Here's the steps (my non-computer-savvy girlfriend had to figure this one out for me, but unlike all the far more complicated processes one can find online, this one works)

  1. Open Control Panel
  2. Click "Uninstall a Program"
  3. Scroll down to Python and click uninstall for each version you don't want anymore.

This works on Windows 7 out of the box, no additional programs or scripts required.

Answer from ArtOfWarfare on Stack Overflow
Discussions

Uninstallation command
I need a windows sillent python uninstallation command.Kindly help me on this issue. Thanks in advance. More on discuss.python.org
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0
0
August 29, 2023
Need a programmatic method to uninstall python on Windows Server 2022.
Python tool uninstallation fails when tried using commandline method. [Uninstall-Package" or "& cmd /c $UninstallString /quiet /uninstall" ] Both the methods fail. Please suggest some alternate route to resolve this. Windows for business | Windows Server | User experience | PowerShell More on learn.microsoft.com
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4
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December 8, 2023
Could you pls tell me how to uninstall python 3.12.4(64 bit)
Hi friends, I tried to install phthon 3.12.4 (64 bit) but I think I failed to install it successfully , as when I uninstalled it , it came with the reminder as attached, so that I can not uninstall it till now , can any friend help me pls? Thank you in advance. More on discuss.python.org
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July 26, 2024
How can i do a FULL uninstall of python?
Remove Python executable: Delete the Python executable from your system. The location of the executable may vary based on your operating system. Common locations include C:\PythonXX on Windows or /usr/bin/python on Linux. Delete the entire Python folder to remove all versions and components. Remove environment variables: If you have set any environment variables related to Python, such as PYTHONPATH, you should remove them. This step is optional but recommended for a clean uninstallation. Delete Python-related entries from PATH: Edit your system's PATH environment variable and remove any entries that point to the Python installation directories. These entries typically include paths like C:\PythonXX or /usr/bin/python. Remove Python packages: If you installed any Python packages using pip, you should uninstall them to clean up your system. Open a terminal or command prompt and use the following command: pip uninstall package_name Replace package_name with the name of the package you want to uninstall. Repeat this command for each package you wish to remove. Delete Python-related files: Manually search for and delete any remaining Python-related files or directories on your system. These may include configuration files, cached files, or any additional files you created. Verify removal: After completing the above steps, restart your computer and verify that Python has been completely uninstalled. Open a terminal or command prompt and try running the following command: python --version If Python is no longer installed, you should receive an error message stating that the command is not recognized. More on reddit.com
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June 26, 2023
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Python
bugs.python.org β€Ί issue41358
Issue 41358: Unable to uninstall Python launcher using command line - Python tracker
July 21, 2020 - This issue tracker has been migrated to GitHub, and is currently read-only. For more information, see the GitHub FAQs in the Python's Developer Guide Β· This issue has been migrated to GitHub: https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/85530
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Python.org
discuss.python.org β€Ί python help
Uninstallation command - Python Help - Discussions on Python.org
August 29, 2023 - I need a windows sillent python uninstallation command.Kindly help me on this issue. Thanks in advance.
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ActiveState
activestate.com β€Ί home β€Ί resources β€Ί quick read β€Ί how to uninstall python packages
How to Uninstall Python Packages - ActiveState
March 14, 2025 - Before packages can be uninstalled, ensure that a Python installation containing the necessary files needed for uninstalling packages is in place. Installation Requirements (for Windows). ... Packages can be uninstalled from a virtual environment using pip or pipenv. To use pip to uninstall a package locally in a virtual environment: Open a command or terminal window (depending on the operating system)
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Python.org
discuss.python.org β€Ί python help
Could you pls tell me how to uninstall python 3.12.4(64 bit) - Python Help - Discussions on Python.org
July 26, 2024 - Hi friends, I tried to install phthon 3.12.4 (64 bit) but I think I failed to install it successfully , as when I uninstalled it , it came with the reminder as attached, so that I can not uninstall it till now , can any…
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Python Central
pythoncentral.io β€Ί how-to-uninstall-python
How to Uninstall Python | Python Central
February 5, 2025 - You can remove any version of Python installed on your computer in three simple steps. Press the Windows key on your keyboard or press the Windows button on the bottom-left of your screen to open the Start menu. Type in β€œControl Panel” and find and launch the Control Panel from the list of options. After the Control Panel opens up, you must click on the β€œUninstall a program” button under the β€œPrograms” section on the bottom left.
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Python Forum
python-forum.io β€Ί thread-27135.html
How to fully uninstall Python from Windows?
May 27, 2020 - Hello, For some unknown reason (updating Pip?), I've been getting this warning when using Pip: Quote:c:\>pip3 install mymodule WARNING: pip is being invoked by an old script wrapper. This will fail in
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Educative
educative.io β€Ί answers β€Ί how-to-uninstall-python
How to uninstall Python
This command removes the Python 3.11 package and any other packages that were installed as dependencies but are no longer needed. You can replace python3.11 with any desired version that you wish to uninstall.
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Built In
builtin.com β€Ί software-engineering-perspectives β€Ί how-to-install-python-on-windows
How to Install Python on Windows | Built In
| Video: ProgrammingKnowledge2 Β· More on PythonPython: How to List Files in Directory Β· Uninstalling is pretty simple; just open the β€œPrograms and Features” window, right-click on the Python installed, and select β€œUninstall.”
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Wikihow
wikihow.com β€Ί computers and electronics β€Ί software β€Ί programming β€Ί python β€Ί how to uninstall python (with pictures) - wikihow
How to Uninstall Python (with Pictures) - wikiHow
August 1, 2024 - A simple guide to removing any version of Python from your PC or Mac This wikiHow teaches you how to remove the Python application and its related files and folders from your computer. You can do this on both Windows and Mac computers....
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Reddit
reddit.com β€Ί r/techsupport β€Ί how can i do a full uninstall of python?
r/techsupport on Reddit: How can i do a FULL uninstall of python?
June 26, 2023 -

Dear u/daddy_spez,
I am going to reinstall python but there are things the uninstaller just doesn't remove.

The pip packages are there, the PATH is there, some leftover files are still there and who know what else is in the system.

I want to fully uninstall python so i can reinstall it and all the packages i got, if i re-install while all these things are still there it will create conflicts and things that once worked will be bugged.

Top answer
1 of 1
1
Remove Python executable: Delete the Python executable from your system. The location of the executable may vary based on your operating system. Common locations include C:\PythonXX on Windows or /usr/bin/python on Linux. Delete the entire Python folder to remove all versions and components. Remove environment variables: If you have set any environment variables related to Python, such as PYTHONPATH, you should remove them. This step is optional but recommended for a clean uninstallation. Delete Python-related entries from PATH: Edit your system's PATH environment variable and remove any entries that point to the Python installation directories. These entries typically include paths like C:\PythonXX or /usr/bin/python. Remove Python packages: If you installed any Python packages using pip, you should uninstall them to clean up your system. Open a terminal or command prompt and use the following command: pip uninstall package_name Replace package_name with the name of the package you want to uninstall. Repeat this command for each package you wish to remove. Delete Python-related files: Manually search for and delete any remaining Python-related files or directories on your system. These may include configuration files, cached files, or any additional files you created. Verify removal: After completing the above steps, restart your computer and verify that Python has been completely uninstalled. Open a terminal or command prompt and try running the following command: python --version If Python is no longer installed, you should receive an error message stating that the command is not recognized.
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Python
bugs.python.org β€Ί issue36557
Issue 36557: [doc] Clarify the meaning of /uninstall in windows cli - Python tracker
April 8, 2019 - This issue tracker has been migrated to GitHub, and is currently read-only. For more information, see the GitHub FAQs in the Python's Developer Guide Β· This issue has been migrated to GitHub: https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/80738
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GitHub
github.com β€Ί pyenv β€Ί pyenv
GitHub - pyenv/pyenv: Simple Python version management Β· GitHub
December 27, 2025 - The simplicity of pyenv makes it easy to temporarily disable it, or uninstall from the system. To disable Pyenv managing your Python versions, simply remove the pyenv init invocations from your shell startup configuration. This will remove Pyenv shims directory from PATH, and future invocations like python will execute the system Python version, as it was before Pyenv. pyenv will still be accessible on the command line, but your Python apps won't be affected by version switching.
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Top answer
1 of 3
41

Please don't.

Ubuntu relies heavily on different Python versions for functionality. New releases of Ubuntu are slowly shifting to Python3, but older versions of Python are still in use.

You can list some important Ubuntu and Gnome packages on your system that depend on Python3, for example, like so:

apt-cache rdepends -i --installed --recurse python3 | \
grep -v " " | sort -u | grep -E "ubuntu|gnome"

On Ubuntu 20.10 desktop, these important packages are among them:

gnome-control-center
gnome-session
gnome-terminal
network-manager-gnome
ubuntu-desktop
ubuntu-desktop-minimal
ubuntu-drivers-common
ubuntu-minimal
ubuntu-release-upgrader-core
ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk
ubuntu-session
ubuntu-standard
ubuntu-system-service

Moreover, there is no such Python clean state. Each system update and each package you install might bring with it Python related dependencies.

You can however use pip or pip3 to uninstall only packages you previously manually installed and even this is not totally risk free.

If you have already removed Python, try this or this if you need a fix. Chances are little though. If you manage to fix it, you are lucky.

Golden rule... Leave the snake alone.


That being said, use a Python virtual environment for your Python projects and you shouldn't be needing to clean or go back to clean state Ubuntu system Python.

Python virtual environments create an isolated environment for your Python projects. This means that each project can have its own dependencies, regardless of what dependencies the Ubuntu system or other Python projects have.

This feature can be installed for Python3 like so:

sudo apt install python3-venv

To make a Python3 virtual environment for a project, you would first create a directory and cd to it like so:

mkdir my_env && cd my_env

Then, create a new Python3 virtual environment inside the directory like so:

python3 -m venv env

This will create a structure like this:

$tree -L 3

.
└── env
    β”œβ”€β”€ bin
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ activate
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ activate.csh
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ activate.fish
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ Activate.ps1
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ easy_install
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ easy_install-3.8
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ pip
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ pip3
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ pip3.8
    β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ python -> python3
    β”‚   └── python3 -> /usr/bin/python3
    β”œβ”€β”€ include
    β”œβ”€β”€ lib
    β”‚   └── python3.8
    β”œβ”€β”€ lib64 -> lib
    β”œβ”€β”€ pyvenv.cfg
    └── share
        └── python-wheels

To use this environment, activate it like so:

source env/bin/activate

Your shell prompt will show (env) like so:

(env) $

During this, Python3 commands, module installs or modifications will be contained locally in this virtual environment.

When you are done, deactivate this Python3 virtual environment like so:

deactivate

You are now back to the system-wide Python3 and commands will take effect globally so be careful.

2 of 3
4

Here's a method:

get 'apt-cache' to show reverse-dependencies, recursively, of the core python library; "--installed" to limit to packages installed, and "-i" to show only important dependencies (i.e. not suggests or recommends).

The 'grep' filters out all except package names, then sorted uniquely (there'll be many duplicates), then use 'xargs' to append the resulting list of lines as parameters to 'apt-mark auto', which marks them as automatically installed.

'Automatically installed' packages will be removed by 'apt autoremove' when no more packages depend on them.

apt-cache --installed  -i --recurse rdepends \
  libpython3.8-minimal | \
    grep "^  " | sort -u | \
      xargs apt-mark auto

apt autoremove

This will show the long list of packages to be removed, be careful of unexpected dependencies removing packages you want to keep!

Say 'no' to that prompt and 'apt-mark manual ThisOne' for all the packages you need to keep, and run 'apt autoremove' again (and check again!) to get rid of the junk.

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Leapcell
leapcell.io β€Ί blog β€Ί how-to-uninstall-python-a-comprehensive-guide
How to Uninstall Python: A Comprehensive Guide | Leapcell
July 25, 2025 - Uninstall: Right-click on Python and choose "Uninstall." Open Command Prompt: Search for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click, and select "Run as administrator."
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Altair
help.altair.com β€Ί compose β€Ί help β€Ί en_us β€Ί topics β€Ί compose β€Ί uninstall_python_package_compose_t.htm
Uninstall a Python Package
This command may require administrative privileges to execute. To uninstall a Python package, enter the following command: Windows \common\python\python \win64\python.exe -m ...