a file manager app and delete the folders for the worlds you want to remove.
Note: Deleting world files cannot be undone. Make sure you have backed up any worlds you want to keep before deleting them.
Uninstalling from iOS
To uninstall Minecraft from your iOS device, follow these steps:
- Tap and hold the Minecraft app icon until it starts to jiggle.
- Tap the “X” that appears in the corner of the icon.
- Confirm that you want to delete the app by tapping “Delete”.
- Enter your passcode or use Touch ID if prompted.
- Minecraft will now be uninstalled from your device.
If you want to reinstall Minecraft at a later time, you can download it again from the App Store.
Additional details
Here are some additional details that may be helpful:
- If you have purchased Minecraft for iOS, you can redownload it for free even if you delete it from your device.
- You can also uninstall Minecraft from your iOS device using the Settings app.
- To do this, open the Settings app and tap “General” > “iPhone Storage” > “Minecraft”. Then, tap “Delete App”.
| Device | Instructions |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Tap and hold the Minecraft app icon until it starts to jiggle. Then, tap the “X” that appears in the corner of the icon and confirm that you want to delete the app. |
| iPad | Tap and hold the Minecraft app icon until it starts to jiggle. Then, tap the “X” that appears in the corner of the icon and confirm that you want to delete the app. |
Cleaning Up Registry Entries
Once Minecraft is uninstalled, there may still be leftover registry entries associated with it. These entries can take up unnecessary disk space and can potentially conflict with future software installations. To remove these orphaned registry entries, follow these steps:
Manual Registry Editing
Caution: Before editing the registry, it is highly recommended to create a backup. Incorrect registry modifications can lead to system instability or even data loss.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit” and click OK to launch the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to the following registry key:
| Registry Location | Associated Minecraft Data |
| Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.minecraft | File associations for .minecraft files |
| Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\javaw.exe | Java settings that Minecraft uses |
| Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\javaw.exe | Java settings that Minecraft uses (64-bit systems) |
- Right-click on each of the above registry keys and select “Delete”.
- Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Removing Temporary Files
Temporary files are created by Minecraft to store data that is no longer needed after the game is closed. These files can take up a significant amount of space on your hard drive, so it’s a good idea to remove them on a regular basis.
There are two ways to remove temporary files:
- Manually: You can manually delete temporary files by going to the following folder:
%appdata%\.minecraft\tmp
- Use a third-party tool: There are a number of third-party tools that can help you remove temporary files. One popular option is CCleaner.
Manually Deleting Temporary Files by Game Version
The location of temporary files can vary depending on the version of Minecraft you are using. The following table provides the locations of temporary files for the most common versions of Minecraft:
| Minecraft Version | Temporary Files Location |
|---|---|
| 1.19 and later | %appdata%\.minecraft\tmp |
| 1.18.2 and earlier | %appdata%\.minecraft\versions\version-number\tmp |
To manually delete temporary files, simply navigate to the appropriate folder and delete the files inside.
Deleting Saves and Data
To delete Minecraft saves and data, you can follow these steps:
1. Exit the Game
Make sure to close Minecraft completely before proceeding to avoid any data corruption.
2. Find the Saves Folder
Locate the Minecraft saves folder on your computer using the following paths:
| Operating System | Save Folder Location |
|---|---|
| Windows | %appdata%\.minecraft\saves |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves |
| Linux | ~/.minecraft/saves |
3. Select and Delete Saves
Navigate to the saves folder and identify the world(s) you want to delete. Right-click on each world folder and select “Delete” to remove them.
4. Delete Server Data
If you have played Minecraft multiplayer, server data will be stored under the following path:
| Operating System | Server Data Folder Location |
|---|---|
| Windows | %appdata%\.minecraft\server-data |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/server-data |
| Linux | ~/.minecraft/server-data |
Delete the entire server-data folder to remove multiplayer data.
5. Delete Resource Packs
Navigate to the resource packs folder located at %appdata%\.minecraft\resourcepacks (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/resourcepacks (macOS/Linux) and delete any unwanted packs.
6. Delete Texture Packs
Locate the texture packs folder at %appdata%\.minecraft\texturepacks (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/texturepacks (macOS/Linux) and delete any packs you wish to remove.
7. Delete Shader Packs
Find the shader packs folder at %appdata%\.minecraft\shaderpacks (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/shaderpacks (macOS/Linux) and delete any unwanted shader packs.
8. Additional Tips for Advanced Users
If you encounter issues or want to perform more advanced data cleanup, consider the following additional tips:
Step 9: Removing Mods and Add-Ons
Mods and add-ons can greatly enhance the Minecraft experience, but if you ever need to remove them, follow these steps:
1. Quit Minecraft
Ensure that Minecraft is completely closed before proceeding.
2. Navigate to the Minecraft Folder
Locate the .minecraft folder on your computer. The default locations are:
| Operating System | Folder Location |
|---|---|
| Windows | %appdata%\.minecraft |
| MacOS | ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft |
| Linux | ~/.minecraft |
3. Delete the Mods Folder
Inside the .minecraft folder, find the ‘mods’ folder and delete it.
4. Delete the Resource Packs Folder
Next, delete the ‘resourcepacks’ folder from the .minecraft folder.
5. Delete the Shaders Folder
If you installed any shaders, delete the ‘shaders’ folder from .minecraft.
6. Delete the Config Folder
Locate the ‘config’ folder within .minecraft and delete it.
7. Delete Jar Mods
Any mods installed as JAR files will be in the .minecraft folder. Delete these files as well.
8. Clear the Cache Folder
The cache folder is located at .minecraft/cache. Delete its contents.
9. Restart Minecraft
Once all the files are deleted, start Minecraft again. The mods and add-ons will be removed, and you can begin playing with a fresh installation.
Resolving Remaining Issues
1. Check for hidden files or folders
Some Minecraft files may be hidden, making it difficult to remove them. To show hidden files, follow these steps:
- For Windows: Open File Explorer > View > Options > View tab > Show hidden files, folders, and drives
- For Mac: Go to Finder > View > Show Hidden Files
2. Use a third-party uninstaller
If manual removal doesn’t work, consider using a third-party uninstaller tool. These tools can scan your system for Minecraft files and remove them thoroughly.
3. Clear the registry (Windows only)
Minecraft can create registry entries. To clear them:
- Press Windows Key + R
- Type “regedit” and press Enter
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
- Delete the “Mojang” and “Minecraft” folders
4. Reinstall Minecraft
If all else fails, reinstalling Minecraft can resolve lingering issues. Uninstall the game completely, restart your computer, and then reinstall it.
5. Check for malware
In rare cases, lingering Minecraft files can be associated with malware. Run a malware scan to ensure your system is clean.
6. Delete Minecraft saves
Minecraft saves are stored in different locations depending on your platform. Find and delete these saves to remove any lingering data.
7. Check antivirus settings
Some antivirus programs may quarantine Minecraft files. Check your antivirus settings and ensure Minecraft is not blocked or quarantined.
8. Delete Minecraft user data
Minecraft stores user data in a specific folder. Delete this folder to remove any personalized settings or files.
9. Revert system changes (Windows only)
If you recently made system changes before Minecraft started causing issues, consider reverting to a previous restore point.
10. Contact support
If you still experience issues removing Minecraft, contact Mojang support for assistance. Provide detailed information about the problems you are encountering.
How to Remove Minecraft
Minecraft is a popular game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. However, there may come a time when you want to remove the game from your computer. Here are the steps on how to remove Minecraft:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click on “Programs and Features”.
3. Find Minecraft in the list of programs and click on it.
4. Click on the “Uninstall” button.
5. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation.
People also ask
How do I remove Minecraft from my Mac?
To remove Minecraft from your Mac, follow these steps:
1. Open the Finder.
2. Click on the “Applications” folder.
3. Find Minecraft in the list of applications and drag it to the Trash.
How do I remove Minecraft from my Xbox?
To remove Minecraft from your Xbox, follow these steps:
1. Press the Xbox button on your controller.
2. Go to “My games & apps”.
3. Find Minecraft in the list of games and apps and press the “Start” button.
4. Select “Uninstall”.
