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Before Uninstalling

Want to preserve your data?If you plan to reinstall WSA or switch to a different build, backup your userdata.vhdx file first:Location: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\userdata.vhdxSee the Backup and Restore guide for detailed instructions.

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Uninstalling WSABuilds

Use this process to remove WSA installed through WSABuilds (MagiskOnWSA).
1

Turn off WSA

Make sure Windows Subsystem For Android™ is not running:
  1. Open Windows Subsystem For Android Settings
  2. Click “Turn off”
  3. Wait for WSA to completely shut down
If you don’t see WSA Settings, it may already be uninstalled or not fully installed.
2

Uninstall via Windows

Option 1: Using Windows Search
  1. Press Win key and search for “Windows Subsystem For Android Settings”
  2. Right-click and select Uninstall
Option 2: Using Add/Remove Programs
  1. Press Win+I to open Settings
  2. Go to Apps → Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10)
  3. Search for “Windows Subsystem For Android”
  4. Click the three dots (…) and select Uninstall
3

Delete the WSA installation folder

Navigate to the folder where you extracted WSA (where Run.bat is located) and delete it.
This is the folder you extracted from the .7z archive during installation, typically named WSA or similar. Make sure you delete the correct folder.
4

Remove remaining package data

Press Win+R and navigate to:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\
Look for the folder:
MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbwe
If the folder exists:
  • Delete it completely
  • If you get an error, make sure WSA is turned off (see Step 1)
If the folder does not exist:
  • Skip this step (already cleaned up)
WSABuilds has been completely removed from your system.

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Uninstalling Official Microsoft Store WSA

If you installed WSA from the Microsoft Store (not WSABuilds):
1

Uninstall through Windows

  1. Search for “Windows Subsystem For Android Settings” using Windows Search
  2. Right-click and select Uninstall
Or use Add/Remove Programs:
  1. Press Win+I → Apps → Installed apps
  2. Find “Windows Subsystem For Android” and click Uninstall
The official Microsoft Store version does not require manual folder cleanup. Windows handles this automatically.

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What Gets Removed

When you uninstall WSA, the following are deleted:
  • Windows Subsystem For Android application
  • WSA Settings app
  • Android subsystem files
  • All installed Android apps
  • App data and settings (if not backed up)
  • Virtual machine components
  • Magisk (if applicable)
  • Google Play Services / MindTheGapps

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What Stays on Your System

  • Virtual Machine Platform feature (remains enabled)
  • Developer mode registry key
  • Your backup userdata.vhdx file (if you created one)
  • ADB drivers (if separately installed)

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Preserving Data During Uninstall

To keep your apps and data for later restoration:
1

Backup userdata.vhdx before uninstalling

  1. Turn off WSA completely
  2. Navigate to: 
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\
  3. Copy userdata.vhdx to a safe location
2

Uninstall WSA

Follow the uninstallation steps above
3

Restore after reinstalling

After reinstalling WSA, restore the userdata.vhdx file back to:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\userdata.vhdx
See the Backup and Restore guide for detailed restoration steps.

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Troubleshooting Uninstall Issues

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”Cannot delete because file is in use”

WSA is still running. To force close:
  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
  2. End these processes:
    • WsaClient.exe
    • vmmem
    • vmmemWSA
    • Any process with “WSA” or “Android” in the name
  3. Try deleting again
If still locked, restart your PC and delete immediately without launching WSA.

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Uninstall option is greyed out

  1. Make sure you’re logged in as an administrator
  2. Try uninstalling via PowerShell (as Admin): 
    Get-AppxPackage *WindowsSubsystemForAndroid* | Remove-AppxPackage

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WSA still appears after uninstall

  1. Check if the package still exists: 
    Get-AppxPackage *WindowsSubsystemForAndroid*
  2. If it returns results, force remove: 
    Get-AppxPackage *WindowsSubsystemForAndroid* | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
  3. Manually delete remaining folders: 
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbwe

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“Access denied” when deleting folders

  1. Take ownership of the folder:
    • Right-click the folder → Properties
    • Go to Security tab → Advanced
    • Click Change next to Owner
    • Enter your username and click OK
    • Check “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects”
    • Click Apply and OK
  2. Try deleting again

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Leftover Start Menu entries

Android app shortcuts may remain in the Start Menu:
  1. Right-click each shortcut → Uninstall or Remove from Start
  2. Or manually delete shortcuts from: 
    %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

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Switching Between Official and MagiskOnWSA

To switch from official Microsoft Store WSA to WSABuilds (or vice versa):
1

Backup your data

Copy userdata.vhdx to a safe location if you want to preserve apps and data
2

Completely uninstall current WSA

Follow the uninstallation steps for your current version
3

Install the new version

4

Restore data (optional)

Follow the restore procedure to restore your backup
Compatibility note: Restoring data between very different versions (e.g., official WSA to heavily modified MagiskOnWSA) may cause app compatibility issues. Some apps may need to be reinstalled.

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Clean Reinstall

For a completely fresh start:
1

Uninstall WSA

Follow all uninstallation steps above
2

Delete all WSA-related folders

Remove these folders if they exist:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForAndroid_8wekyb3d8bbwe
Also delete your WSA installation folder (where Run.bat was located)
3

Clear temporary files

  1. Press Win+R and type: 
    %TEMP%
  2. Delete any WSA-related files
4

Optional: Disable Virtual Machine Platform

If you no longer need WSA and want to free up resources:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform
This will also affect other virtualization features like Docker, VirtualBox, and Hyper-V. Only disable if you’re sure you don’t need it.
5

Restart your PC

Reboot to ensure all changes take effect

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Reinstalling WSA

After uninstalling, you can reinstall WSA anytime:

Install WSABuilds

Install MagiskOnWSA with root access

Restore Backup

Restore your apps and data after reinstalling

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Need Help?

If you’re having difficulties with uninstallation, join the WSABuilds Discord for support.

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