How to uninstall Google Drive on Windows
Before removing Google Drive, open your recent files on Drive for web and confirm that uploads have finished. Copy wanted local files to a folder outside every sync location, then open the copies. Do this before disconnecting: streamed offline files are removed when you disconnect, and the cache can hold changes not yet uploaded. Google explains the cache and disconnect behavior. This guide covers the machine-wide winget installation.
Disconnect, quit and uninstall
From the Drive tray menu, open Settings › Preferences › Advanced settings, choose the account and Disconnect account, then quit Drive from its tray menu. Follow Google's removal steps; work or school policies can restrict these controls.
Go to Settings › Apps › Installed apps › Google Drive › Uninstall, or run:
winget uninstall --id Google.GoogleDrive --exact
Winget opens the registered vendor uninstaller. Finish its confirmation window and any requested restart before checking the result. The tested removal requested a restart.
Review local data
These paths were observed in the test, not inferred from the Mac installation.
| Location | What to do |
|---|---|
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\DriveFS |
Keep until uploads and independent copies are confirmed; do not treat the whole folder as disposable cache |
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Google\DriveFS |
Drive settings; leave for a reinstall or review this exact key separately |
%ProgramFiles%\Google\Drive File Stream |
Let the vendor uninstaller remove the program |
| Your mirrored and synced folders | Keep wanted files; they are separate from the program directory |
Keep the Google parent folders and shared updater used by other Google apps. Removing Drive does not delete the Google account, cloud files or a storage subscription. If uploads failed, Google's troubleshooting guide explains saving unsynced files before disconnecting.
Check the result
Get-Process GoogleDriveFS -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
winget list --id Google.GoogleDrive --exact
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Google\DriveFS"
Test-Path "$env:ProgramFiles\Google\Drive File Stream"
Test-Path 'HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Google\DriveFS'
No process output means that executable name is not running; no winget match means the installation record is gone. True means that exact folder or key remains and False means it does not. Retained data needs review, not automatic deletion. An error leaves the check unresolved.
What Mole lists
The behavior below describes the October 3, 2026 test build. The corresponding fixes are still being tested; this does not establish that the current download includes them. The manual uninstall steps above still apply.
The program folder, matching shortcuts, startup value, usage records and app-owned link registrations are selected by default. The DriveFS data folder and its exact user settings key are listed but not selected. Registry removals are backed up first; shared Google folders, updater state and your synced documents are separate.
What this test covered
Tested on October 3, 2026 with Google Drive 131.0.2.0, machine-wide winget installation on an ARM64 VM, without account sign-in. The vendor confirmation completed and the explicitly selected local data was removed, but the DriveFS Share settings key remained. A later attempt to retest that key stopped at installer error 1610, so its removal was not verified. Real uploads, offline recovery, sync disconnection and a separate vendor-only uninstall were not tested.