How you uninstall PDF Arranger depends entirely on how you installed it, and picking the wrong method is the usual reason people think the app is still there afterwards. This guide covers each route separately: the Windows MSI install, the Windows portable version, and the main Linux methods. Uninstalling never touches the PDF files you created with the app; those are yours and stay where you saved them.
Windows: MSI install
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on older Windows wording, Apps & features).
- Find PDF Arranger in the list, open its menu, and choose Uninstall.
- Confirm the prompts and let the uninstaller finish. PDF Arranger disappears from the Start menu and from the apps list.
One honest footnote: users have reported in the project’s issue tracker that uninstalling some versions on Windows could leave the install folder behind. After uninstalling, look in the folder where the app was installed (by default under Program Files); if a leftover PDF Arranger folder is still there and the app no longer appears in Settings, you can delete that folder manually. If you plan to reinstall, our Windows install guide covers verifying the fresh installer.
Windows: portable version
The portable build was never installed, so there is nothing to uninstall and no entry in Settings to find. Close the app, delete the folder you extracted the ZIP into, and delete the ZIP itself if you kept it. That is the complete removal, which is one of the reasons people choose the portable build described in our portable guide.
Linux: distribution package
Remove a distribution package with the same package manager that installed it:
- Debian, Ubuntu and Linux Mint:
sudo apt remove pdfarranger - Fedora:
sudo dnf remove pdfarranger - Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -R pdfarranger
Removing the package removes the application. Shared libraries it originally pulled in may stay on the system, which is normal package-manager behaviour and harmless, since other programs may use them.
Linux: Flatpak
For the Flathub install, run: flatpak uninstall com.github.jeromerobert.pdfarranger. Flatpak will ask for confirmation. If you installed the Flatpak only for PDF Arranger and want the full background on that route, see our Flatpak install guide.
What about leftover settings?
Like most desktop applications, PDF Arranger can leave small user preference files behind after uninstall. Where those live depends on your platform and install method, and the project does not publish a single official list of locations, so we are not going to invent exact paths for you. The practical guidance is simple: leftover preferences are tiny, harmless, and actually convenient if you reinstall later, because the app picks your settings back up. If you want a completely clean slate, look in your platform’s standard per-user configuration area after uninstalling, bearing in mind that exact locations vary.
Before you go
If you are uninstalling because the app would not start or would not open files, the problem may be fixable faster than switching tools: see our guides on PDF Arranger not launching on Windows and PDF Arranger not opening a PDF. And if you are removing it from one machine to move to another, remember the app is free and open source under GPL-3.0, so there are no licences or accounts to transfer.