How to uninstall qBittorrent on Windows

qBittorrent splits its data between two folders, and neither holds your downloads. Downloaded files stay in the save path you set in qBittorrent, your Downloads folder by default, and removing the app never touches them. Settings live in %APPDATA%\qBittorrent, and the torrents it tracks, their resume data and its logs live in %LOCALAPPDATA%\qBittorrent; keep that second folder if you want to continue or seed your torrents after a reinstall. This guide covers qBittorrent installed machine-wide from the qBittorrent.qBittorrent winget package. qBittorrent FAQ

Stop transfers and quit qBittorrent

Let active downloads finish or pause them, then quit qBittorrent from its File menu or tray icon; closing the window may only send it to the tray. You do not need to remove torrents before uninstalling. If you do remove one, leave the option to also delete its files unticked unless you mean to delete the download. Check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for any qbittorrent.exe still listed before you uninstall.

Remove the app with its own uninstaller

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

winget uninstall --id qBittorrent.qBittorrent

The package installs machine-wide, so Windows asks for administrator access. The uninstaller removes the program folder, the Start Menu folder, its firewall rule and its file type registrations.

Where the data lives

Location	What it holds	What to do
Your save path	Downloaded files	Keep it; never delete it as part of an uninstall
`%APPDATA%\qBittorrent`	Settings, including your save path	Copy it if you want your setup back after a reinstall
`%LOCALAPPDATA%\qBittorrent`	Torrents you track, their resume data, and logs	Keep it to continue or seed later; remove it only when you are done with those torrents
`logs` and `Cache` inside it	Logs and cache	Safe to remove
`HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\.torrent` and `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\magnet`	Bare file type and link keys, with no program attached	Leave them; another torrent app may use them

Check the result

Run these read-only commands after the uninstall finishes:

Get-Process qbittorrent -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
winget list --id qBittorrent.qBittorrent
Test-Path "$env:ProgramFiles\qBittorrent"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\qBittorrent"
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\qBittorrent"

No output from Get-Process only means this query observed no matching process; a suppressed error leaves the running state unknown.
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 False means the program folder is gone.
The other two returning True means your settings and torrents are still there, which is expected if you kept them.

Your download folder is not checked here because nothing in this guide removes it.

If you installed it with winget

winget uninstall runs the same silent uninstaller Settings › Apps uses and removes the same program files; it does not touch %APPDATA%\qBittorrent, %LOCALAPPDATA%\qBittorrent or your downloads.

What Mole lists

For qBittorrent installed machine-wide from winget:

The program folder goes with the app row. The Start Menu folder and a row grouping Windows' own records of when you opened the program are selected by default.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\qBittorrent is listed but not selected, since it holds your torrents and resume data. The logs and Cache folders inside it are listed on their own and selected by default.
%APPDATA%\qBittorrent is listed but not selected, since it holds your settings.
The .torrent and magnet keys under HKLM are not listed; they are shared type keys and no longer point at qBittorrent.
Your save path is never listed.

What this test covered

Tested on September 28, 2026 with qBittorrent 5.2.3 installed through winget, machine scope, and removed with its silent uninstaller. The app was opened once; no torrent was added, so resume data and a real save path were not verified.