How to uninstall Vim on Windows
Save edited files and back up your vimrc and plugins before removing Vim. In Vim, :echo $MYVIMRC identifies the configuration you loaded, while :version lists the configuration paths it searches. Vim's own help describes Windows vimrc locations. This guide covers the tested winget per-user ARM64 installation, not Vim inside WSL or another tool's bundled copy.
Quit and uninstall
Finish each Vim or gVim session, saving work before quitting, then use Settings › Apps › Installed apps › Vim › Uninstall, or run:
winget uninstall --id vim.vim --exact
Winget invokes the vendor's NSIS uninstaller. The tested installation used uninstall-gui.exe /currentuser /S; use the registered removal flow rather than deleting that executable first.
Keep configuration and plugins
| Location | What to do |
|---|---|
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Vim |
Let the uninstaller remove program files; save any custom configuration you placed there first |
%USERPROFILE%\vimfiles |
Back up plugins, color schemes and your own scripts; do not treat it as a cache |
The vimrc shown by $MYVIMRC |
Keep or back up your configuration wherever it is stored |
The test left an empty vimfiles directory tree in the user profile. A real installation can put valuable files there, so inspect contents before deciding to remove that exact directory. Keep project files and any WSL Vim installation separately.
Check the result
Get-Process vim, gvim -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
winget list --id vim.vim --exact
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Vim"
Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\vimfiles"
No process output means neither executable name is running; no matching winget row means the package record is gone. True means a path exists, not that it contains files, and False means it is absent. A surviving vimfiles folder is not a failed program uninstall. A command error leaves that check unresolved.
What Mole lists
The tested program folder, desktop and Start Menu shortcuts, usage records and app-owned shell registration are selected by default. %USERPROFILE%\vimfiles is not listed, and the review does not promise to find a custom vimrc. Back up configuration stored inside the selected program folder before proceeding.
What this test covered
The record reviewed on October 3, 2026 covers Vim 9.2.1122 (ARM64), installed through winget per-user on an ARM64 VM. Every listed item was selected; the program folder and usage records were removed, while the vendor uninstaller had already removed the shortcuts and shell registration. The empty vimfiles tree remained and was not listed. Real edited files, plugin recovery, custom vimrc contents and a separate vendor-only uninstall were not verified.