How to uninstall MySQL Workbench on Windows

Removing MySQL Workbench does not touch your databases: they live on the MySQL servers you connect to, not in the app. What stays on this PC is Workbench's own data folder, with its settings, local storage and MySQL Shell state, and the uninstaller leaves it behind. Export any connections or snippets you want to keep before you remove it. This guide covers MySQL Workbench installed from the Oracle.MySQLWorkbench winget package, a Windows Installer package registered for the whole machine.

Quit MySQL Workbench first

Finish running queries and close every Workbench window. Workbench runs several processes, including a mysqlsh.exe for MySQL Shell, so check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for any MySQL Workbench or mysqlsh process still listed before you uninstall. If one is still running, files in its data folder stay locked and cannot be removed afterwards.

Remove the app with its own uninstaller

Go to Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find MySQL Workbench, and choose Uninstall, or run:

winget uninstall --id Oracle.MySQLWorkbench

It is a machine-wide Windows Installer package, so Windows asks for administrator access and shows a small progress window.

Where the data lives

Location	What it holds	What to do
`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MySQL\MySQL Workbench`	Program files, where this test found them	The uninstaller removes it once Workbench has quit; remove what is left yourself
`%APPDATA%\MySQL Workbench`	Preferences, local storage, logs and a `mysqlsh` folder for MySQL Shell	Back it up if you want your setup back after reinstalling; remove it for a clean start
`Cache`, `Code Cache`, `GPUCache`, `DawnGraphiteCache` and `DawnWebGPUCache` inside it	Caches	Safe to remove
`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MySQL`	Parent folder that may hold other MySQL tools	Leave it while anything else is inside

Check the result

Run these read-only commands after the uninstall finishes:

Get-Process "MySQL Workbench", mysqlsh -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
winget list --id Oracle.MySQLWorkbench
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\MySQL\MySQL Workbench"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\MySQL Workbench"

No output from Get-Process only means this query observed no matching process; a suppressed error leaves the running state unknown. A listed process means a window or MySQL Shell is still open; quit it before you clear any folder.
A completed winget list query with no match means the package record is gone; a matching row means the uninstall did not finish.
The first Test-Path returning True means program files are still there, usually because Workbench was running during the uninstall; False means the folder is gone.
The second Test-Path returning True means your settings and local data are still there, which is expected unless you removed them yourself.

If you installed it with winget

winget uninstall runs the same Windows Installer removal Settings › Apps uses and removes the same program files; it does not touch %APPDATA%\MySQL Workbench on its own.

What Mole lists

For MySQL Workbench installed machine-wide from winget:

Mole finds Workbench's program folder from Windows Installer's own records, so it sees Workbench and MySQL Shell running and asks you to quit them before the uninstaller runs.
%APPDATA%\MySQL Workbench is listed but not selected, since it holds your settings. The caches inside it (Cache, Code Cache, GPUCache, DawnGraphiteCache, DawnWebGPUCache) are listed on their own and selected by default.
The desktop and Start Menu shortcuts are selected by default; in this test the uninstaller had already deleted them.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MySQL\MySQL Workbench is not listed. Check it after the uninstall and remove what is left yourself.

What this test covered

Tested on September 28, 2026 with MySQL Workbench 26.7.0 installed through winget, machine scope, and removed with its Windows Installer uninstaller. In this test Workbench was still open while its uninstaller ran: the uninstall itself succeeded, but the data folder, three of its caches and the program folder stayed on disk because running processes held their files. Not verified: saved connections, a signed-in MySQL server, or a run with Workbench quit first.