How to Uninstall FFmpeg Completely from Windows

FFmpeg is a command-line utility that does not use a traditional Windows installer, meaning it cannot be removed using the standard “Add or Remove Programs” settings. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough on how to completely uninstall FFmpeg from your Windows system by removing its environment variables and deleting its executable files.

Step 1: Locate the FFmpeg Installation Folder

Since FFmpeg is installed by extracting a ZIP file to a directory of your choice, you must first find where those files are stored. If you do not remember where you saved it, you can find the directory using the Command Prompt:

  1. Press the Windows Key, type cmd, and press Enter.
  2. Type where ffmpeg and press Enter.
  3. Note the file path displayed (for example, C:\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg.exe). The folder containing these files is what you will need to delete.

Step 2: Remove FFmpeg from System Environment Variables

Windows uses environment variables to run FFmpeg from any command prompt window. You must remove this link so the system stops recognizing the program.

  1. Press the Windows Key, type Edit the system environment variables, and press Enter.
  2. In the System Properties window that appears, click the Environment Variables… button at the bottom.
  3. In the “User variables” or “System variables” section, locate the variable named Path (or PATH), select it, and click Edit….
  4. Browse the list of paths for the directory containing your FFmpeg files (usually ending in \ffmpeg\bin).
  5. Select the FFmpeg path and click the Delete button.
  6. Click OK on all open windows to save the changes and close them.

Step 3: Delete the FFmpeg Files

Now that Windows no longer references the application, you can safely delete the actual files from your hard drive.

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the directory where FFmpeg was located (the path you identified in Step 1).
  2. Right-click the FFmpeg folder (or the parent folder containing the bin, doc, and presets folders) and select Delete (or press the Delete key on your keyboard).
  3. Empty your Recycle Bin to permanently remove the files from your computer.

Step 4: Verify the Uninstall

To ensure that FFmpeg has been completely removed from your Windows system, you should verify that the command-line tool is no longer responsive.

  1. Open a new Command Prompt window (do not use one that was open before you changed the environment variables).
  2. Type ffmpeg and press Enter.
  3. If the uninstallation was successful, Windows will display the following message: ‘ffmpeg’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.