Why you need to uninstall the old version first

When you want to install a newer version of an FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) program on your computer, leaving the old one in place can cause conflicts. The new installer may fail, or both versions may try to use the same files and settings, leaving your system in a broken state. Removing the old version completely before installing the new one takes a few minutes and prevents hours of troubleshooting later.

This guide walks you through the uninstall process on Windows and Mac, then shows you how to verify the old program is truly gone before you bring in the new one.

Key Takeaways

  • Use your operating system's built-in uninstall tool (Add/Remove Programs on Windows, Applications folder on Mac) rather than just deleting the program folder.
  • After uninstalling, search your computer for leftover configuration files and folders that the uninstaller may have missed, then delete them manually.
  • Restart your computer after removing the old version and before installing the new one to clear temporary files from memory.
  • On Windows, check the Program Files and AppData folders; on Mac, check the Applications folder and the user Library folder for remnants.

Uninstalling on Windows

Open the Start menu and type "Add or Remove Programs" into the search box, then click the result. Scroll down the list until you find the FRC program (it may be listed as "FRC" followed by a year, such as "FRC 2024" or "FRC 2023"). Click it once to select it, then click the "Uninstall" button that appears.

Windows will show you an uninstall wizard. Follow the prompts and click through to completion. When the wizard finishes, it will tell you the program has been removed. Do not restart your computer yet — you still need to clean up leftover files.

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files (or C:\Program Files (x86) if you are on a 64-bit system and the program was 32-bit). Look for any folders with "FRC" in the name. If you find one, right-click it and select "Delete". Then navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData — note that AppData is a hidden folder, so you may need to click "View" at the top of File Explorer and check the box for "Hidden items" first. Inside AppData, look in the Local, LocalLow, and Roaming folders for any FRC-related folders and delete them.

Uninstalling on Mac

Open Finder and click "Applications" in the sidebar. Scroll through the list and look for the FRC program. Click it once to select it, then press Command+Delete or right-click and select "Move to Trash". Empty the Trash by right-clicking the Trash icon in the Dock and selecting "Empty Trash".

Next, you need to remove configuration files that the uninstall left behind. Open Finder again and press Command+Shift+G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog. Type ~/Library and press Enter. Search through the folders inside Library for any with "FRC" in the name — check Preferences, process Support, and Caches especially. Delete any FRC-related folders you find.

Searching for leftover files on both systems

After you have used the uninstall tool and deleted the folders listed above, use your computer's search function to look for any remaining traces. On Windows, open File Explorer, click in the search box at the top right, and search for "FRC". On Mac, open Spotlight by pressing Command+Space and search for "FRC". Look through the results for any program files, configuration files, or folders related to the old version.

If you find anything, delete it. Be careful not to delete files that belong to other programs — if you are unsure, leave it alone. The goal is to remove FRC-specific files, not to clean your entire computer.

Restarting before you install the new version

Once you have uninstalled the program and removed the leftover files, restart your computer. This clears temporary files from your computer's memory and ensures that no part of the old program is still running in the background. After the restart completes and you are back at the desktop, you are ready to install the new FRC program.

If you skip this step and install the new version while pieces of the old one are still in memory, you may see error messages during installation or the new program may not work correctly.

What to do if the uninstaller does not work

If you run the uninstall wizard and it fails or gets stuck, try restarting your computer and running it again. Sometimes a temporary file or background process is blocking the uninstall. If it fails a second time, you can manually delete the program folder (in Program Files on Windows or Applications on Mac) and then search for and delete the leftover configuration files as described above. This is less clean than using the uninstaller, but it works when the uninstaller does not.

On Windows, if you still cannot remove the program, you can try using a third-party uninstall tool such as Revo Uninstaller or CCleaner, which are designed to find and remove stubborn programs and their leftover files. On Mac, AppCleaner is a free tool that does the same thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to uninstall the old version, or can I just install the new one over it?

You should uninstall first. Installing over an old version can leave conflicting files on your computer, and the new installer may refuse to proceed if it detects the old version is still there. Uninstalling takes only a few minutes and prevents problems later.

What if I need to keep the old FRC program because I am still working on an old project?

You can install both versions on the same computer, but they must be different years or releases. The uninstaller will only remove the version you select. Install the new version in a different location if the installer offers that option, or keep the old one in a separate user account on your computer.

How do I know if all the old files are really gone?

Search your entire computer for "FRC" using the search function in File Explorer (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac). If the search returns no results, or only results from the new version you just installed, the old program is completely removed.

Can I just delete the program folder without using the uninstaller?

Deleting the folder alone leaves behind configuration files and registry entries (on Windows) that can cause problems. Always use the uninstall tool first, then delete any leftover files. This takes a few extra minutes but is much more thorough.