How to uninstall Anki on Windows

This guide covers the official Anki 26.09.3 ARM64 machine MSI installer, registered as version 26.9.3.

Back up cards first

Back up %APPDATA%\Anki2 before uninstalling. It holds local profiles, cards and media. Mole lists this exact folder as personal data, unchecked by default and excluded from bulk data selection.

Uninstall the app

Quit Anki, then uninstall it from Windows Settings. The measured program directory was %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Anki.

Check the result

Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Anki"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\Anki2"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\Anki2\User 1\collection.anki2"

In this test the program was absent and the two personal-data paths remained. Their survival was deliberate. A query error does not prove absence.

What Mole lists

The shortcuts and regenerable caches are selected by default. Local app preferences and the user settings key are ordinary unchecked Review rows. Anki2 remains unchecked after Select all for ordinary review data. Select its individual row only when you intend to remove your cards and have a checked backup.

What this test covered

Tested on October 7, 2026, in a Windows 11 ARM64 VM with a source-built Mole. An actual test card was created through Anki, observed after relaunch and found in the closed collection database. One vendor removal completed with seven selected outcomes: two Removed and five Missing. The exact registration, program and successful process inventories confirmed removal; the unselected card database retained the same hash and both test-card texts. Icon, size, Status, Startup and review defaults were observed. A complete provider check offered no Anki update, which proves neither latest version nor a successful upgrade. Sync, external uninstall, restore after reinstall and the released Mole package were not tested.