Issues opening and then uninstall/reinstalling quicken

toddbowie719

I have a Windows 11 system that I use Quicken on. This morning I noticed that the program only opened partially and would not even appear on the screen. Then I uninstalled the program to reinstall it but am now getting an error message when trying to install. It is staying I need to manually delete the install folder. This is not normal so what is the deal??

The Keeper

This usually happens when Quicken’s previous installation didn’t fully uninstall and Windows still thinks the old program folder or components are there. This leaves behind “residue” that blocks the reinstall.

When Quicken won’t open (half-open window or invisible window), the underlying issue is often:

1. Corrupt UI settings -

Quicken sometimes opens off-screen or with bad display settings

2. Damaged installation files

When you uninstall, Windows may not delete:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Quicken
• Quicken runtime folders
• Broken registry entries

Then the reinstall detects the leftover folder and throws the “manually delete” message.

Fix: Step-By-Step Clean Reinstall

Follow these steps exactly—this solves the issue 95% of the time.

STEP 1 — Make sure Quicken is fully closed

Press: Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Task Manager

Look for:

• qw.exe
• Quicken.exe
• QuickenBackgroundService

If any are running → End task.

STEP 2 — Delete the leftover installation folder

Check BOTH of these:

Folder 1:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Quicken - If it exists → delete it.

Folder 2:

C:\ProgramData\Quicken

(This folder is hidden — open File Explorer → View → Show → Hidden items) -

If present → delete it.

STEP 3 — Delete leftover user settings (fixes the off-screen window bug)

Go to: - C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\Quicken

Delete the entire Quicken folder. (This does NOT delete any data files.)

STEP 4 — Use Quicken’s official “QCleanUI” cleanup tool (important)

Quicken provides its own repair tool for cases exactly like this. Download from the official Quicken support page:

• QCleanUI.exe
• MSICleanup.exe

Run QCleanUI, choose:

✔ Clean all versions
→ Run

This removes any corrupt installer records.

STEP 5 — Reboot your PC

STEP 6 — Reinstall Quicken

Reinstall using:

• Your original installer
  OR
• Quicken.com > Sign In > My Account > Download Quicken. If everything above was done, the installer should now run normally.

If Quicken still won’t open after reinstall:

The “opens partially/invisible” issue can be fixed by resetting window layout:

Hold Ctrl + Shift → double-click Quicken icon. This forces a reset of the display configuration.

markus1957

Good guidance by @The Keeper with a few notes…

FWIW, QCleanUI is no longer available. Quicken now runs it as part of the install.

Also, reinstall with the Quicken.com download installer.

You should also look for the install folder and delete it if it exists. It's located in C:\Users<your username>\AppData\Local\Temp\ in a folder that starts with "pft" and will be named "Quicken.msi"

The Keeper

This usually happens when Quicken’s previous installation didn’t fully uninstall and Windows still thinks the old program folder or components are there. This leaves behind “residue” that blocks the reinstall.

When Quicken won’t open (half-open window or invisible window), the underlying issue is often:

1. Corrupt UI settings -

Quicken sometimes opens off-screen or with bad display settings

2. Damaged installation files

When you uninstall, Windows may not delete:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Quicken
• Quicken runtime folders
• Broken registry entries

Then the reinstall detects the leftover folder and throws the “manually delete” message.

Fix: Step-By-Step Clean Reinstall

Follow these steps exactly—this solves the issue 95% of the time.

STEP 1 — Make sure Quicken is fully closed

Press: Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Task Manager

Look for:

• qw.exe
• Quicken.exe
• QuickenBackgroundService

If any are running → End task.

STEP 2 — Delete the leftover installation folder

Check BOTH of these:

Folder 1:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Quicken - If it exists → delete it.

Folder 2:

C:\ProgramData\Quicken

(This folder is hidden — open File Explorer → View → Show → Hidden items) -

If present → delete it.

STEP 3 — Delete leftover user settings (fixes the off-screen window bug)

Go to: - C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\Quicken

Delete the entire Quicken folder. (This does NOT delete any data files.)

STEP 4 — Use Quicken’s official “QCleanUI” cleanup tool (important)

Quicken provides its own repair tool for cases exactly like this. Download from the official Quicken support page:

• QCleanUI.exe
• MSICleanup.exe

Run QCleanUI, choose:

✔ Clean all versions
→ Run

This removes any corrupt installer records.

STEP 5 — Reboot your PC

STEP 6 — Reinstall Quicken

Reinstall using:

• Your original installer
  OR
• Quicken.com > Sign In > My Account > Download Quicken. If everything above was done, the installer should now run normally.

If Quicken still won’t open after reinstall:

The “opens partially/invisible” issue can be fixed by resetting window layout:

Hold Ctrl + Shift → double-click Quicken icon. This forces a reset of the display configuration.

markus1957

Good guidance by @The Keeper with a few notes…

FWIW, QCleanUI is no longer available. Quicken now runs it as part of the install.

Also, reinstall with the Quicken.com download installer.

You should also look for the install folder and delete it if it exists. It's located in C:\Users<your username>\AppData\Local\Temp\ in a folder that starts with "pft" and will be named "Quicken.msi"

toddbowie719

Thanks much to the both of you for the quick and detailed instructions!! Worked like a charm :)