Uninstall hasn't detected folder of IntelliJ IDEA installation

Problem

When trying to uninstall IntelliJ IDEA, you may see the error:

Uninstall hasn't detected folder of IntelliJ IDEA installation.
Probably uninstall.exe was moved from the installation folder.

This can also happen if IntelliJ IDEA still appears in the Windows Installed programs list after it has been removed.

Cause

This issue is tracked in:

Cannot Uninstall old IDE after installing a new one. Uninstall hasn't detected folder of ...

Uninstaller doesn't cleanly remove an updated version

Uninstaller doesn't cleanly remove an updated version is fixed in a 2025.2 update and in IntelliJ IDEA 2025.3, so the uninstaller of these versions removes an updated installation cleanly. The steps below are for installations of older versions.

Resolution

Option 1: Restore missing file and run uninstaller

1. In the <IDE_Installation_folder>/bin directory (where uninstall.exe is located), create an empty file named IdeaWin64.dll .
2. Run uninstall.exe again.

Option 2: Manual removal

If Option 1 does not work:

1. Delete IntelliJ IDEA folders

   • Installation folder (where uninstall.exe is located)

   • Caches:

     C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea<version>
     
     

   • Options:

     C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea<version>
     
     

2. Remove from Installed programs list

   • Open the Windows Start menu, type regedit, and press Enter.

   • In Registry Editor, remove the IntelliJ IDEA entry from:

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
     
     

3. Delete Start Menu entry

   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\JetBrains
   

For more details on IDE data locations, see directories used by the IDE.