How to uninstall RStudio on Windows
This record covers RStudio (current user), registered version 2026.09.0+174, installed through winget Posit.RStudio with user scope. Back up the folders below when retaining data.
Close the app
Close the window and tray entry, then check rstudio.exe in Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Match the executable path before quitting a process.
Data and settings
| Location | Action |
|---|---|
%LOCALAPPDATA%\RStudio |
Inspect and back up settings or data; retain content shared with other apps |
%APPDATA%\RStudio |
Inspect and back up settings or data; retain content shared with other apps |
%APPDATA%\RStudio\Cache |
Measured separate cache; removable after saving data |
%APPDATA%\RStudio\Code Cache |
Measured separate cache; removable after saving data |
%APPDATA%\RStudio\DawnGraphiteCache |
Measured separate cache; removable after saving data |
%APPDATA%\RStudio\DawnWebGPUCache |
Measured separate cache; removable after saving data |
%APPDATA%\RStudio\GPUCache |
Measured separate cache; removable after saving data |
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Posit Software\RStudio |
Inspect and back up settings or data; retain content shared with other apps |
Remove with the vendor uninstaller
Find the app in Settings › Apps › Installed apps and uninstall it. Keep the vendor’s data-retention option when saving data; use the uninstaller rather than deleting the program folder.
For the measured winget installation, you can also run this command.
winget uninstall --id Posit.RStudio --exact
Check the result
Get-Process -Name 'rstudio' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
winget list --id Posit.RStudio --exact
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\RStudio"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\RStudio"
No process output means no matching process was observed. A completed installation query with no match means the measured registration is absent; a query error does not prove removal. Test-Path returns True if the folder remains and False if absent. True is expected when retaining data.
What Mole lists
%LOCALAPPDATA%\RStudio listed but unchecked; %APPDATA%\RStudio listed but unchecked; %APPDATA%\RStudio\Cache selected by default; %APPDATA%\RStudio\Code Cache selected by default; %APPDATA%\RStudio\DawnGraphiteCache selected by default; %APPDATA%\RStudio\DawnWebGPUCache selected by default; %APPDATA%\RStudio\GPUCache selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Posit Software\RStudio listed but unchecked; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.css selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.html selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.js selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.markdown selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.quarto selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.r selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rdata selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rdoc selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rhtml selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rmarkdown selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rnw selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rpres selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rprofvis selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.Rproj selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.rtex selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\RStudio.tex selected by default; HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\rstudio.exe selected by default. The program folder and measured shortcuts are handled with the app. Registrations are backed up before removal; files go to the Recycle Bin. Items already removed by the vendor read Missing. Save R projects, scripts and personal package libraries. A shared R runtime is distinct from the RStudio program folder.
What this test covered
Recorded in Windows 11 ARM64 source tests on 2026-10-03, uninstall type Nsis. The released download, account sign-in, subscriptions, synced content and other installation channels were not verified.