Desktop software can leave saved settings behind after its program files are removed. Completely removing a program from Windows involves its publisher’s data cleanup as well as its registered uninstaller.

PuTTY stores saved sessions and cached host keys separately from its installation. Its publisher provides a cleanup option for the currently logged-in Windows user, which must run before uninstalling because it needs the installed executable.

Windows 11 provides program removal through Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Publisher cleanup and uninstallation cover the selected program and its supported data locations; other Windows accounts, personal documents, portable copies, and shared runtimes need separate decisions.

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PuTTY cleanup destroys saved sessions, preferences, and cached host keys for the current user. A backup export of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY preserves these settings; private-key files and session logs are separate files to retain if needed. PuTTY's data-location reference identifies the stored settings. Without a backup, those settings cannot be recovered by reinstalling. If you want to keep the settings in place, skip cleanup and proceed to Settings for ordinary uninstallation. Deleting folders, services, scheduled tasks, or registry keys solely because their vendor name matches can break other programs.

Steps to completely remove programs on Windows:

  1. Close PuTTY before removing its saved data.

    For another program, its publisher's documented cleanup or remove-data option determines the supported data-removal action and its timing.

  2. Open Run with Win + R.
  3. Enter the installed PuTTY executable path followed by -cleanup in Open. 
    "C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -cleanup

    The quoted path is the standard installation location; a custom installation needs its actual putty.exe path. PuTTY's cleanup instructions cover its registry settings, random seed, and attempted removal of recent-session jump-list information. They apply only to the current Windows user.

  4. Click OK to start PuTTY's cleanup.
  5. Click Yes in PuTTY Warning to delete the current user's PuTTY settings.

    No cancels the cleanup. The warning explicitly includes destruction of saved sessions. An error means the cleanup has not completed; reopening PuTTY afterward can recreate its data.

  6. Open Settings with Win + I.
  7. Select Apps in the left sidebar.
  8. Open Installed apps.

    Windows 10 calls this area Apps & features.

  9. Enter the program name in Search apps.
  10. Check that the result's name and publisher match the program you intend to remove.
  11. Open the program's More options button marked with three dots.
  12. Select Uninstall from the program menu.
  13. Click Uninstall in the confirmation panel.
  14. Click Yes in User Account Control only if the installer and verified publisher match the intended program.

    PuTTY Installer identifies Simon Tatham as its verified publisher. Other programs may show a different publisher or no elevation prompt.

  15. Wait for the uninstaller to finish.

    Some programs display a separate removal wizard with further confirmations. If the uninstaller requests a restart, removal is not finished until that restart completes. An error or cancellation means the uninstall has not completed.

  16. Close Settings.
  17. Reopen Settings with Win + I.
  18. Select Apps in the reopened window.
  19. Open Installed apps again.
  20. Enter the removed program's name in Search apps again.
  21. Confirm that the search shows no matching program with Filter by set to All drives.

    The completed PuTTY cleanup removes its current-user settings, and this fresh search checks the installed-program removal. Personal documents, private-key files, logs, portable copies, other users’ data, and separately installed components remain outside that cleanup. An empty app list alone does not prove data removal or forensic erasure.

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