wsa-installer/docs/uninstall.md

Uninstall Guide

WSA Installer provides a complete uninstallation process that removes WSA, the background service, shortcuts, and registry entries.

How to Uninstall

Method 1: From Windows Settings

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps
2. Find WSA Installer in the list
3. Click the three dots (**) → Uninstall
4. Follow the uninstall wizard

Method 2: From WSA Installer

1. Open WSA Installer
2. Click Advanced in the sidebar
3. Click Uninstall WSA button
4. Follow the uninstall wizard

Method 3: Command Line

WSAInstaller.exe --uninstall

Method 4: From Start Menu

1. Open the Start Menu
2. Find WSA Installer folder
3. Click Uninstall

Uninstall Process

The uninstall wizard performs 7 steps:

Step 1: Detect WSA

Locates the WSA installation using Get-AppxPackage.

Step 2: Stop WSA Processes

Terminates all WSA-related processes:

• WsaClient.exe
• WsaService.exe
• WsaSvc
• vmmem
• adb.exe

Step 3: Backup User Data (Optional)

You can choose to back up your WSA data before uninstalling. This preserves:

• Installed apps
• App data
• Settings

Step 4: Remove Appx Package

Runs Remove-AppxPackage to remove WSA from Windows. If this fails, it retries with -AllUsers.

Step 5: Delete Installation Files

Removes the WSA installation directory and all associated files.

Step 6: Remove Background Service

Stops and deletes WSABackgroundService from Windows Services.

Step 7: Cleanup

Final cleanup of:

• Desktop shortcuts
• Start Menu shortcuts
• Registry entries
• Temporary files

What Gets Removed

Component	Removed?
WSA installation	Yes
WSA app data	Optional (backup available)
Background service	Yes
Desktop shortcuts	Yes
Start Menu shortcuts	Yes
Registry entries	Yes
WSA Installer	Yes
Downloaded bundles	No (preserved for reinstall)

Preserved Data

The following data is NOT removed during uninstall:

• Downloaded bundle.wsa files
• WSA backup (if created)
• Activity logs (wsa_activity.log)

Silent Uninstall

For automated uninstall:

Uninstall.exe /S

Canceling Uninstall

The uninstall wizard includes a confirmation step with a countdown timer. You must:

1. Check the confirmation checkbox
2. Wait 3 seconds
3. Click Confirm Uninstall

You can cancel at any time before confirming. If you cancel after confirmation has started, the uninstall will stop at the current step.

Troubleshooting

Uninstall Fails

1. Try running as administrator
2. Ensure no other applications are using WSA files
3. Manually stop the service: sc stop WSABackgroundService
4. Manually kill processes: taskkill /F /IM WsaClient.exe
5. Retry uninstall

Files Remain After Uninstall

If some files remain after uninstall:

1. Restart your computer
2. Navigate to the installation directory
3. Delete remaining files manually
4. Remove the directory

Service Won't Delete

If WSABackgroundService won't delete:

sc stop WSABackgroundService
sc delete WSABackgroundService

Then retry the uninstall.