Read time: ~3 minutes
Applies to: Admin Portal · On-premise only
What you can do
Remove leftover LocalDB databases and storage files after uninstalling the CRIBWISE Admin Portal so you can start fresh on a reinstall or upgrade.
What gets cleaned up
Uninstalling the Admin Portal leaves two of the three data stores behind. Clean those up manually.
| Data store | Removed on uninstall? | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| LocalDB database | No — remove it manually (Step 1) | The MSSQLLocalDB instance, plus the database files in C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile |
| Files on the file system | No — remove them manually (Step 2) | C:\Storage |
| MongoDB database | Yes — removed automatically during uninstallation | Nothing to do |
Before you start
- You have administrator access to the Windows server hosting the Admin Portal.
- The Admin Portal is still installed (required for LocalDB cleanup) — or you plan to reinstall it first.
- You have downloaded PSExec from Microsoft.
Important: The LocalDB database and files on the file system are not removed when uninstalling the Admin Portal. You must clean them up manually if you want a fresh installation. The MongoDB database is removed automatically during uninstallation.
Quick start
Experienced administrators complete the cleanup in 5 steps:
- Stop the CD Platform Host service.
- Delete the MSSQLLocalDB instance with
sqllocaldb, run through PSExec. - Delete the two SmartSupplyAdministration database files.
- Delete the C:\Storage folder.
- Start the CD Platform Host service again.
Need more detail? Follow the full steps below.
Steps
Step 1 – Clean up LocalDB
The following steps require SQL LocalDB to be installed. Perform them while the Admin Portal is installed (either before uninstallation or after a fresh installation).
- Stop the CD Platform Host service.
- Open a command prompt as administrator and run:
psexec -i -s cmd.exe - In the newly opened command prompt, stop the LocalDB instance:
sqllocaldb p MSSQLLocalDB - Delete the LocalDB instance:
sqllocaldb d MSSQLLocalDB - Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile and delete these files:
- SmartSupplyAdministration.mdf
- SmartSupplyAdministration_log.ldf
- Start the CD Platform Host service (or restart the computer).
Note: Starting the Admin Portal services will take longer than usual due to the creation of new databases.
Tip: As an alternative, uninstall the Admin Portal and perform a fresh installation to change the customer or brand.
Step 2 – Clean up the file system
- Stop CD Platform services (if still installed and running).
- Delete the folder C:\Storage.
Success: All customer data has been removed. You can now perform a fresh installation.
Next steps
- Reinstall the Admin Portal — the server is now clean, so continue with How to install on-premise.
- Keep the old data instead — if you need the previous data back rather than a fresh start, follow How to restore on-premise data.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
sqllocaldb command not found |
SQL LocalDB is not installed or not on PATH | Reinstall the Admin Portal first, which installs LocalDB, then retry. |
| Cannot delete .mdf/.ldf files | LocalDB instance is still running | Ensure you ran sqllocaldb p MSSQLLocalDB and sqllocaldb d MSSQLLocalDB first. |
| Services take very long to start after cleanup | New databases are being created from scratch | This is expected on first start. Wait for the process to complete. |
C:\Storage cannot be deleted because it is in use |
CD Platform services are still running and holding the files | Stop the CD Platform services first, then delete the folder (Step 2). |
| The MongoDB data is still on the server | The Admin Portal has not been uninstalled yet | MongoDB is removed automatically during uninstallation — no manual cleanup is needed. |
Related articles
- How to install on-premise — full installation guide for on-premise deployments.
- How to back up on-premise data — back up databases and storage before making changes.
- How to restore on-premise data — restore databases from a previous backup.
- How to update the on-premise Admin Portal — upgrade to a newer version without losing data.
- How to migrate the Admin Portal database from LocalDB to SQL Server — move off LocalDB to a SQL Server instance you manage.