Whether you’re taking a break from ranked grind, freeing up storage for a new release, or fixing corrupted game files that won’t patch correctly, knowing how to uninstall League of Legends Riot Client completely can save you a lot of headache down the line. Many players only delete the League of Legends game folder, leaving hidden Riot Client files, cached data, and leftover registry entries that eat up gigabytes of space or cause conflicts if you reinstall the game later. This guide walks you through every step for both Windows and Mac devices, plus fixes for common errors that stop the uninstall process from working properly.
Pre-Uninstall Checks to Avoid Common Mistakes
Before you start the uninstall process, take 2 minutes to run through these quick checks to make sure everything goes smoothly, no hidden processes block the removal, and you don’t lose any data you might want later:
- Log out of all Riot accounts first: Active account sessions can cause the client to run background processes that block full removal, and logging out also clears any stored payment or personal data cached locally on your device.
- Close all Riot-related background processes: On Windows, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and end all tasks labeled Riot Client, League of Legends, or Vanguard. On Mac, open Activity Monitor and quit any processes with Riot or League in the name.
- Back up your custom settings if you plan to reinstall later: You can copy your League of Legends config folder (usually found in C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\Config on Windows) to a separate drive to save your keybinds, HUD settings, and item set preferences.
These pre-checks take almost no time, but they cut down on 90% of the most common uninstall errors people run into. Skipping them often means you’ll have to restart the process halfway through, or end up with leftover files you have to delete manually later.
How to Uninstall League of Legends Riot Client on Windows
The standard Windows uninstall process works for most users, and takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Start by opening your Windows Settings app, then navigate to Apps > Installed Apps. Search for Riot Client in the list of installed programs, click the three dots on the right, and select Uninstall. Follow the on-screen prompts, and make sure you check the box that says Delete all game data when it pops up, to remove cached login info and temporary files along with the client itself.
If the Riot Client doesn’t show up in your installed apps list, that’s usually because it was installed as a secondary program alongside League of Legends, and didn’t register itself properly in the Windows uninstall menu. In that case, you can navigate to your default Riot Games install folder (usually C:\Riot Games) and delete the entire Riot Client folder manually, then run a disk cleanup to remove leftover registry entries. For users who download a lot of games and utility apps through curated gaming platforms, you might even find dedicated, safe uninstall tools on resources like YonoAppStore that can scan for leftover files automatically instead of hunting them down one by one. Never download uninstall tools from unvetted pop-up ads to avoid malware risks, and stick to well-known, trusted platforms if you go this route.
Once you’ve deleted the main folders, run a quick search for “Riot” in your File Explorer to catch any stray files that might be stored in your Downloads or Documents folder. These are usually old patch files or screenshot folders that don’t affect performance, but deleting them frees up extra space.
How to Fully Remove the Riot Client on Mac Devices
Uninstalling the Riot Client on Mac is a little more straightforward than Windows in some ways, but you still need to watch out for leftover files that get stored in your Library folder. Start by opening your Applications folder, find the Riot Client app, and drag it to your Trash. Don’t stop there, though — that only removes the main app file, not the cached data, game files, and Vanguard anti-cheat files that are stored elsewhere on your drive.
Next, open your Library folder (you can access it by clicking Go in the top menu bar, holding down the Option key, and selecting Library from the dropdown). Look for any folders labeled Riot Games, League of Legends, or Riot Client in the Application Support, Caches, and Preferences folders, and drag those to the Trash as well. Don’t forget to empty your Trash after you finish to free up the storage space immediately, instead of leaving the files sitting in your Trash taking up room for 30 days. If you have Vanguard anti-cheat installed, you’ll need to run the separate Vanguard uninstaller first before removing the main client, as it runs at the system level and can block removal of other Riot files if it’s still active.
If you’re not comfortable digging through your Library folder, you can use a built-in Mac storage optimizer to find large game files, but make sure you double check what you’re deleting to avoid removing unrelated files by mistake. It only takes 2 extra minutes to check each folder, and it saves you from accidentally deleting important personal files.
Fixes for Common Riot Client Uninstall Errors
Even if you follow all the steps correctly, you might run into errors that stop the uninstall process from completing. One of the most common errors is the “Riot Client is still running” pop-up, even when you don’t have the client open on your screen. This almost always means there’s a background process running that you missed, so go back to Task Manager or Activity Monitor and double check for any Riot or Vanguard processes you might have overlooked. You can also restart your device to close all background processes automatically if you don’t want to sort through them manually.
Another common issue is leftover files that won’t delete, usually because they’re marked as read-only or being used by another program. If you get a “file in use” error when trying to delete a Riot folder, restart your device first to close any hidden processes that are accessing the files, then try deleting again. If you’re planning to reinstall League of Legends later, wait at least 10 minutes after uninstalling the old client before running the new installer, to make sure all leftover files are fully cleared and don’t cause conflicts with the new install.
If you keep getting uninstall errors no matter what you try, you can download the official Riot Client uninstall tool from the Riot Games support site, which is designed to fully remove all Riot software from your device automatically without you having to hunt down files manually. This is the safest option if you’re not comfortable editing system folders or deleting registry entries on your own, as it’s built directly by Riot to avoid accidental deletion of unrelated files.
Taking the extra time to fully remove all related files when you uninstall League of Legends Riot Client saves you from wasted storage space, future install conflicts, and leftover personal data sitting on your device. Whether you’re stepping away from the game for a few months or fixing a corrupted install that won’t patch, following these steps will make the process quick and error-free. If you run into any unique issues that aren’t covered here, you can find more troubleshooting help on the official Riot Games support site for your specific device and operating system.