What this page covers: uninstall and leftovers, not migrate or update channels
Searches for “OpeClaw uninstall” or “clean uninstall leftovers” usually mean you are done with the app, want a clean slate before reinstall, or found settings/startup entries still present after removing the binary.
This article covers: standard uninstall order, common config leftover locations (AppData / Application Support as examples), pre-reinstall checks, and splits to backup/migrate, update-fail, and won’t-open. Keeping workflows across machines → config backup & migrate. Check-for-update failures or post-update breakage → update-fail. Double-click does nothing → won’t-open.
Menu labels and folder names follow your current build. Paths below are common examples only—they do not replace the real directory on your disk.
Before uninstall: decide throw away vs take with you
If you still need the same Providers, Skills source notes, or workspace path list, finish a full backup (or Settings export if your current build offers it) on the config-backup guide before uninstalling. Prefer a password manager for keys—never paste them into chat groups.
If the goal is a local wipe with no restore, still note the About-page version and platform so you can match the download page later. Deleting the config folder is hard to undo; project files live in real workspace paths and usually are not inside the config folder—do not delete project trees thinking they are “leftovers.”
Installer source and which build to install start on the download page. Uninstall cleans client/config consistency; it is not an excuse to switch to an unknown package source.
- Keep workflows → backup first, then uninstall.
- Full wipe → backup optional, but confirm you are not selecting a project folder.
- Stuck on the update channel → read update-fail before a blind full wipe.
Standard uninstall: quit first, then use the OS entry
Fixed order: quit the client fully (including tray/helper processes if your build has them) → use Windows Apps & features / Uninstall or move the macOS app to Trash → confirm the main program directory is gone. Do not force-delete the install folder while processes still lock files.
On managed PCs, follow IT uninstall policy; do not disable security tools to force a delete. If the wizard offers “also delete user data,” follow that wording; when unchecked, the config folder usually remains.
Shortcuts left on the desktop after the binary is gone can be removed separately—they do not mean config was cleared.
Leftover config: common AppData / Application Support locations
A clean uninstall also checks the user data directory. Common examples: Windows `%AppData%/OpeClaw` (paste into Explorer’s address bar), macOS `~/Library/Application Support/OpeClaw`. If your machine differs or adds a vendor folder, trust the current build’s docs or an “Open config folder” style entry—do not copy paths hard-coded in third-party scripts.
Quit the client before deleting or renaming that folder. Renaming (e.g. adding `.bak`) is safer than immediate delete: you can compare after reinstall. Cache or log subfolders, if present, follow the real layout of your build—do not assume a folder is always named `cache`.
LocalAppData, temp dirs, or updater leftovers beside the install path may hold half-finished update files. If you just hit an update failure, read the update-fail guide before mixing those steps with a deliberate clean uninstall.
Before reinstall: clean does not mean “any package”
Confirm: binary removed, config folder handled per your goal (delete / rename / keep a backup), no leftover process locking old paths. Then take the current same-platform build from the download page, check About after install, and run a short proof.
Empty settings after reinstall means leftovers were cleared—that is expected. To restore old workflows, use the backup you made earlier via the migrate guide; do not pull “old config packs” from unknown drives.
No launch, crash, or antivirus quarantine after reinstall → won’t-open. UI OK but 401/429 → API key guide. Proxy reachability → proxy guide.
How this splits from backup, update-fail, and won’t-open
Deliberate clean uninstall, pre-reinstall leftover cleanup, verifying example AppData / Application Support paths → stay on this page.
Machine move, restore after reinstall, export/copy config → config backup & migrate; finish that before wipe if you still need settings.
Check-for-update failures, post-update breakage, half packages → update-fail / clean reinstall. Never launched, antivirus/runtime/Gatekeeper → won’t-open. Idle but pegged CPU/memory or leftover processes → high CPU/memory guide. Installer entry → Download. Scenario boundaries → FAQ.
Uninstall / leftover table (no new claims)
This table only restates the order above. It does not change “paths follow the current build,” “backup before uninstall when migrating,” or the split that keeps update-channel problems on the update-fail URL.
| Symptom | Safer action | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Want a clean remove | OS uninstall + verify config leftovers | Assuming uninstall deletes all settings |
| Still need workflows later | Backup/migrate first, then uninstall | Wiping AppData first, then regretting it |
| Update failed, then “delete everything” | Update-fail guide; backup, then clear leftovers | Deleting keys and half packages with no backup |
| Won’t launch after reinstall | Won’t-open guide | Reinstall loops without antivirus/runtime checks |
| Unsure which build to install | Match Download page release status | Chat-group “uninstall cleaner” packs |
Menu names and real config paths follow the current client; example paths here may not match your folder names exactly.
Clean uninstall & leftovers FAQ
If I use the system uninstaller, are settings gone too?
Not always. Many desktop clients remove the app binary but leave the config folder under AppData / Application Support. For a clean uninstall, quit fully, then verify leftovers against your current build’s real path—folder names follow what is on your machine.
How is clean uninstall different from clearing leftovers after a failed update?
Update leftover cleanup aims to repair a client you still want to run. This page is for deliberately removing the app, or cleaning before a fresh install. Channel stalls, half packages, and version mismatches belong on the update-fail guide—do not treat “wipe all config” as the only fix.
I want to keep workflows on a new PC—should I clean-uninstall first?
No. If you need Providers, prompt paths, and Skills notes after a move or reinstall, finish backup/export on the config-backup guide first, then uninstall. Backing up after a wipe is often too late.
Where do I get the installer after a clean uninstall?
Use this site’s download page to match platform release status and packages—avoid chat-group short links. If the app will not launch after reinstall, use the won’t-open guide. Scenario boundaries → FAQ.
Use this with an OpeClaw workflow
Check the current OpeClaw download status first, then save this guide as part of your setup, review, or troubleshooting workflow.