elastic / elastic/docs-content
Document MSI-specific uninstall procedure for Elastic Agent on Windows
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Description
## Summary
The page \"Install Elastic Agent from an MSI package\"
(https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/fleet/install-agent-msi) has no
uninstall section, and the general \"Uninstall Elastic Agents from edge hosts\"
page (https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/fleet/uninstall-elastic-agent)
covers only the `elastic-agent.exe uninstall` method. Neither page mentions:
- That `msiexec /x` is the correct uninstall method for MSI-installed agents
- The correct `INSTALLARGS` usage during uninstall (e.g. `INSTALLARGS="--uninstall-token="` for tamper-protected agents)
- That reusing install-time `INSTALLARGS` (which include `--url` and `--enrollment-token`) at uninstall time causes the uninstall to fail with error code 1603, because `elastic-agent uninstall` does not accept those flags
The correct syntax exists in the elastic-stack-installers GitHub README but is not surfaced at elastic.co/docs.
**Why this needs docs:** Users who install via MSI from the Fleet UI naturally expect to uninstall via MSI with the same command structure. Without documentation they either fail with a cryptic 1603 error or don't know `msiexec /x` is an option.
## What should be added
Add an "Uninstalling" section to the MSI install page:
```powershell
# Without tamper protection
msiexec /x elastic-agent--windows-x86_64.msi /qn /norestart
# With tamper protection enabled
msiexec /x elastic-agent--windows-x86_64.msi INSTALLARGS="--uninstall-token=" /qn /norestart
```
With a note that install-time `INSTALLARGS` values (`--url`, `--enrollment-token`) must **not** be passed at uninstall time — they are install-only flags and will cause the MSI custom action to fail with error code 1603.
Also add a cross-reference or short note on the general uninstall page pointing MSI-installed Windows users to the MSI-specific instructions.
## Suggested next steps
- Add "Uninstalling" section to `/docs/reference/fleet/install-agent-msi`
- Add cross-reference in `/docs/reference/fleet/uninstall-elastic-agent` for MSI-installed agents
- Verify exact `INSTALLARGS` token format against elastic-stack-installers source at draft time
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
Research direction
Start with /docs/reference/fleet/install-agent-msi and /docs/reference/fleet/uninstall-elastic-agent, then verify the exact INSTALLARGS token format against the elastic-stack-installers README. Done means both pages explain msiexec /x, the tamper-protection token, and why install-time flags cause error 1603, with a cross-reference for MSI-installed Windows agents.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- devops, documentation
- Issue type
- Documentation
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 84/100