# Delete a software installed with Mender

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Tags:** raspberry-pi-4\
**Created:** [November 3, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274 "2021-11-03T14:30:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NicoCaldo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/nicocaldo/32/1409_2.png) [@NicoCaldo](https://hub.mender.io/u/NicoCaldo)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274/1 "2021-11-03T14:30:09Z")

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While trying to use Mender I used the hello-world Docker example and everything went smooth

Now, the problem is, even if I remove the image and the container, under the device Dashboard in Mender on _ **Installed Software** _ it says that the device has installed `docker hello-world-container-update`

Is there a chance to remove it?

I’ve tried to remove the device, uninstall and reinstall Mender but it seems it remembers the device in some way

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**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2021, 7:34am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274/2 "2021-11-04T07:34:10Z")

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The state files for Mender are in `/var/lib/mender/`, if you delete them the client should go back to “nothing installed”, and it will be a stranger to the server.

Make sure you delete only the contents, and not the folder itself, which can cause some different types of problems (the folder is often a symlink).

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**Author:** ![NicoCaldo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/nicocaldo/32/1409_2.png) [@NicoCaldo](https://hub.mender.io/u/NicoCaldo)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274/3 "2021-11-04T14:47:55Z")

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On the folder, I have these files

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mender/original/2X/6/6c7047affb7177d0ad19aba4abd397694c63cfb0.jpeg)

The two folders (modules/scripts) are empty

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**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 7:19am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274/4 "2021-11-05T07:19:40Z")

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Yes, delete all of those, including the folders. Just don’t delete the `/var/lib/mender` folder.

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**Author:** ![NicoCaldo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/nicocaldo/32/1409_2.png) [@NicoCaldo](https://hub.mender.io/u/NicoCaldo)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 10:47am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274/5 "2021-11-05T10:47:58Z")

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> [@kacf](#):
>
> Yes, delete all of those, including the folders. Just don’t delete the `/var/lib/mender` folder.

It worked but now under _Device type_ on the Mender Device Dashboard I got an **-**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![NicoCaldo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/nicocaldo/32/1409_2.png) [@NicoCaldo](https://hub.mender.io/u/NicoCaldo)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 11:10am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/delete-a-software-installed-with-mender/4274/6 "2021-11-05T11:10:59Z")

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Also,  
trying to launch a Deployment with a device type compatibility = Raspberrypi4 on the device I have deleted the files results in a “Pending” status and doesn’t proceed with the deployment

EDIT It turned out cleaning everything and installing all again fixed the issue
