YouTube Music Downloader is one of those apps that sounds like a dream—lets you save songs and playlists from YouTube Music for offline listening, no subscription needed. I’ve used it myself when I was tired of paying for streaming services. It’s usually free, easy to install, and works pretty well at first. But here’s the problem: once it’s on your system, it’s not so easy to get rid of. These kinds of tools aren’t sold in official stores, and they often come bundled with sneaky extras—adware, browser hijackers, fake update prompts, and background services that keep running even after you think you’ve uninstalled them. What makes it tough is that it rarely shows up cleanly in your apps list, and when it does, the uninstaller often leaves behind registry entries, temp files, and scheduled tasks that can bring parts of it back after a reboot. You might notice pop-up ads, slower performance, or your default search engine changing—classic signs it never really left.
Uninstalling YouTube Music Downloader on Windows 10:
I’ve cleaned this one off a few machines, and trust me, the standard way only gets you halfway. Start with Settings—press Windows + I, go to Apps > Apps & features. Search for “YouTube Music Downloader.” If it shows up, click it, hit Uninstall, and go through the steps. But don’t celebrate yet.
Now, press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter. This opens the old-school Programs and Features window. Scroll through carefully. Sometimes it’s listed under a different name—like “YTM Downloader,” “MediaGrabber,” or even something vague like “Audio Converter.” If you see anything suspicious tied to the same publisher (often blank or unknown), uninstall it. Say yes to every prompt, even if it feels excessive.
Next, the manual cleanup. This is where most people mess up by skipping steps. Open File Explorer and go to:
C:\Program Files\C:\Program Files (x86)\
Look for folders with names like “YouTube Music Downloader,” “YTM Downloader,” or anything from the developer (probably some random name you don’t recognize). Delete them. If Windows says “file in use,” reboot into Safe Mode and try again.
Now, press Windows + R and type:
%appdata%— check for hidden folders inside Roaming%localappdata%— look in Local and LocalLow%temp%— delete everything here (safe to do)
Delete any folders tied to the app. Also, open Task Scheduler (search for it in Start), and browse the list. If you see a task that runs “on startup” or “daily” with a suspicious name, right-click and delete it.
Then, open Registry Editor by typing regedit in Run. Before doing anything, back up your registry—just right-click “This PC” and choose Export. Then go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
Search for any keys related to the app. Delete them one by one. Be careful—don’t touch anything you’re unsure about. I once messed up my audio settings by deleting the wrong Adobe key—lesson learned.
Uninstalling YouTube Music Downloader on Windows 11:
Windows 11’s interface is cleaner, but doesn’t make this any easier. Click Start, press Windows + I, go to Apps > Installed apps. Use the search bar to type “YouTube Music Downloader.” If it appears, click the three dots (⋯) and select Uninstall. Follow the prompts.
But again, this rarely removes everything. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and check the full list. You might find multiple entries—uninstall each one that looks related. Some versions install a “helper service” or “update manager” that hides in plain sight.
Now, go hunting for leftovers. Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\
Delete any folders with names like “YTMD,” “MusicDownloader,” or anything from an unknown publisher. I found one called “AudioCacheManager” that was still running in the background.
Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to Startup, and disable any unknown entries. Then open Services (search in Start), look for anything with “Downloader,” “Sync,” or strange publishers, stop them, and set to “Disabled.”
For the registry, same as before: use regedit, back up first, then remove any related keys under SOFTWARE. This part is tedious, but skipping it means you might still get pop-ups or weird behavior weeks later.
After all that, you’d think it’s gone. But I’ve seen this app regenerate files after a system update. That’s why I don’t waste hours on manual cleanup anymore. I use PerfectUninstaller now. It scans deep—finds hidden processes, browser extensions, leftover services, and registry junk that you’d never see. It removes everything in one click, and actually stays gone. No reappearances, no pop-ups, no weird background tasks. If you’re serious about cleaning your system without the headache, just use PerfectUninstaller. It’s the only tool I trust to make sure this kind of junk doesn’t keep coming back.
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