How Do I Delete Final Draft 12?

Thoroughly deleting Final Draft 12 requires more than just uninstalling the application. You must also remove related files, preferences, and registry entries (on Windows) to prevent residual data from causing conflicts with a new installation.

Before beginning, ensure you save a copy of any scripts you want to keep, as the uninstallation process is intended to remove all program-related files, not your personal documents. If you plan to reinstall Final Draft on another computer, you must first deactivate your license to free up your activation key. To deactivate, open Final Draft, go to Help > Deactivate, and follow the on-screen prompts.

How to delete Final Draft 12 on Windows

Step 1: Uninstall the program

1. Click the Start button and type "Final Draft".
2. Right-click the Final Draft menu item and select Uninstall.
3. In the list of installed programs, find and select Final Draft 12, then click Uninstall.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation.

Step 2: Delete program files

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your main hard drive, typically labeled This PC > Local Disk (C:).
2. Open the Program Files (x86) folder. If you see a Final Draft folder, check it for any scripts you want to save, then delete the folder entirely.
3. To show hidden files, click the View menu at the top of File Explorer and check the box for Hidden items.
4. Navigate to Local Disk (C:) > ProgramData and delete the Final Draft folder.
5. Navigate to Local Disk (C:) > Users > [Your User Name] > AppData > Roaming.
6. Open the Final Draft folder and delete the Data and English (United States) folders. Do not delete the Backup folder if you want to keep your script backups.

Step 3: Remove registry entries (advanced)

Warning: Making incorrect changes to your system registry can cause serious problems. Follow these steps carefully.

1. Press the Start button and type "regedit".
2. Click on regedit to open the Registry Editor.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software.
4. Find and highlight the folder named Final Draft.
5. Press the Delete key on your keyboard and click Yes to confirm.
6. Still under HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software, locate and delete the FLEXlm License Manager folder.
7. Close the Registry Editor. Final Draft is now completely uninstalled.

How to delete Final Draft 12 on Mac

Step 1: Deactivate and quit the application

1. Open Final Draft, go to Help > Deactivate, and follow the prompts.
2. Quit Final Draft completely by pressing Command + Q.

Step 2: Drag the application to the Trash

1. Open your Applications folder.
2. Find the Final Draft icon and drag it to the Trash.

Step 3: Use Terminal to delete preferences (advanced)

1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.
2. Type the following command and press Return: defaults delete com.finaldraft.finaldraft.v12.
3. Quit Terminal.

Step 4: Remove supporting files

1. Click the desktop to bring up the Finder menu bar.
2. Hold down the Option key and click the Go menu. Select Library from the dropdown.
3. Navigate to Application Support > Final Draft > Final Draft 12.
4. Drag the Spell-check folder (named after a language, e.g., "English (United States)") to the Trash.
5. Do not delete the Backup folder if you want to keep your script backups.
6. In the Finder menu, click Empty Trash to permanently delete the files.