As one of the most widely used tools for numerical computing and analysis, MATLAB powers cutting-edge research and development across science, engineering, economics and more. From colleges to corporations, MATLAB serves over 4 million users globally.
With hundreds of domain-specific toolboxes and support for everything from data wrangling to deep learning, a full MATLAB installation including add-ons can easily swell to 10GB+ disk occupancy or greater.
So as your MATLAB environment grows and evolves over time, you may eventually want to wipe the slate clean by fully uninstalling the entire platform from your computer before moving to a fresh install.
In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, you’ll learn:
- Key reasons for uninstalling MATLAB
- Vital pre-uninstall preparation steps
- Step-by-step uninstall procedures for Windows and Linux
- Post uninstallation follow up actions
- Manual cleanup for leftover MATLAB remnants
- FAQs and expert tips
Ready to smoothly scrub MATLAB completely from your Windows or Linux machine? Let’s get started!
Why Uninstall MATLAB?
Before we dig into the how-to, it‘s important to understand the key motivations behind uninstalling in the first place.
Here are the top scenarios that typically lead to complete MATLAB removal:
Free Up Significant Drive Space
The base MATLAB install alone can consume 5GB+ of drive capacity. Start adding on domain-specific toolboxes like Bioinformatics, Econometrics or Control Systems at 1-2GB each, and your overall footprint grows rapidly.
Clearing MATLAB off entirely liberates all that space for reuse – critical if you’re running low on storage.
Resolve Software Conflicts
Over years of use, MATLAB can accumulate legacy dlls, configs and caching that lead to conflicts with other apps resulting in crashes or functionality issues.
Wiping the slate clean before reinstalling MATLAB fresh circumvents any conflicts.
Upgrade Between Major Versions
While the incremental MATLAB updates (e.g. R2022a to R2022b) play nicely together on the same machine, the major releases (R2022b to R2023a) tend to require a full uninstall and reinstall for stability.
Transfer License to New Computer
If you’ve purchased an individual MATLAB license you’d like to migrate to another computer, deactivating on the original machine followed by uninstall is the first step to free up activation for transfer.
With those top use cases covered, let’s move on to the necessary preparations to take before deleting MATLAB for a smooth removal process.
Before You Uninstall MATLAB
To head off any potential data loss or licensing issues during uninstall, carrying out these preparatory steps is critical:
Close All MATLAB Apps and Windows
Force closing any currently running MATLAB sessions – including the core IDE, supplementary products like Simulink or Polyspace, and toolbox-specific utilities – ensures no vital processes are disrupted mid-execution by an uninstall.
Unexpected session termination risks corruption of MATLAB configuration files, compiled binaries or even loss of unsaved work still held in memory.
So make doubly sure no MATLAB-related apps are still open in the background before proceeding!
Deactivate Your License
For paid MATLAB editions requiring per user activation, properly deactivating your license is a mandatory precondition for uninstall.
Deactivation frees up that license for reuse on the current machine or transfer to another computer if desired.
Most MATLAB uninstallers will automatically prompt you upon completion to deactivate as a final step. But you can manually deactivate ahead of time as well by executing:
matlab -deactivatefrom your operating system’s command line interface.
Neglecting to deactivate risks losing your current license permanently if attempting to assign the freed up activation to another device after uninstall.
Back Up Critical User-Generated Files
Over a MATLAB career spanning years, it’s common to build up troves of custom code, analysis results and specialized models you’ll want to preserve through an uninstall.
By default, MATLAB stores user generated .m code files, .mat data files and .mlx live scripts under common folders like:
Windows
C:\Users\[username]\Documents\MATLAB
Linux
/home/[username]/MathWorks
Prior to uninstalling, take time to backup these folders in their entirety either to cloud storage or local external drives. That way your customized MATLAB work is safe regardless of any unforeseen issues removing MATLAB itself.
For even more bulletproof protection, also be sure to commit any active MATLAB projects under source control on services like GitHub.
Clear Temporary Files and Cache
In addition to precious user-created content, MATLAB also accumulates disposable temporary processing data, compilation artifacts and caching to speed repeated tasks.
Safely wiping this interim material ahead of uninstall prevents cluttering up your system with unused MATLAB leftovers.
On Windows, clear contents under:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp\MathWorks
For Linux systems:
- Empty
/tmp/MathWorks - Remove ~/.matlab folder in user home directory
With backups secured and temporary files purged, you‘ve successfully prepped for eliminating MATLAB. Now let’s run through the step-by-step specifics first for Windows then Linux.
Uninstalling MATLAB on Windows
Thanks to modern app packaging, uninstalling MATLAB on Windows 10 or 11 works identically to removing any other desktop program.
Here’s how to wipe MATLAB cleanly off a Windows machine:
- Open Settings
Click the Start Menu and launch the Windows Settings app. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut
Windows + I. - Select Apps Listing
Within Settings, choose the Apps entry listed vertically along the left side. This will display the "Apps & features" page cataloging all installed desktop applications.
- Locate MATLAB
Scroll down the various apps until you spot the listing titled "MATLAB ." Click it to select.
- Initiate Uninstall
With MATLAB selected, click the "Uninstall" button that appears. This will kick off the automated process of removing the MATLAB software package from your computer.
- Confirm MATLAB Components to Remove
A pop-up prompt will appear asking you to "Select the products you want to uninstall." The installer will have automatically checked all MATLAB products currently activated on your system.
Carefully review to ensure you wish to delete all components showing a checkmark. For example, domain specific toolboxes like Statistics or Signal Processing will be separate line items. Deselect any you may want to leave installed through the uninstall.
When ready, click the Uninstall button in the bottom right to proceed.
- Wait for Uninstallation to Complete
Monitor progress as the Windows uninstaller deletes all chosen MATLAB components. A progress bar tracks status. Do not forcibly power down or restart during uninstall to avoid potential corruption.
Generally within a few minutes the removal will finalize, displaying an "Uninstallation Completed" confirmation.
And believe it or not, that’s all it takes to get MATLAB fully off any Windows 10 or 11 device!
Let’s quickly cover some follow up steps before moving on to Linux uninstall specifics.
Post Uninstallation: Follow Up Steps
With MATLAB successfully removed, here are a few final actions recommended to tidy things up:
Restart Your Computer – Rebooting completely clears MATLAB from system memory and finalizes filesystem changes from the uninstall.
Reclaim Leftover Disk Space – Open the Disk Cleanup utility and wipe any residual MATLAB directories or config files left behind.
Consider Reinstalling MATLAB – If you still require MATLAB and are just aiming to clean the slate before reinstalling fresh, go ahead and run the MATLAB installer now to reinstate it.
Retain Backups – As a precaution against needing to reference old scripts or models, preserve backups of your MATLAB user folder for the foreseeable future.
And that wraps up silencing MATLAB under Windows. But what about getting MATLAB off Linux distributions? Read on to find out…
Uninstalling MATLAB on Linux
Removing MATLAB under common Linux desktop operating systems resembles the Windows approach but trades graphical menus for text terminal commands.
Here is the Linux process to scrub MATLAB completely from Ubuntu, Red Hat and similar distros:
- Open Terminal Console
First, open a new Terminal console window to enter Linux shell commands for uninstalling system packages like MATLAB.
- Run Uninstaller Script
Type the following command which will launch MATLAB‘s bundled uninstallation script with root privileges:
sudo /path/to/matlab/uninstallOptionally append the
-mode textflag to view plaintext status rather than interactive menus:sudo /path/to/matlab/uninstall -mode text - Authenticate if Prompted
Since uninstall is prefixed with
sudo, you may need to enter your account password or provide other authentication to confirm administrator access. - Select MATLAB Products to Remove
The script will automatically detect and list all MATLAB packages installed on your system eligible for removal.
If using
-mode text, place aynext to any specific bundles you want uninstalled:MATLAB V97unixi64 2022a Simulink 2022a Bioinformatics Toolbox 2022aOtherwise check products via standard GUI interfaces to remove.
Ensure you select MATLAB itself and toolboxes or other add-ons you want fully wiped.
- Complete Uninstallation Process
After finalizing your product removal selections, the uninstall script will execute eliminating all chosen MATLAB bundles – displaying progress as it goes.
Do not disrupt the script mid-run or force power off/reboot until finished.
Upon completion you should receive an “Uninstall is complete” confirmation that MATLAB has been removed.
And that wraps up scrubbing MATLAB entirely from common Linux operating systems. Before we conclude, let’s go over some final post uninstall considerations…
Post Uninstall: Residual Cleanup
Ideally after running the MATLAB uninstallers for Windows or Linux, zero remnants of the platform will remain littered around your system.
But occasionally stray configuration files, compiled caches or registry entries may yet persist. Here is how to hunt down and exterminate any final MATLAB vestiges if your uninstall seems to have leftover loose ends.
On Windows:
- Browse to
C:\Program Files\MATLABandC:\ProgramData\MathWorks. Delete any leftover directories related to MATLAB itself or toolboxes. - Open registry editor via
regedit.exeand remove all keys containing “Mathworks” or “MATLAB” under bothHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWAREandHKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE. This erases all MATLAB settings. - Search entire C: drive for "matlab" with Windows search and carefully delete any MAX, MEX or other files linked to prior MATLAB versions. Seek guidance before removing unfamiliar file types.
For Linux:
- Check typical installation paths like
/usr/local/MATLABand/opt/MATLAB. Remove all remaining MATLAB-related folders. - Run
sudo find / -name *matlab*to catch any additional config/cache scraps. - Fully reset MATLAB environment variables like
$PATHand$LD_LIBRARY_PATHwhich may still contain outdated directory locations from before uninstall.
While not typically necessary, that covers how to manually handle any odd edge cases where automated MATLAB uninstall fails to fully clear itself out initially.
With that "scrubbing the stubborn spots" tutorial provided as a backup, let‘s wrap up our end-to-end MATLAB uninstall guide by recapping some FAQs along with key takeaways for readers.
FAQs and Final Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is uninstalling MATLAB on Mac equally simple compared to Windows and Linux?
Yes, macOS features comparable drag and drop removal just by moving the MATLAB folder from Applications to Trash. Licensing deactivation and user data backups still apply as best practices before deleting however.
Q: Can I selectively uninstall just certain MATLAB toolboxes while keeping others intact?
Absolutely, both the Windows Apps interface and Linux uninstall script allow you to pick and choose only specific MATLAB products to remove while preserving the rest. This flexibility helps minimize necessary reconfiguration if only upgrading certain components.
Q: What happens if I uninstall MATLAB without deactivating first? Can I recover my license?
Failure to properly deactivate may lock your MATLAB license to the machine, hindering transfer elsewhere. But contacting MathWorks support with your activation key information can typically unlock it for reuse after explaining your situation.
Q: How much drive space is typically freed up after a complete MATLAB uninstall?
Between MATLAB core, toolboxes and temporary processing data, you can easily free up 5-15GB or more of drive capacity previously occupied by a years-old MATLAB footprint containing numerous add-ons and cached artifacts.
Key Takeaways
And finally, here are the top highlights to remember about banishing MATLAB out of your computing life completely when the time comes:
- Always close MATLAB and deactivate your license in advance to prevent license complications
- Backup all custom scripts, tools and models to external storage before uninstalling
- Carefully monitor the automated uninstallers beginning to end, without interrupting
- Windows utilizes Settings > Apps just like any desktop app removal
- Linux relies on the terminal-driven
uninstallscript instead - Manual cleanup may still be required afterwards if the uninstallers missed anything
The End: MATLAB Begone!
That concludes our epic, exhaustive, cover-all-bases reference guide on fully removing every trace of MATLAB from your Windows or Linux computing environment.
We tore through critical pre-uninstall preparation like securing user data and licensing details…
Step-by-step walkthroughs of MATLAB removal procedures across Windows and Linux OSes…
Plus post-uninstall follow ups like rebooting, freeing up reclaimed disk space, or hunting down stubborn leftover remnants.
Hopefully by now you feel armed with an expert-level mastery of making MATLAB vanish instantly and completely on demand!
So the next time you face an urge to hit total reset on your MATLAB installation to upgrade versions, resolve performance issues or free up drive capacity, you’ll know exactly how to clear out MATLAB swiftly and safely.
