How to uninstall Pinokio on Windows

This guide covers Pinokio 8.2.0 for Windows. Back up the configuration, scripts and models you want to keep before uninstalling. This test covered only the desktop client's first launch.

Uninstall the app

Find Pinokio in Settings > Apps > Installed apps, or run this PowerShell command to invoke its bundled uninstaller.

winget uninstall --id pinokiocomputer.pinokio --exact

Check the result

winget list --id pinokiocomputer.pinokio --exact
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Pinokio"
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Pinokio-updater"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\Pinokio"
Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.pinokio"

A successful winget query with no match indicates that the package registration is absent. A query error leaves that unknown. False from Test-Path means only that the named path is absent; it does not prove that models, scripts or other workspace folders were deleted.

What Mole lists

The program folder %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Pinokio, its %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pinokio-updater folder, disk caches, shortcuts, exact app protocol and usage records are selected by default. %APPDATA%\Pinokio and the configuration folder %USERPROFILE%\.pinokio are data folders listed for review and start unchecked.

data for review folders can be selected by the app's Remove data bulk action; this test did not verify retention of a real workspace. Another installed Pinokio copy keeps the shared configuration. Detection covers only the measured folders. It does not authorize removal of non-dot workspace folders, downloaded models or community scripts. Firewall rules are reported and retained.

What this test covered

Tested on October 4, 2026, in a Windows 11 ARM64 VM with a Mole development build. Installation used the per-user NSIS package through winget.

The original test missed a 204-byte .pinokio configuration. After adding exact folder detection, a fresh install and retest produced 13 bulk-selected targets, all Missing or Removed. The configuration was Removed, and independent readback confirmed that the exact registration, program, updater, Roaming and configuration folders were absent. The 14 changes involving other associations and the shared desktop were excluded from this app's residue. Two firewall registrations were retained. The released package, community script installation, model downloads, real workspaces, other channels and automatic residue detection after external uninstalling remain unverified.