> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jolter.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Lifecycle operations

> Repair, uninstall, prune, clean cache, back up, and move Jolter storage.

Jolter storage is rebuildable machine state. Use lifecycle commands instead of manual deletion whenever possible.

## Repair

```bash theme={null}
jolter repair
jolter repair --yes
```

Repair runs project synchronization in repair mode. Complete reusable installations are retained. Incomplete runtime, tool, and plugin-tool project requirements are replaced.

Use `--yes` when missing declared project plugins may be installed.

## Uninstall exact versions

```bash theme={null}
jolter uninstall node@24.5.0
jolter uninstall pnpm@10.12.1
jolter uninstall eslint@8.57.0
```

Aliases:

```bash theme={null}
jolter remove node@24.5.0
jolter rm node@24.5.0
```

Active versions are protected:

```bash theme={null}
jolter uninstall node@24.5.0 --force
```

`--force` removes the version and clears global activation when it matches. Project files are not changed.

## Prune

Preview:

```bash theme={null}
jolter prune --dry-run
```

Apply default retention:

```bash theme={null}
jolter prune
```

Keep two newest complete versions per kind:

```bash theme={null}
jolter prune --keep 2
```

Prune protects active versions, current project requirements, and retained newest complete versions.

## Cache

```bash theme={null}
jolter cache status
jolter cache clean
```

Cache cleaning removes downloaded artifacts and provider metadata. It does not remove installed versions, shims, project configuration, active selections, or lock files.

## Backups

Project declarations belong in source control. `JOLTER_HOME` is rebuildable.

For workstation backup:

1. stop Jolter operations;
2. preserve `config/active.json` only if global defaults matter;
3. preserve the cache only if offline recovery matters;
4. treat runtime, tool, and plugin-tool directories as platform-specific executables;
5. restore only onto a compatible OS and architecture.

After restoration:

```bash theme={null}
jolter setup
jolter doctor
```

## Manual recovery

If manual cleanup is unavoidable:

1. stop all Jolter processes;
2. back up `JOLTER_HOME`;
3. make the smallest targeted change;
4. run `jolter list`;
5. run `jolter setup`;
6. run `jolter doctor`.


## Related topics

- [Jolter](/index.md)
- [Plugins overview](/plugins/overview.md)
- [Release operations](/maintainers/releasing.md)
- [Architecture](/maintainers/architecture.md)