How to Fix League of Legends Not Opening on Windows 11 or 10

League of Legends not opening in Windows 11 or 10 is often caused by corrupted files, outdated drivers, or Riot Client issues. Follow these step-by-step solutions to get back in the game quickly.

Fix League of Legends Not Launching: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Run League as administrator

1. Right-click on LeagueClient.exe.
2. Select Run as administrator to give it the necessary permissions.

2. End all Riot-related processes

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. End these processes:
   • LeagueClient.exe
   • RiotClientServices.exe
   • LoLLauncher.exe
   • LoLClient.exe

3. Launch the client from the install folder

1. Go to: C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\.
2. Double-click LeagueClient.exe.
3. If successful, create a new shortcut to replace any broken ones.

4. Repair game files via Riot Client

1. Open Riot Client.
2. Click your profile icon → Settings > League of Legends.
3. Click Repair and wait for the process to finish.

If issues persist, your system may have corrupted files. Check this guide on repairing system file corruption for more help.

5. Reinstall your graphics card drivers

1. Use Display Driver Uninstaller to remove existing GPU drivers.
2. Reinstall the latest version from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.

6. Check for Windows updates

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Windows Update and install all pending updates.

7. Disable antivirus or firewall temporarily

1. Turn off real-time protection from your antivirus settings.
2. Ensure Riot Client isn’t blocked by the firewall.

Not sure how to check that? Here’s a guide on how to tell if Windows Firewall is blocking a program.

8. Delete the LeagueClient settings file

• Navigate to: C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\Config\.
• Delete LeagueClientSettings.yaml.
• Restart the client afterward.

9. Disable fullscreen optimizations

• Right-click LeagueClient.exe and choose Properties.
• Go to the Compatibility tab.
• Check Disable fullscreen optimizations, then click Apply.

10. Enable compatibility mode

• Stay in the Compatibility tab.
• Check Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 8.

11. Close conflicting background apps

• Exit overlays and hardware apps like Discord, Razer Synapse, MSI Afterburner, and Steam.
• Relaunch League after.

12. Reinstall Riot Client

• Uninstall Riot Client from Control Panel.
• Download and install the latest version from the League of Legends website.

13. Fully reinstall League of Legends

• Uninstall the game.
• Delete these folders manually:
  • C:\Riot Games\
  • %localappdata%\Riot Games\

Then reinstall the game clean. This also fixes related issues like League of Legends black screen.

If you need to fully uninstall League of Legends to fix launch issues or perform a clean reinstall, you can follow the steps in our Leage of Legends uninstall guide.

14. Use CCleaner or Revo Uninstaller

• Run CCleaner or Revo Uninstaller to remove all leftover data and registry keys.
• This ensures no corruption remains after reinstalling.

15. Perform a clean boot

• Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
• Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
• In Startup tab, open Task Manager and disable all startup items.
• Restart your PC and try launching League again.

16. Recreate a clean shortcut

• Go to: C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\.
• Right-click LeagueClient.exe → Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).

17. Install missing DirectX and C++ files

• Download and install the latest DirectX Runtime and Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables.
• These are required for the client to run properly.

For extra optimization, check out how to fix League FPS drops, boost in-game performance, or fix fullscreen issues.

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Conclusion

Most League launch failures boil down to system conflicts, missing dependencies, or corrupt files. A combination of driver cleanup, Riot Client reinstall, and system tweaks like clean boot should resolve the issue. If you follow these steps closely, you’ll be back on the Rift in no time.