How to Uninstall and Reinstall iRacing (Clean Install)

A full uninstall and reinstall of iRacing takes about ten minutes of clicking and then as long as your internet needs to download the cars and tracks again. You don't lose anything you paid for, and you don't lose your setups if you know which folder is which.

I've done this on my own rig more than once, usually after a Windows reinstall or when the sim refused to launch after an update. This is the order I use. It matches what iRacing support tells members to do, and I checked every step against their articles on 5 October 2026.

Before you uninstall: do you actually need to?

A reinstall fixes a broken install. It does not fix a broken setting. Most "iRacing won't start" problems are in the settings folder, and a reinstall leaves that folder exactly as it is.

So try these first. Each one takes under a minute.

• Rename the settings folder. Close iRacing, go to Documents and rename the iRacing folder to iRacing_old. Start the sim. It builds a fresh folder with default settings. If the problem is gone, the cause was a config file, and you can copy your setups and paints back from the old folder.
• Run the updater again. A half finished update is the most common reason a session won't load. My notes on that are in why you can't download your iRacing updates.
• Reset only the controls. If the wheel or pedals are the problem, you don't need to touch the install. See how to reset iRacing controls.
• Check the usual launch blockers. Antivirus, the anti-cheat service and graphics drivers are covered in why iRacing won't load.

Reinstall when:

• The sim crashes on load and a fresh Documents folder did not help.
• The updater fails or loops every time.
• You have not opened iRacing for years. iRacing support says installs that were last updated before 27 October 2022 can't update themselves any more, and a full reinstall is the only way.
• You moved to a new PC or a new Windows install.

If you only want the sim on a different disk, that is a different job. Use how to move iRacing to another drive.

The two iRacing folders you need to know

Everything in this guide comes down to two folders.

The first path is the default. If you picked another drive when you installed, the folder is wherever you put it.

What you bought is in neither folder. Cars, tracks, credits, your iRating and your licence are stored on your account. After a reinstall you log in and they are all there.

Step 1: back up what matters

Close iRacing and anything that hooks into it: overlays, Crew Chief, SimHub, telemetry tools.

Then copy these to a USB stick, a second drive or your desktop.

Always:

• The whole Documents\iRacing folder. The uninstaller leaves it alone, but a copy costs you nothing and it saves you if something else goes wrong. The folders people cry over are setups, paint and replay.

If your internet is slow:

• The cars folder inside C:\Program Files (x86)\iRacing.
• The tracks folder in the same place.

These two are the big ones. If you own a lot of content they are tens of gigabytes, and they are the reason a reinstall can take a whole evening. With a copy you only download the small stuff afterwards. I keep that method on its own page: reinstall iRacing without downloading your content again.

If your connection is fast, skip the cars and tracks copy. A clean download is the more thorough fix anyway, because a corrupt car or track file is one of the things you may be trying to get rid of.

Step 2: uninstall iRacing

On Windows 11:

1. Right click the Start button and choose Settings.
2. Go to Apps, then Installed apps.
3. Type iracing in the search box.
4. Click the three dots on the right of the iRacing entry and choose Uninstall.
5. Follow the uninstaller to the end.

On Windows 10 the list is under Settings, Apps, Apps and features. The old Control Panel route, Programs and Features, still works on both.

The uninstaller can show a notice at the end. iRacing support says that is normal. Click through it.

If you installed through Steam

Uninstall it from your Steam library like any other game: right click iRacing, Manage, Uninstall. The sim files sit inside your Steam library folder, not in Program Files. Your Documents\iRacing folder is the same either way. If you are not sure which version you have, my iRacing on Steam vs the website page explains the difference.

Step 3: delete the leftover folder

This is the step people skip, and it is the one that makes the reinstall clean.

The uninstaller does not remove everything. Open File Explorer, go to C:\Program Files (x86) and delete the iRacing folder if it is still there. Windows will ask for administrator permission. Say yes.

Double check your cars and tracks copy first if you made one. After this they are gone from this disk.

Then empty the Recycle Bin and restart the PC. The restart clears any iRacing service that was still running in the background, and it is part of iRacing's own instructions.

Step 4: download and reinstall iRacing

1. Go to the iRacing members site and log in.
2. Open the quick start page and click Download iRacing. The direct address is members.iracing.com/membersite/member/instruction/init_qsg.jsp.
3. Double click the file you downloaded.
4. Follow the prompts. This is where you choose the drive.

Put it on an SSD if you have one. iRacing loads a lot of track and car data before every session, and on a hard drive you sit in the loading screen much longer. More on that in why iRacing takes so long to load.

If you copied the cars and tracks folders in step 1, put them back now, before you run any update. Replace the new, almost empty folders with your copies.

Step 5: update your content

Open the iRacing UI and log in. It will tell you that updates are required. Start the download and let it finish.

With a fresh install this is the long part: the sim downloads every car and track you own. With restored folders it only checks the files and pulls what changed.

Don't try to join a session while it is downloading. Wait for it to say everything is up to date.

Step 6: check your settings before you race

Because Documents\iRacing was never touched, most things come back on their own. I still run through this list in a test session before I enter anything official:

• Wheel and pedals. Check steering lock, pedal travel and the force feedback strength. If the calibration looks wrong, run it again from the options screen.
• Graphics. If you started from a fresh Documents folder, the sim runs its graphics configuration again. My baseline is in the iRacing graphics settings guide.
• Setups. Open the garage and confirm your saved setups are listed. If you restored them by hand and they are missing, they are in the wrong folder. See where to put iRacing setups.
• app.ini tweaks. Anything you edited by hand is still there if you kept the old folder. If you started fresh, redo the edits with the app.ini guide open.
• Overlays and apps. Third party tools need to find the sim again. Open each one once.

Do one clean lap offline. If the car drives the way it did before, you are done.

If the reinstall did not fix it

Then the install was never the problem. In my experience it is one of these:

• A setting in Documents\iRacing. Rename the folder as described at the top and test again.
• A graphics driver. Update it, or roll back if the trouble started right after a driver update.
• Antivirus or firewall blocking the sim or the anti-cheat service.
• A PC that is below what the sim now needs. Compare yours with the iRacing system requirements.

If none of that helps, open a ticket with iRacing support. They answer, and they will ask for exactly the steps above, so tell them you have already done a clean reinstall.

FAQ

Will I lose my cars and tracks if I uninstall iRacing?

No. Everything you bought is tied to your account. You only have to download the files again, or copy the cars and tracks folders back if you saved them.

Will I lose my setups?

No. Setups are in Documents\iRacing\setups, and the uninstaller does not remove that folder. Make a copy anyway before you start.

Where is iRacing installed?

By default in C:\Program Files (x86)\iRacing. The Steam version sits in your Steam library folder. Your personal files are in Documents\iRacing in both cases.

How long does it take to reinstall iRacing?

The uninstall and install take a few minutes. The content download depends on how many cars and tracks you own and on your connection. With a lot of content and average internet, plan an evening.

Do I have to pay again after reinstalling?

No. Your subscription and your content belong to the account, not to the PC. You can install iRacing on a new computer and log in.

Can I reinstall iRacing on a different drive?

Yes. The installer lets you pick the location. Choose an SSD for shorter loading times.

Does uninstalling iRacing cancel my subscription?

No. Removing the software does nothing to your membership. Billing is managed in your account on the iRacing site.

Why does iRacing say it can't update after years away?

Installs last updated before 27 October 2022 use an old update connection that iRacing has switched off. Uninstall, delete the program folder and install the current version.