BlueStacks is one of the popular Android Emulators for Windows 11/10 PCs. It is an app that allows users to install and run Android games on their Windows computers. Hence, if you want to play Android games on a big screen of your PC, you can install BlueStacks. In this article, we will see how to completely uninstall BlueStacks from a Windows PC.
How to uninstall BlueStacks in Windows 11 completely
When we uninstall an application or software from a Windows PC, it leaves some of its files on our PC. These files are called residues or leftover files. To completely remove or uninstall a program from a Windows computer, it is important to delete all the residue of leftover files after uninstalling the program.
To remove BlueStacks completely from your Windows 11/10 computer, follow the steps provided below:
- Uninstall the BlueStacks App Player
- Uninstall BlueStacks Services
- Delete leftover files
- Delete Registry keys
Below, we have explained all these steps in detail. Before you proceed, we recommend you create a System Restore Point, as the following method also includes the Registry modification. This will help you restore your system if any problem occurs. Do note that this process may also install BlueStacks again and you have to uninstall it again after restoring your system.
1] Uninstall the BlueStacks App Player
The first step is to uninstall the BlueStacks App Player. You can do so via the Control Panel or the Windows 11/10 Settings app. To uninstall a program, like BlueStacks, open the Control Panel or Windows 11/10 Settings.
In the Control Panel, go to Programs> Programs and Features. You will see all the installed programs there. If you are using Windows 11/10 Settings, go to Apps > Installed apps.
A new list view will now load up where you will have to search for Bluestacks and select it. After that just right-click on the list entry and click on Uninstall.
You should now see a UAC (User Account Control) prompt asking you to allow the program to make changes to your computer. Click on Yes.
After that, a dialog box will ask if you want to uninstall Bluestacks App Player. On the uninstallation wizard, you can select any one of the options to tell the reason for uninstalling BlueSTacks App Player or you can leave it as it is and click on the Uninstall button. Now, the Bluestacks App Player will be uninstalled.
When we install BlueStacks, additional software also gets installed on our system, called BlueStacks X. You can also uninstall this program.
Your job is not done yet. Now, as discussed above, you will have to delete BlueStacks Services and all the leftover files one by one.
2] Uninstall BlueStacks Services
Now, the next step is to delete BlueStacks Services. On the same Settings or the Control Panel page to uninstall programs, you will see a program with the name BlueStacks Services. Select it and uninstall it. You will not get any UAC prompt this time.
3] Delete leftover files
Now, there will be a leftover folder named BlueStacks_nxt. You can find this folder probably hidden in the ProgramData folder in the root drive or C:\ drive. This folder could be hidden too. To open the ProgramData folder, you have to make Windows to show the hidden files and folders. Once you have found it, delete the BlueStacks_nxt folder.
Now, the next step is to delete all the temporary files. For this, hit the WINKEY + R combination of keys on your keyboard or search for Run in the Windows search box to start the Run utility.
Inside that, type in %temp% and hit OK.
A new folder will open up. Select all the files inside that folder and hit the SHIFT + Delete combination. Select Yes in the prompt that asks you if you want to delete those temporary files, permanently.
4] Delete Registry keys
Now, the last step is to delete the Registry keys associated with the BlueStacks software. In the Windows search box, search for regedit. Or just open the Run box. Now, type in Regedit inside it and hit OK. This will open the Registry Editor.
Now, navigate to this path :
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
Expand the SOFTWARE key and look for the following two folders:
- BlueStacks_nxt
- BlueStacksInstaller
Right-click on both of these folders and select Delete. Delete only the right keys, as deleting the wrong entries in the Registry can make your system unstable.
After this Bluestacks has been uninstalled completely from your computer without leaving any junk leftovers.
That’s it. I hope this helps.
Why should I manually delete all the files?
This method also decreases our dependency on third-party Uninstaller software. In my opinion, the Windows operating system is capable of managing its own residual and junk files and how it uses and handles temporary or permanent files provided that the software is built properly. Also, a similar method is useful for properly cleaning all the residual files for all the software that are uninstalled using the default Control Panel method on Windows.
Where is BlueStacks internal storage?
The BlueStacks internal storage is inside the BlueStacks_nxt folder. This folder is located inside the ProgramData folder on the C drive. By default, the ProgramData folder is hidden. Hence, you have to force Windows to show hidden files and folders to access the ProgramData folder.
If for some reason you are unable to uninstall programs, you may find the following links helpful:
If you have any doubts or suggestions regarding this, please comment below and make this a two-way communication.
