How to Reinstall Mastercam
This document will cover cleanly removing Mastercam before reinstalling or manually scrubbing a machine for repurposing, therefore requiring a complete removal or re-install of the software and all related components.
Step 1: Deactivate Mastercam License
Note, this deactivation step is intended for a clean uninstall of Mastercam and is only necessary if you do not plan on reinstalling Mastercam on the same machine.
Deactivate the Mastercam license using the Mastercam Activation Wizard found in Windows Start > All Programs/Apps > Mastercam Licensing Utilities > Activation Wizard.
Step 2: Uninstall Mastercam (standard uninstall)
Uninstall Mastercam products using the standard Windows uninstall processes.
Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
Once Mastercam is uninstalled, also uninstall Mastercam Licensing Installer and CodeMeter.
CRITICAL NOTE: If the computer is the host of the Mastercam license, you MUST deactivate the license prior to uninstalling CodeMeter and the activation wizard or licensing installer. This is a critical step to avoid breaking the license and having it become nob recoverable.
In the Mastercam uninstall dialog, click Remove to start the uninstall process. Once the uninstall process is complete, click Finish to close the dialog.
At this point, the Mastercam application has been uninstalled. If you are not troubleshooting unexpected behavior or do not have a need to fully/cleanly remove the remaining components left behind by the InstallShield, then you can skip to Step 5 to reinstall any Mastercam version. Otherwise, continue to Step 3 and proceed with the remaining clean uninstall steps to remove every trace of Mastercam from the computer.
Step 3: Delete Mastercam Folders (clean uninstall)
The InstallShield may leave some Mastercam folders behind. To ensure a clean uninstall, delete the following folders, if they still exist.
C:\Program Files\Mastercam 20xx
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Shared Mastercam 20xx
C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\Documents\My Mastercam 20xx
Replace ‘20xx’ with the major version year of Mastercam and ‘YOUR_USERNAME’ with the name of your Windows user account.
Step 4: Delete Windows Registry Keys (clean uninstall)
To ensure a clean uninstall, delete the following registry keys associated with Mastercam.
CAUTION: Incorrectly editing the Windows Registry can cause installed applications or Windows to fail. Use caution when making changes to the Windows Registry or consider having an IT professional make these changes for you. The MLC CAD Systems Mastercam technical support team strongly suggests that you back up the registry data before making any changes. Simply right-click the registry key(s) being changed and select ‘Export’ to save a copy.
Open the registry Editor app by pressing the Windows key and then type ‘regedit’. Click the Registry Editor app to open it.
Delete:
- Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CNC Software\Mastercam 20xx
- Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CNC Software\Mastercam 20xx
Note, for older versions of Mastercam, the keys might be located at:
…\Software\CNC Software, Inc.\Mastercam 20xx
Step 5: Reinstalling Mastercam
If you are reinstalling Mastercam, follow our technical guide How to Install Mastercam.