How to Uninstall Python 3.11 on Windows When You Get Security Error 5: Use the Original Installer

Python 3.11 won't uninstall on Windows? Fix security Error 5 by running the original Python installer as admin and selecting Uninstall. When Settings fails.

Uninstalling Python on Windows should be uneventful, yet sometimes the standard routes through Windows Settings or Control Panel end in a permissions dead end. If Python 3.11 refuses to go away and throws a security error, there’s a straightforward path that actually works.

Symptom: uninstallation fails with a security error

Attempts to remove Python 3.11 via Windows Settings → Apps or Control Panel → Programs and Features repeatedly fail and display a permissions-related error like this:

Could not set file security for file 'D:\Config.Msi\e9e4050.rbf'. Error: 5.
Verify that you have sufficient privileges to modify the security
permissions for this file.

What’s really happening

The error text points to a permissions problem during the uninstall process. That aligns with the observation that Python may have been installed with elevated rights. When uninstallers don’t have the same level of privileges, they can fail on file system operations.

The error message is a hint that Python was installed with administrative privileges. Is your current account an administrator one?

Fix: run the original Python installer as administrator and choose Uninstall

The reliable way to remove Python 3.11 in this situation is to use the exact installer you originally ran, but launch it with elevation and let it handle the removal.

Open the folder where the Python 3.11 installer executable was saved, for example Downloads. Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator. When the Python setup window appears, it offers three actions: Modify, Repair, or Uninstall. Select Uninstall and proceed. This path succeeds where Windows Settings or Control Panel can fail.

Why this approach matters

The original installer knows how the product was laid down on the system and exposes Modify/Repair/Uninstall in one place. When permissions get in the way—particularly on Windows 11 Pro 24H2—launching that installer with elevation gives the uninstaller the rights it needs, avoiding the “Error: 5” roadblock.

Practical takeaways

If Python 3.11 won’t uninstall and you see a file security error, don’t wrestle with repeated attempts through Settings or Control Panel. Use the original installer, run it as administrator, and choose Uninstall. It’s also worth keeping installer executables for tools you manage; they often provide the most reliable path for clean removal, repair, or modification.