2 Easy Ways to Put League of Legends in Windowed Mode

PDF download Download Article
Seamlessly switch to windowed mode before or after starting LoL
PDF download Download Article

Most people play League of Legends on full screen because it optimizes performance, but windowed mode can be better under some circumstances. It's easier to access other windows and apps while playing, and it can also improve performance a bit, because sometimes switching from game to desktop hurts the CPU usage. [1] Switching to windowed mode is very straightforward.

Things You Should Know

  • Start LoL, press “Esc” to open the game settings, click the “Video” tab, then select the drop-down option “Windowed.”
  • Before you start your game, navigate to “C:\Riot Games\League of Legends” in your files and open the LoL game folder.
  • Open the “Configuration” folder, find the “Game.cfg” file, and change “WindowMode=0” to “WindowMode=1.”
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Changing Modes In-Game

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c6\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-1-Version-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-1-Version-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c6\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-1-Version-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-1-Version-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Press “Esc” to bring up the Settings window.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-2-Version-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-2-Version-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-2-Version-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-2-Version-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Select “Windowed” rather than “Fullscreen” or “Borderless.”
    Advertisement
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a8\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-3-Version-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-3-Version-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a8\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-3-Version-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-3-Version-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can toggle between fullscreen and windowed modes while playing by using the shortcut Alt+Enter. [2]
    4. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Changing the Configuration File

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f0\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-4-Version-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-4-Version-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f0\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-4-Version-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-4-Version-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The default location is C:\Riot Games\League of Legends.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/bc\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/bc\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Open Game.cfg in Notepad.
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1c\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-6-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-6-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1c\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-6-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-6-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Change the 0 to 1. Save the file.
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/62\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/62\/Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Play-League-of-Legends-in-Windowed-Mode-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It should be in windowed mode. Adjust the screen resolution to make the window smaller.
    • You may have to restart the game to apply these changes.
    5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I hide League of Legends quickly using taskbar hide?
    Community Answer
    Alt+F4 is your best option. Be aware that if you do this for a long period of time, you could be disconnected from the game and get an AFK penalty from the LeaverBuster system, so only start a League of Legends game if you are absolutely certain you won't be interrupted.
    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 110 Helpful 38
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

      How to
      Repair League of Legends
      How to
      Play League of Legends
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/54850/why-do-some-players-play-league-of-legends-in-window-mode
      2. ↑ http://www.autohotkey.com/board/topic/111737-how-to-make-ahk-work-in-most-games-the-basics

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 305,280 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement