Removing software from your computer can occasionally present challenges, particularly for those who aren’t well-acquainted with how to do it. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of deleting Slack from a Windows system. Being a frequent Slack user myself, I’ve repeatedly gone through the cycle of uninstalling and reinstalling the application for a multitude of reasons. Without further ado, let’s jump into it!
Step 1: Closing Slack
Before we begin the uninstallation process, it’s important to make sure that Slack is closed properly. Look for the Slack icon in your system tray (usually at the bottom right corner of your screen) and right-click on it. From the context menu, select “Quit Slack” to ensure that the app is not running in the background.
Step 2: Uninstalling from Control Panel
Now that Slack is closed, we can proceed to uninstall it. On Windows, we can uninstall applications through the Control Panel. To access the Control Panel, click on the Start menu and search for “Control Panel”. Once the Control Panel is open, navigate to “Uninstall a program” under the “Programs” category.
Once you’re in the “Uninstall a program” window, you will see a list of all the installed applications on your computer. Look for “Slack” in the list and click on it. Then, click on the “Uninstall” button at the top of the window.
A confirmation dialog will appear, asking if you’re sure you want to uninstall Slack. Click “Yes” to proceed. The uninstallation process will begin, and you may need to wait for a few moments while Windows removes Slack from your computer.
Step 3: Deleting Slack Data
Although the previous steps removed Slack from your computer, there might still be some leftover files and data associated with the app. To completely clean up Slack, we need to delete these files as well.
Navigate to the following directory on your computer:
C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Local\slack
Replace your_username with your actual Windows username. In this directory, you will find a folder named “app-version_number“. Right-click on this folder and select “Delete” to remove it.
Next, navigate to the following directory:
C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Roaming\slack
In this directory, you will find another folder named “app-version_number“. Right-click on this folder and select “Delete” to remove it as well.
Step 4: Cleaning up Registry Entries
Registry entries are small bits of information that Windows stores about the applications you have installed on your computer. To ensure that Slack is completely removed, we need to delete any Slack-related registry entries.
Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type “regedit” (without the quotes) and press Enter to open the Windows Registry Editor.
In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Under the “Uninstall” key, you might find a subkey named “Slack”. Right-click on it and select “Delete” to remove the registry entry.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully uninstalled Slack from your Windows computer. By following these steps, you can ensure that all traces of the app are removed, allowing you to start fresh if you decide to reinstall Slack in the future. Remember to always double-check that Slack is closed before uninstalling, and don’t forget to clean up any leftover files and registry entries. Happy uninstalling!