How to Completely Uninstall the Riot Games Client & Vanguard

PDF download Download Article
A step-by-step guide to completely delete and uninstall the Riot Games client
PDF download Download Article

Are you finished playing League of Legends, Legends of Runterra, or Valorant and want to uninstall the game launcher? While uninstallation is seamless on Mac, you might notice some Riot leftovers on a Windows computer. This wikiHow article walks you through the process of uninstalling the Riot game client and Vanguard completely on a Windows 10 or 11 computer.

Removing Riot Games from Your PC

Open the Add or remove programs window and select Riot Vanguard . Click Uninstall and restart your computer. If there are still Riot files, delete the Riot Games folders in (C:) or (D:) , AppData > Local , and Start Menu > Programs . Empty your recycle bin and restart your PC.

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. You may be able to uninstall the Riot client through Windows' settings . Do the following:
    • Open the Start menu and type "add or remove programs". Click the first option.
    • Click ' Riot Vanguard .
    • Click Uninstall .
    • Empty your recycle bin and restart your computer.
    • Open the Start menu and type "Riot". If any Riot apps or folders appear, go to the next step.
  2. Normally, this can be found in the C:/ or D:/ drive, unless you specified a certain folder during the installation.
    • To find the location , do the following:
      • Right-click the Riot Client shortcut on your desktop (or find the icon in your App Library). [1]
      • Select Open file location .
        • This will open the folder that has the Resources and UX folder.
      • In the top navigation bar, click Riot Games to navigate to this folder.
        • This folder should contain the Riot Client folder.
      • In the top navigation bar, click (C:) , (D:) , or the name of your custom folder to navigate there.
        • This folder should contain the Riot Games folder.
    Advertisement
  3. This will open a pop-up menu.
  4. Delete is near the bottom of the menu for Windows 10 computers while the trash can icon is in the top-right corner of the menu on Windows 11 computers.
  5. This will open the Run window .
  6. This command will open the AppData folder.
  7. You'll see a list of apps in alphabetical order. If it isn't in alphabetical order, click the Name category at the top to filter it now.
  8. This is the folder located in AppData > Local. A pop-up menu will open.
  9. Delete is near the bottom of the menu for Windows 10 computers while the trash can icon is in the top-right corner of the menu on Windows 11 computers.
  10. You should see Riot Client pop up in the Start menu's search suggestions.
  11. This will be in the right panel of the search suggestions. The Riot Games folder will open.
  12. This will open the previous folder.
  13. This is the folder located in Start Menu > Programs.
  14. Delete is near the bottom of the menu for Windows 10 computers while the trash can icon is in the top-right corner of the menu on Windows 11 computers.
  15. To do this, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and click Empty Recycle Bin . [2] Restart your computer by pressing the Win key, clicking the Power icon, and selecting Restart .
    • The Riot Client will be fully uninstalled.
    16. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    It tells me "This action can't be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program." What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Open Task Manager, click on "Processes," find "Riot Client," right click, click on "End Task."
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 40 Helpful 48
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      "No Bootable Devices Found" Error: 6 Easy Fixes
      11 Possible Fixes to Solve the "Mobile Network Not Available" Error on Android
      How to
      Easily Update Your Graphics Drivers on Windows or Mac
      8 Easy Fixes for iPhone Messages that Won't Finish Indexing
      Freeze & Crash a Chromebook with Simple URLs
      What Causes Green Lines on an iPhone Screen? Plus How to Fix Them
      7 Ways to Fix a PS4 Controller That Won't Charge
      How to
      Test the Power Supply Unit (PSU) in Your PC
      How to
      Fix Blinking Orange Light on Fujifilm Instax Mini 11
      How to
      Clean a CD Player
      How to
      Repair an Electric Fan
      11 Ways to Fix Windows PC Booting up With a Black Screen
      How to
      Increase Bass on a Windows PC or Mac Computer
      How to
      Fix and Replace a PopSocket Top, Funnel, and Base
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLya-jp6r9E
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/empty-the-recycle-bin-in-windows-10-d4c8f8ef-a12e-8250-b0cf-2311960a31f9

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 440,159 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement