How to uninstall Windsurf on Windows
Save open files and stop builds in Windsurf's terminals before uninstalling. Copy any settings, extensions and Cascade conversations you want to keep to a separate backup. This guide covers the per-user Windsurf 2.3.15 installation tested through Codeium.Windsurf, not a renamed or replacement editor.
Quit and uninstall Windsurf
Close every Windsurf window and check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for Windsurf.exe. Remove Windsurf through Settings › Apps › Installed apps › Windsurf › Uninstall, or run:
winget uninstall --id Codeium.Windsurf --exact
Winget starts the vendor's Inno Setup uninstaller. Complete its dialogs before checking the result; a cancelled administrator prompt leaves the installation in place. The test used an elevated installation session, so its administrator prompt does not establish what an ordinary per-user installation will ask.
Keep projects and conversations separate
The following editor folders were observed in the Windows test. The vendor's troubleshooting documentation also identifies .codeium\windsurf\cascade as conversation history and local settings; deleting it is a reset that loses that data.
| Location | What to do |
|---|---|
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Windsurf |
Let the uninstaller remove the program |
%APPDATA%\Windsurf |
Back up settings before removing the whole folder; its cache children are separate |
%USERPROFILE%\.windsurf |
Keep or back up extensions and editor configuration |
%USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\cascade |
Keep conversations and local settings unless you deliberately want to reset them |
Do not delete the .codeium parent, which other Codeium integrations can use, or .windsurf folders inside your projects. Uninstalling the editor does not delete an online account or cancel a subscription; manage those in the vendor's account settings.
Check the result
Get-Process Windsurf -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
winget list --id Codeium.Windsurf --exact
Test-Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Windsurf"
Test-Path "$env:APPDATA\Windsurf"
Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.windsurf"
No process output means no process with that name is running, and no matching winget row means the installation record is gone. A command error is not a successful check. Each Test-Path returns True for an existing path and False for an absent one; a retained data folder is expected when you chose to keep settings, and a surviving program folder needs inspection.
What Mole lists
The program folder, Start Menu shortcuts, usage records and registrations that still launch Windsurf are selected by default. %APPDATA%\Windsurf and %USERPROFILE%\.windsurf are listed but not selected; the observed Cache, Code Cache, GPUCache, Crashpad, DawnGraphiteCache, DawnWebGPUCache and logs children are separate selected rows. The shared .codeium directory is not listed.
What this test covered
Tested on September 29, 2026 with Windsurf 2.3.15 through winget, per-user scope, on an ARM64 Windows VM. Every review row was selected; the vendor uninstaller had already removed most registrations, and Mole removed the remaining selected items. A second installation and removal produced the same observed result. Account sign-in, real Cascade conversations and project recovery were not verified.