> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://desktopcommander.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Uninstall Desktop Commander

> How to completely remove Desktop Commander from your system

# Uninstalling Desktop Commander

This guide will help you completely remove Desktop Commander from your system. The process is straightforward and will clean up all related files.

## Quick Uninstall Steps

**1. Stop Claude Desktop**

Close Claude Desktop completely before beginning the uninstall process

**2. Remove from Configuration**

Edit your Claude Desktop configuration to remove Desktop Commander

**3. Clean Up Files**

Remove any cached files and packages (optional)

**4. Restart Claude Desktop**

Restart Claude to confirm Desktop Commander is no longer available

## Method 1: Configuration File Edit

The simplest way to remove Desktop Commander is to edit your Claude Desktop configuration:

**Windows**

1. Navigate to: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
2. Open the file in a text editor (like Notepad)
3. Find the `"desktop-commander"` section under `"mcpServers"`
4. Delete the entire Desktop Commander section
5. Save the file

**Mac**

1. Navigate to: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
2. Open the file in a text editor (like TextEdit)
3. Find the `"desktop-commander"` section under `"mcpServers"`
4. Delete the entire Desktop Commander section
5. Save the file

**Linux**

1. Navigate to: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
2. Open the file in a text editor
3. Find the `"desktop-commander"` section under `"mcpServers"`
4. Delete the entire Desktop Commander section
5. Save the file

### Configuration Example

Your `claude_desktop_config.json` might look like this before removal:

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-commander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander"]
    }
  }
}
```

After removal, it should look like this:

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {}
}
```

## Method 2: Smithery Uninstall

If you installed Desktop Commander using Smithery, you can uninstall it using:

```bash theme={null}
npx -y @smithery/cli uninstall @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander --client claude
```

This will automatically:

* Remove Desktop Commander from your Claude configuration
* Clean up associated files
* Restore your previous configuration

## Method 3: Complete Cleanup

For a thorough removal that cleans up all cached files:

**1. Remove from Claude Configuration**

Follow Method 1 above to edit the configuration file

**2. Clear NPM Cache (Optional)**

Remove any cached Desktop Commander packages:

```bash theme={null}
npm cache clean --force
```

**3. Remove Global Installation (If Applicable)**

If you installed Desktop Commander globally:

```bash theme={null}
npm uninstall -g @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander
```

## Verification

To confirm Desktop Commander has been removed:

**1. Restart Claude Desktop**

Close and reopen Claude Desktop completely

**2. Test for Desktop Commander**

Try asking Claude to list files in a directory. If Desktop Commander was removed successfully, Claude will respond that it can't access your file system.

> [!TIP]
>
> If Claude says it cannot access your files or run commands, Desktop Commander has been successfully removed.

## Troubleshooting Uninstall Issues

> **Desktop Commander still appears after uninstall**
>
> 1. Double-check that you saved the configuration file changes
> 2. Ensure Claude Desktop was completely closed and reopened
> 3. Verify you edited the correct configuration file for your operating system
> 4. Try restarting your computer

> **Configuration file errors after editing**
>
> 1. Check that your JSON syntax is correct (use a JSON validator)
> 2. Ensure all brackets and commas are properly placed
> 3. If the file is corrupted, you can delete it and Claude will recreate it
> 4. Restore from a backup if available

> **Cannot find configuration file**
>
> The configuration file is created when you first run Claude Desktop. If it doesn't exist:
>
> 1. Run Claude Desktop once to create the file
> 2. Check the correct path for your operating system
> 3. Make sure hidden files are visible in your file explorer

## What Data Remains

After uninstalling Desktop Commander:

> **Local Files**
>
> **Unchanged**: All your local files remain exactly as they were. Desktop Commander never modifies your data without explicit permission.

> **Claude Conversations**
>
> **Preserved**: Your Claude Desktop conversation history is not affected by uninstalling Desktop Commander.

> **System Changes**
>
> **Minimal Impact**: Desktop Commander makes no permanent system changes. Uninstalling simply removes the integration with Claude.

## Reinstalling Later

If you want to reinstall Desktop Commander later:

1. Follow the [installation guide](https://desktopcommander.mintlify.site/installation/overview.md)
2. Your previous security settings and configurations will not be remembered
3. You'll need to reconfigure any custom settings

## Alternative: Temporarily Disable

Instead of completely uninstalling, you can temporarily disable Desktop Commander by:

1. **Commenting out the configuration**: Add `//` before the desktop-commander lines in your config
2. **Renaming the server**: Change `"desktop-commander"` to `"desktop-commander-disabled"`
3. **Restarting Claude**: The tools will be unavailable but easy to re-enable

## Need Help?

If you encounter issues during uninstallation:

> **[Discord Community](https://discord.gg/kQ27sNnZr7)**
>
> Get help from the community and developers

> **[GitHub Issues](https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP/issues)**
>
> Report bugs or technical issues

## Feedback

Before you go, we'd love to hear why you're uninstalling Desktop Commander. Your feedback helps us improve the product:

* **Was it too complex?** We're working on simplifying the user experience
* **Security concerns?** We're continuously improving our security model
* **Performance issues?** Help us identify and fix bottlenecks
* **Missing features?** Tell us what would make you want to use it again

> **Share Feedback**
>
> Join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/kQ27sNnZr7) or open a [GitHub issue](https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP/issues) to share your thoughts. We read every piece of feedback!


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