# "Disable node" vs uninistalling it

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [21 December 2019 01:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413 "2019-12-21T01:50:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2019 01:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413/1 "2019-12-21T01:50:23Z")

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Just asking:

If I am suspicious of a node, what is the difference between disabling it and uninstalling it?

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2019 07:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413/2 "2019-12-21T07:08:15Z")

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Disable; no longer visible and functional in the editor  
Uninstall; removed from disk

?

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2019 07:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413/3 "2019-12-21T07:23:52Z")

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I am not certain but I suspect that if the node has an associated config node (an mqtt node for example) then disabling the node will not disable the config node.

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**Author:** ![Christian-Me](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/christian-me/32/10774_2.png) [@Christian-Me](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christian-Me)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2019 10:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413/4 "2019-12-21T10:44:52Z")

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You can disable the config node too

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2019 11:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413/5 "2019-12-21T11:01:26Z")

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I think andrew might be asking what is the operational difference in Node-RED between deleting a node from a flow or disabling it - e.g is temp disabling as good as deleting the node

I may be wrong here

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2019 11:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-node-vs-uninistalling-it/19413/6 "2019-12-21T11:32:01Z")

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Seems to me that if you disable a node in the middle of a flow, any msg's coming to it will go nowhere. Same as if you deleted that node from the flow except it will be easier to add back in.

My only question would be about debug nodes and if disabling a `debug` node would effect performance as well as removing it (see: [How fast is Node-Red?](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-fast-is-node-red/19014/29))