How to uninstall Kate on Windows
This guide covers the official Kate 26.08.1 x64 Windows installer. Save your files and quit Kate before uninstalling.
Back up settings and data first
After quitting the app, copy any data folder you want to keep to another location and check the copy. These locations were observed in this test; keep your own projects and files separate.
| Location | Contents | What to do |
|---|---|---|
%LOCALAPPDATA%\kate |
Editor settings and sessions | Keep for reuse; remove only to reset |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\katerc |
Editor configuration | Keep for reuse; remove only to reset |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\katevirc |
Vi input configuration | Keep for reuse; remove only to reset |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\kate-externaltoolspluginrc |
External-tool configuration | Keep for reuse; remove only to reset |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\State\katestaterc |
Window and session state | Keep for reuse; remove only to reset |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\State\UserFeedback.org.kde.kate |
Feedback component state | Keep for reuse; remove only to reset |
Uninstall the app
Uninstall Kate from the Windows Settings app list. The measured program folder was %ProgramFiles%\Kate.
Check the result
Test-Path "$env:ProgramFiles\Kate"
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\kate"
'kate-externaltoolspluginrc','katerc','katevirc','State\katestaterc','State\UserFeedback.org.kde.kate' | ForEach-Object { [pscustomobject]@{Path=$_;Exists=Test-Path (Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA $_)} }
Test-Path "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Kate"
Test-Path returns False when that exact path is absent and True when it still exists. A data path returning True is expected if you kept your settings or data. If a query reports an error, resolve it before deciding whether the path is absent.
What Mole lists
The program folder, Start menu shortcuts and usage records are selected by default. %LOCALAPPDATA%\kate and five settings or state files appear as rows listed but not selected by default. Leave them unchecked to keep your settings.
The files are kate-externaltoolspluginrc, katerc, katevirc, State\katestaterc and State\UserFeedback.org.kde.kate. Shared State folders, KDE registrations, Sonnet spelling settings and the shared UserFeedback namespace are kept.
What this test covered
Tested on October 6, 2026, in a Windows 11 ARM64 VM with a Mole development build. The measured bulk uninstall selected all six data rows. Independent checks found all eight unique paths absent, the native app list had no Kate entry, and a successful process query found no owned process. Real projects, external uninstall and a released Mole package remain untested.