How to Remove Old FRC Programs on Windows 11: A Quick Guide

During development, we install multiple applications and drivers, including various libraries. However, digital clutter slowly accumulates on our development machines over time. Each season brings new software versions, programming environments, and drivers that slowly consume hard drive space.

I remember when my brother’s team’s robot wouldn’t connect during a critical regional competition. When they traced the issue, they found conflicting versions of the FRC software suite on their laptop.

That experience taught me the importance of properly maintaining a clean development environment. Whether you’re a student programmer, mentor, or coach, knowing how to remove outdated FRC programs from your Windows 11 system correctly is essential for a smooth robotics season.

What Makes FRC Software Different

The FIRST Robotics Competition software ecosystem is uniquely complex. Unlike typical applications, FRC programming involves multiple interconnected components: development environments (like WPILib and Visual Studio Code), driver stations, hardware interfaces (like the National Instruments roboRIO toolkit), and various firmware updaters. These components are often tied to specific competition seasons and robot hardware versions.

Most FRC teams program their robots using a combination of Java, C++, or LabVIEW. Each language requires different development tools, libraries, and dependencies. The WPILib suite is the foundation for most FRC programming, providing essential libraries and tools for robot control.

Why Removal Matters

Properly removing old FRC programs is more than just freeing up disk space. It helps:

• Prevent version conflicts between software components
• Eliminate communication issues with robot hardware
• Reduce startup times for development environments
• Ensure compliance with current season requirements
• Avoid unexpected behavior during competitions

The 2024-2025 FRC season brought significant updates to the software ecosystem. The WPILib suite remains the foundation of FRC programming, with Visual Studio Code serving as the recommended IDE. National Instruments components remain essential for teams using LabVIEW or requiring specific hardware interfaces.

Moreover, recent developments include improved simulation tools. It expanded support for advanced vision processing and better integration with modern CI/CD workflows. The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) software paths have also diverged further, making it even more important to maintain a clean development environment if you work with both programs.

Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Old FRC Programs from Windows 11

1. Backup Your Custom Code and Projects

Backing up data is essential before removing a software application, especially when it is in development. This ensures that all our custom code is safe and can be reused later.

• Document any custom configurations or settings.
• Export your robot projects from VS Code using the WPILib Project menu
• Commit and push any changes to your version control system (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)
• Export any LabVIEW project files if applicable

2. Identify All Installed FRC Components

Windows 11 makes it easier to see what’s installed on our system. We can go to the Apps Settings to find the FRC-related software installed on our system and remove it. Alternatively, the traditional method, which uses the Control Panel, can be used. Here, we discuss both.

Standard FRC components to look for include:

• WPILib Suite (including VS Code extensions)
• FRC Driver Station and utilities
• NI Software (LabVIEW, roboRIO tools)
• Phoenix Framework (for CTRE motor controllers)
• REV Hardware Client
• FIRST Updates and game tools

3. Step to Remove the FRC software using Control panel

1. Click on the Windows 11 Start button
2. When you have the Start menu, type “Control Panel.“
3. Select “Programs – Uninstall a Program” option
4. Sort by publisher or installation date to find FRC-related software

For example, we are removing the NI Package manager here.

Steps to uninstall FRC apps from Windows Settings

• Either press Win+I to open Settings or click the Start button and select the “Gear” icon given for Settings.
• Afterward, click Apps and Installed Apps options from the Settings window.

• From the installed Apps section, search for the installed FRC application version you want to delete or scroll down to find it. Once you have the software, for example, here we have NI package manager. To remove it, we will click on the three dots given for it and select the Uninstall option.

4. Remove FRC Software Using the NI Package Manager

Many libraries, Add-ons, tools, and applications can be installed directly using the Ni Package Manager interface. Hence, National Instruments components require special attention. To remove them, you need to open the Ni Package Manager.

• On the Manager interface, select the “Installed” tab
• Select the FRC application or any other driver you want to delete. For example, we have FRC Game tools, LabView, Ni Certifies Installer, and Vision Common resource here. We first need to check the box given to them to remove any of them.
• After that, click the Remove button, and the FRC software will be uninstalled from your Windows 11 operating system.

5. Uninstall WPILib and VS Code Extensions

The WPILib suite is typically the core of FRC programming. To remove the complete suite, open the control panel or go to Windows 11 Settings Apps, search for WPILIB suite as it appears, and select the Uninstall option.

Whereas, to remove its VScode extension.

1. Open Visual Studio Code
2. Click on the Extensions icon in the left sidebar
3. Search for “WPILib” in your installed extensions
4. Click the gear icon next to WPILib and select “Uninstall.”
5. Restart VS Code to ensure changes take effect

For a more thorough cleanup:

1. Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\wpilib
2. Delete this folder after ensuring your projects are backed up
3. Check %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json for any lingering WPILib configurations

6. Clean Up Vendor Libraries and Dependencies

FRC robots often use third-party hardware that requires specialized software:

1. Remove REV Hardware Client via Windows Add/Remove Programs like we already have shown earlier in the article.
2. Uninstall Phoenix Tuner and CTRE Phoenix Framework
3. Remove any other vendor-specific tools like NavX configuration utilities

7. Clear Registry Entries and Configuration Files

For a thorough cleanup, address registry entries and configuration files:

1. Open Registry Editor (type “regedit” in the Start menu)
2. Navigate to:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WPILib
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\National Instruments
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\FRC
3. Right-click and delete these keys if present

Caution: Modifying the registry can be risky. Consider creating a backup before proceeding.

8. Remove Driver Station and Related Utilities

The FRC Driver Station should be uninstalled last:

1. Open Control Panel > Programs
2. Locate “FRC Driver Station” and select “Uninstall.“
3. Also, remove any related utilities:
   • FRC Radio Configuration Utility
   • FRC Dashboard
   • FRC roboRIO Imaging Tool

9. Verify Removal and Clean System

After uninstallation, verify and clean your system:

1. Restart your computer
2. Check C:\Program Files (x86) and C:\Program Files for any remaining FRC directories
3. Empty your Recycle Bin to free up space
4. Run Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files

Common Questions & Misconceptions

Expert Recommendations

Establish Seasonal Cleanup Protocols

Rather than ad-hoc cleanup, we recommend establishing a systematic approach to FRC software management:

1. Perform full backups and cleanup at the end of each competition season
2. Document your team’s software environment with version numbers and configurations
3. Create a standard imaging process for development laptops to ensure consistency
4. Use virtual machines for testing new software versions before full deployment

This approach will save your team countless hours of troubleshooting and ensure reliable performance during competitions.

Consider Using Version Control Beyond Git

While most teams use Git for code version control, consider extending version control concepts to your entire development environment:

1. Document installed software versions in your repository README
2. Create setup scripts that automate the installation of required components
3. Use Docker containers for development when possible to isolate environments

Optimize for Different Team Roles

Different team members need different software components:

• Programmers: Full development environment with WPILib and VS Code
• Drivers: Minimalist installation with just Driver Station and dashboard
• Scouts/Strategy: No FRC software is required, just team-specific apps

By tailoring installations to roles, you can minimize conflicts and simplify maintenance.

Conclusion

Removing old FRC programs from your Windows 11 system is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of robotics team management. As we’ve seen, a methodical approach to software maintenance can prevent competition-day disasters and ensure your team’s technical resources remain reliable throughout the season.

If you’re new to FRC programming or looking to improve your team’s technical practices, consider contacting veteran teams in your region. The FIRST community has a strong tradition of sharing knowledge, and many teams are happy to share their software management strategies and tools.

What software maintenance practices has your team found effective? Share your experiences and continue the conversation on your team’s development forum or at your next regional workshop!