How to uninstall Bonjour on Windows 11 and 10

Bonjour is Apple's zero-configuration networking service. It often arrives with iTunes or other software, and Windows does not need it. Stop its service, uninstall it in Settings or Control Panel, and use its own commands if the uninstaller fails.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, read against Apple's own Bonjour pages.

What Bonjour is and whether you can remove it

Apple's developer site says Bonjour, also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of devices and services on a local network using industry standard IP protocols. In plain words, it lets a program find a printer, a shared library or another computer without you typing an address.

On Windows it runs as a background service. Users report that iTunes and some Adobe software install it quietly, which is why many people meet it only when the program shows up in a list of installed apps or in a crash report. Apple's pages we read do not say which Windows programs install it, so treat that as users' experience.

The reason people mistake it for a virus is that it starts with Windows, is hard to find in the old Control Panel list and its process comes back after you end it. A copy outside Program Files or one that arrived from a download site you do not know is a different matter: scan the PC with Microsoft Defender, How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender.

Before you start: crashes, what you lose and what to close

If you came here because of random crashes, open Event Viewer first and note which program or module the entries name. Removing Bonjour only helps if mDNSResponder.exe or mdnsNSP.dll is the one named. If the entries name something else, Bonjour is not the cause and the crashes may continue.

Close iTunes, other Apple programs and any Adobe program that is open. Their processes may use Bonjour and hold its files. You need an administrator account. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025; the steps still work there, and the differences are noted.

How to uninstall Bonjour completely, step by step

Do the steps in order and stop when Bonjour is gone. Step 3 is only for when Settings does not list it, and Step 4 only when the uninstaller fails. If nothing works, go to the section "Bonjour will not uninstall" below.

Step 1. Close Apple programs and stop the Bonjour Service

3 minutesLow riskAnyone whose Bonjour process is running, or who ended it and saw it return.

The Bonjour Service starts mDNSResponder.exe at boot, and Windows restarts a stopped process while the service runs. A running process keeps its files in use, so the uninstaller can fail or leave files behind.

1. Close iTunes, other Apple programs and any open Adobe program.
2. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
3. Find Bonjour Service, right-click it and select Stop.
4. Right-click it again, select Properties, set Startup type to Manual and select OK.

The same steps with more pictures: Check and restart Windows services. If mDNSResponder.exe is still in Task Manager, end it there: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit).

Step 2. Uninstall Bonjour in Windows Settings

3 minutesLow riskBonjour is in the list of installed apps, which is the case for most readers.

This runs Bonjour's own uninstaller, the way Microsoft recommends for any program. It removes the service, the network provider and the program folder in one go, so it is the first choice before any command.

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. On Windows 10 the page is Apps & features.
2. Type Bonjour in the search box above the list.
3. On Windows 11, select More (three dots) next to Bonjour, then Uninstall. On Windows 10, select the entry, then Uninstall.
4. Click Uninstall again to confirm, then Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
5. If Bonjour Print Services is also listed and you do not print to Bonjour printers, remove it the same way.
6. Restart when the uninstaller asks.

Every Windows uninstall screen with pictures: Uninstall a program or app in Windows.

Step 3. Uninstall Bonjour in Control Panel

3 minutesLow riskSettings does not list Bonjour, or its Uninstall button does nothing.

Control Panel reads the same list of installed programs, but it is a separate screen with its own way of starting the uninstaller. A program that Settings skips or fails on is sometimes removed here.

1. Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl and press Enter. This opens Programs and Features directly.
2. Select Bonjour in the list.
3. Click Uninstall above the list and confirm.
4. Click Yes in the User Account Control prompt and follow the uninstaller to the end.

The old Control Panel route was Start, Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a program. The appwiz.cpl command opens the same page on Windows 11 and 10 and saves the search.

Step 4. Remove Bonjour with its own commands

7 minutesRead the warningThe uninstaller shows the Program Files error, fails or is missing, and the Bonjour folder still exists.

Users report that Bonjour's executable removes its own service with the -remove switch and that regsvr32 /u unregisters its network provider file. Both are what the uninstaller does, done by hand when the uninstaller itself will not run.

1. Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Use Command Prompt, not PowerShell, because %PROGRAMFILES% only expands there.
2. Type the command below and press Enter. It removes the Bonjour service.
3. Type the second command and press Enter. It unregisters the network provider file. Windows should report that the unregistration succeeded.
4. Open C:\Program Files\ in File Explorer and delete the Bonjour folder. If Windows says a file is in use, restart and try again before you open any Apple program.

Run both lines, one after the other

"%PROGRAMFILES%\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe" -remove
regsvr32 /u "%PROGRAMFILES%\Bonjour\mdnsNSP.dll"

If the Bonjour folder is not in C:\Program Files, look in C:\Program Files (x86) and change the path in both commands. We could not confirm from Apple's pages which folder each Windows build uses.

Step 5. Restart and remove the leftovers

4 minutesLow riskAnyone who finished Step 2, 3 or 4.

Windows loads a network provider file when it starts and holds it until shutdown. Only after a restart can you delete what the uninstaller could not, and only then do the checks in "How to confirm Bonjour is gone" mean anything.

1. Select Start > Power > Restart.
2. Open C:\Program Files\ and delete the Bonjour and Bonjour Print Services folders if they are still there.
3. Press Win + R, type services.msc and check that no Bonjour Service is listed.
4. Go through the table in "How to confirm Bonjour is gone" below.

What Bonjour leaves behind and where to find it

These are the places we could name from Apple's pages and from user reports. Apple does not publish a list of everything Bonjour writes, so we name no registry keys: deleting keys by name guess is not worth the risk.

Bonjour will not uninstall: each failure and its way out

If a Bonjour file stays locked even after a restart, start Windows in Safe Mode and delete it there: Start Windows or a Mac in Safe Mode.

On Windows 10, Microsoft also offers its Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter, which can fix a damaged uninstall entry. We did not read that page today, so search for the name on support.microsoft.com.

How to confirm Bonjour is gone

Do these checks after the restart in Step 5. A clean result in every row means Bonjour and its service are removed for the whole PC.

If you came here for crashes, use the PC as usual for a few days and look in Event Viewer for new entries naming Bonjour.

If something stops working after the removal

If a printer, iTunes or an Adobe program stops finding devices after Bonjour is gone, Bonjour is the likely reason. The simplest way back is to reinstall the program that used it, because users report that these programs install Bonjour themselves.

Apple's page on updating its Windows software says that on Windows 10 or later you should use the Microsoft Store for Apple apps such as iTunes, and that Apple Software Update is then no longer needed. Newer Store versions are a cleaner way to get Apple software than old standalone installers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I uninstall Bonjour on Windows 11?

Yes. Windows 11 does not need Bonjour to run, and removing it deletes none of your files. The only things that can stop are apps that use it to find devices on your network, such as Bonjour printers, and users report iTunes network features. Close those apps, uninstall Bonjour in Installed apps and restart. If you do not use any Apple software on the PC, nothing you notice changes. If something stops finding a device afterwards, reinstall that program.

How to delete Bonjour from Windows 11?

Delete it by uninstalling, not by removing its folder. Deleting C:\Program Files\Bonjour alone leaves the Bonjour Service and the registered network provider pointing at missing files. Use Settings > Apps > Installed apps first (Step 2). Delete the folder by hand only afterwards, in Step 5, and only if the uninstaller left it behind.

Can I delete Bonjour from my computer?

You can, as long as you remove it in the right order: stop the service, uninstall, restart, then delete what is left. Apple describes Bonjour as a discovery technology and publishes it as open source, so it is not malware. Windows itself does not rely on it. Keep it only if you print to Bonjour printers or use Apple software over the network.

How to remove Bonjour from Windows 11?

Use the three routes in this order and stop when it is gone. First Installed apps, second Programs and Features through appwiz.cpl, third the commands in Step 4 from an administrator Command Prompt. The third route is the one for the Program Files error, because it does not start the installer. Restart after any of them.

Can I delete Bonjour?

Yes, and many people do after they stop using iTunes. The question to ask first is what else on the PC looks for devices through it. Check Event Viewer if crashes are your reason, because removal only fixes crashes that name Bonjour. If they name another module, Bonjour is not the cause.

Is Bonjour a virus?

No. Apple's developer site presents Bonjour as its zero-configuration networking technology and publishes the source code. It looks suspicious because it starts with Windows, runs as mDNSResponder.exe and returns after you end it. A file with that name outside the Bonjour folder is worth scanning with Microsoft Defender: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender. Apple does not describe it as a security risk on the pages we read.

Why does mDNSResponder.exe keep coming back?

Because the Bonjour Service starts it. Ending the process in Task Manager does not stop the service, so Windows or the service starts it again. Stop the service in services.msc and set it to Manual, or uninstall Bonjour. Disabling the service is less final than uninstalling, and it is the reversible choice if you are unsure.

What does the Program Files invalid character message mean?

We found no Apple or Microsoft page that explains "The folder path 'Program Files' contains an invalid character." Readers report it when the Bonjour uninstaller runs. Since the cause is not documented, go around the installer: stop the service and use the commands in Step 4, then delete the folder.

Will uninstalling Bonjour delete iTunes or my music?

No. Bonjour holds no music, backups or settings of iTunes. Removing it deletes only Bonjour's own files and service. Network features that use it may stop working, which is the reason to keep Bonjour if you use them. Your library, purchases and device backups stay where they are, and nothing about your Apple account changes.