Is there a free trial?

Yes. The 30-day free trial gives you full access to all Pro features: unlimited game protection, auto-detect new installs, GPU Pinned, and everything planned for future platforms. After 30 days, your card is billed at the Pro rate unless you cancel. You can cancel at any time before the trial ends.

Is there a free version?

Yes. The free plan protects one game permanently. No trial period, no credit card required. Upgrade to a paid plan for unlimited game protection, auto-detection of new installs, GPU Pinned (NVIDIA settings save and restore), and all future platform support.

Which platforms does GamePinned support?

Steam, Epic Games Store, and Riot Games. Newly installed games are detected and protected automatically across all three platforms. GOG, Battle.net, EA App, and Ubisoft Connect are planned for future releases.

Can users still play games and download updates?

Yes. GamePinned only prevents deletion. Launching, updating, and patching all work exactly as before. Users will not notice anything has changed unless they attempt to remove a protected game.

What happens when someone tries to uninstall a protected game?

The game stays installed. On Steam, the game reappears in the library within seconds. On Epic Games, the uninstall reports a failure and the game remains. On Riot Games, the files stay on disk. Opening the launcher and clicking Install re-registers the game instantly with no re-download.

Can users stop or disable GamePinned?

No. Standard users cannot stop the service, change its configuration, or access the management panel. Windows service permissions are hardened so that only administrators can stop or modify it. An admin password is required for any changes.

How does GamePinned prevent game uninstallation?

GamePinned locks game files using Windows file system permissions built into the OS. When a blocked account tries to uninstall a game, Windows denies the deletion. The launcher receives a permission error and the uninstall cannot complete. No third-party drivers or kernel hooks are used.

How do I block game uninstalls on Steam, Epic Games, and Riot Games?

GamePinned blocks game uninstalls by locking game folders at the Windows file system level. Install GamePinned, select the games you want to protect, and click Lock. Users can still play and update those games. Only uninstallation is prevented. It works on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Riot Games (Valorant, League of Legends, and more).

Does it work in gaming cafes, PC bangs, and internet centers?

Yes. GamePinned is built for shared-PC environments: gaming cafes, PC bangs, warnets, comshops, cyber cafes, esports arenas, and any Windows setup where multiple users access the same machine. It blocks all standard Windows accounts by default, covering every customer account.

How do I uninstall a game as an admin?

Enable Maintenance Mode from the GamePinned dashboard. Protection pauses immediately, allowing you to uninstall or swap games freely through Steam, Epic Games, or Riot Games. Disable Maintenance Mode when done. Protection resumes.

Can I use GamePinned at home to stop family members from deleting games?

Yes. GamePinned works for personal use too. Protect your game library from siblings, kids, roommates, or anyone else who uses your PC. The free plan protects one game permanently at no cost.

Home/Blog/Game protection

How to Protect Fortnite from Being Uninstalled on a Shared PC

April 2026·4 min read

Fortnite is between 40 and 100 GB depending on which game modes (Battle Royale, Zero Build, LEGO, Festival, Rocket Racing) are installed. On a 50 Mbps home connection, redownloading the full install after an uninstall takes around 4 hours. On a typical cafe or school connection, longer.

On a shared PC (siblings, kids, cafe customers, a classroom), this is one of the most common "why did I come home to this" problems. Epic Games Launcher makes Uninstall a two-click operation. Someone clearing space for a different game or just poking around can wipe Fortnite in seconds.

What this guide does: GamePinned writes a Windows file-level lock on the Fortnite install folder. Epic Games Launcher cannot uninstall it. File Explorer cannot delete it. The game still launches, still updates, still plays.

Why Epic Games is different from Steam

Epic Games stores game data in two locations: a system folder at C:\ProgramData\Epic Games\Epic GamesGamesLauncher\Data\, and the game folder itself (default C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite but can be on any drive). GamePinned locks both.

Uninstall attempts from Epic Games, from File Explorer, or from PowerShell all fail with access-denied.

Steps

1. Install GamePinned

Download from gamepinned.com and run the installer. Windows will ask for admin approval because file permission changes require it. Install takes under a minute.

2. Open the Epic Games tab

Launch GamePinned and click the Epic Games tab. It detects every installed Epic Games game automatically. Fortnite appears with its install path and size.

3. Click Lock on Fortnite

Lock takes a few seconds. GamePinned locks the Fortnite install folder so it cannot be deleted. By default, all standard Windows accounts on the PC are blocked. You can add specific named accounts instead from the Users tab.

4. Test it

Open Epic Games Launcher, right-click Fortnite, and hit Uninstall. Confirm the prompt. Epic Games tries for a few seconds, then shows an error. Fortnite is still in your library, still playable, still takes up the same disk space. You can also try deleting the Fortnite folder from File Explorer. Windows refuses.

Fortnite updates still work

Fortnite patches write new files and modify existing ones. They do not delete the install. The deny rule blocks only deletion, so patches land normally. Epic Games also runs patch operations under SYSTEM when possible, and SYSTEM is never in the blocked set, so even full content replacements work.

Launching the game, joining matches, chat, store purchases, cosmetics, battle pass: all unaffected. The only operation that fails is Uninstall.

How you uninstall Fortnite yourself

GamePinned has a Maintenance Mode toggle. Flip it on, uninstall or move whatever you need, flip it off. Protection pauses during maintenance and resumes immediately when you switch it back. The toggle is gated by an admin password you set during first-run setup, so a kid or customer who finds the GamePinned tray icon cannot disable protection.

Common questions

Does this work on the Microsoft Store / Xbox app version of Fortnite?

Not directly. The MS Store version of Fortnite is protected by Windows app containerisation, which uses a different permission model. In practice, MS Store games are harder to accidentally uninstall (no right-click Uninstall in Steam-like library view) so the problem is much rarer. GamePinned focuses on Epic Games, Steam, and Riot Games.

What if they uninstall Epic Games Launcher itself?

Uninstalling Epic Games does not delete the Fortnite game folder. It only removes the launcher. Reinstall Epic Games and point it at the existing Fortnite folder and the launcher re-adopts it. The game files themselves are what GamePinned protects, directly.

Does this work for other Epic Games titles (GTA V, Rocket League, Alan Wake 2)?

Yes. Any Epic Games Launcher game appears in the Epic Games tab. Free plan protects one game; paid plans cover your entire Epic Games library and auto-lock anything you install later.

Is there a performance impact on Fortnite while protected?

No. NTFS permissions are checked at file-access time by Windows itself and add nanoseconds per operation. Gameplay, frame rate, and load times are unaffected.

Does this cost anything?

Free plan locks one game permanently. Unlimited library protection and auto-lock for new installs are on the paid plans (30-day free trial available).

Download GamePinned Full Epic Games protection guide