- Close the Epic Games Launcher completely and try uninstalling it using Command Prompt.
- Run Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter to remove the Epic Games Launcher from your PC.
- Consider uninstalling Epic Games Launcher in Safe Mode if nothing else works.
Fix 1: Close the Epic Games Launcher Using Task Manager
Windows may have trouble uninstalling a program if it is actively running in the background. If that’s the case, you may see the “Epic Games Launcher is currently running” error message. To avoid this, close the Epic Games Launcher completely on your PC.
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
Step 2: In the Processes tab, select EpicGamesLauncher and click the End task button at the top.
After this, uninstall the Epic Games Launcher one more time.
Fix 2: Uninstall the Epic Games Launcher Using Command Prompt
On Windows, there are several ways to uninstall apps and programs. So, if the Epic Games Launcher doesn’t uninstall using the Settings app or Control Panel, use Command Prompt instead.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.
Step 2: In the console, type wmic and press Enter .
Step 3: Paste the following command and press Enter to uninstall the Epic Games Launcher.
product where name="Epic Games Launcher" call uninstall
Step 4: Type Y and press Enter to confirm.
You will see the “Method execution successful” message once the removal process is complete.
Fix 3: Remove the Epic Games Launcher From Windows Registry
Another reason you may have trouble uninstalling programs like Epic Games Launcher is due to corrupt entries in the registry. You can try deleting registry files associated with the Epic Games Launcher manually to see if that helps.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type regedit and press Enter .
Step 2: In the Registry Editor window, paste the following path in the address bar at the top, and press Enter to quickly navigate to the Uninstall key.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Step 3: Under the Uninstall key, you will find several subkeys with random numbers and letters. Each subkey corresponds to an app or program installed on your system. Select each key and check the value next to the DisplayName string in the right pane.
Step 4: After finding the key associated with the Epic Games Launcher, right-click on it > select Delete > Yes to confirm.
Fix 4: Run the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter
Microsoft offers a Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter that can be helpful in such situations. It can automatically identify and fix any issues preventing you from uninstalling the Epic Games Launcher from your Windows PC. Here’s how to use it.
Step 1: Download Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter from Microsoft’s website.
Step 2: Double-click on the troubleshooter file to run it.
Step 3: Click Next .
Step 4: Select Uninstalling .
Step 5: Select Epic Games Launcher from the list and click Next .
Step 6: Choose the Yes, try uninstall option to continue.
Fix 5: Uninstall the Epic Games Launcher in Safe Mode
If you still can’t uninstall Epic Games Launcher at this point, one of the background processes may be interfering with Windows and causing problems. To avoid this, uninstall the program in Safe Mode.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type msconfig in the text field > click OK .
Step 2: Switch to the Boot tab > check the box for Safe boot .
Step 3: Click Apply > OK .
Step 4: Select Restart to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
After your PC boots into Safe Mode, uninstall the Epic Games Launcher via the Settings app or Control Panel. Once removed, open the System Configuration tool again, uncheck the Safe boot option, and restart your PC to exit Safe Mode.
