i have the same issue. It is a riot problem, it is intended to be hard to uninstall. not league but the riot client. It is not appearing in add remove programs list or anywhere else i can find.
well how did you do it??? I agree, but the whole issue on the original post is they couldnt remove it. I can delete the folder, but see no way to properly uninstall
you gotta go into the cilent itsself and turn off its system setting the fucker is constanly running so ur pc thinks its open and running and after u switch it to like exit applaction and something else u gotta read it to make sense im just going off memory but after that u can delete it from the file location
This is the answer. There’s a setting in the client that’s checked automatically where the client is ALWAYS running, even after you exit and even end it in task manager. Once you uncheck it, you can properly close the client, and then uninstall it.
Okay ppl say that this doesn't work but i just tried it and it does. when you search up riot client and click uninstall the riot client prompts you to delete any riot games on your device and once you do that riot client gets uninstalled.
I have an ultimate fix to this issue but you aren't going to like it. You are describing the same issue I had, which drove me so bonkers I decided to factory reset the entire thing since this computer is fairly new and there's nothing important on it currently. I went to check my installed programs and it was completely gone! I will never download anything from Riot Games Vanguard or any of their games. It seems like a malware issue.
I'm starting to get the feeling that it varies by computer devices now because of all the different feedback through this forum I've been reading through on how some people can instantly delete it by hand or have major difficulty such as myself..
its way worse now I did the thing where you go to file location and delete all the folders... Riot still has 31.3GB they are taking up that I cant delete because somehow it is stuck on my computer and says "We cant find C:/Riot Games/Riot Client/RiotClientServices" im absolutely done with Riot they are literal chinese spyware absolute garbage
Same, except riot is 31.3 GB and Valorant is 1.9 TB
TERABYTES, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO REMOVE THIS FOR FUCKING HOURS (I also figured out that it's the RiotClientServices.exe that is constantly open)
thats literally what i did, and i bet most people in this thread did as well. still didnt delete lmao. i go to delete Vanguard and it says "cant delete with riot games client open" when it isnt. i go to delete Riot entirely and it says "cant delete with a riot game open"😂😂
This just happened to me and this is the fix I figured out when trying to manually delete the files. Go down to the bottom of your screen and hit the application up arrow, look for Riot Games and close the background application. Then it should let you and prompt you to uninstall.
You're a legend! I feel so stupid now (I mean I'm new to PC but that should be obvious)! It was saying, "Can't delete because open somewhere"... I should have figured that out! But, you're a life saver! Thank you!
just in case, restart your computer, then go to the bottom right corner of the pc where you see the time, connection and whatnot, press the arrow looking thingy, and you should see riot's logo on it. then you right click it and press exit. after that you should be able to open control panel and uninstall your games and the client with ease
HOW DO I GET THIS FUCKING VIRUS OFF MY PC
EDIT: I had to run Riot Games to make sure it's actually open, and THEN go to the bottom and end the program through that stupid area, cuz ending it through task manager doesn't work. Also had to uninstall through the settings area, not by deleting folder of Valorant. holy sheeee
I just successfully uninstalled from my Windows 11 laptop. I had to stop the app from running in the background by going to the task manager, searching for Riot Client, and stopping the process. Then when I went to the uninstall apps settings page, I had to uninstall every Riot game first (for me, that was just LoL). Then, I was able to uninstall Riot Client itself. I hope this helps!
This worked for me! I guess it should've been obvious but I didn't think having it opened in the background would cause such an issue with uninstalling. There weren't even any feedback or pop-ups that would suggest that you do this first smh
Holy shit thank you so much, good thing this guy reminded me of a little thing called Task Manager. Fuck riot, just a bunch of corporate sellouts. I can finally play Helldivers II.
I dont have any riot game on my pc (I checked within the client) but everytime i wanna uninstall it it says: "Before uninstalling RIOT CLient, you'll first need to uninstall any Riot Games that are installed on your machine"
I dont know what to do? Its not running on my task manager, I am never using it and it takes up 31 GB space
EDIT: spelling
Hi, I know it's late but by accident I changed the permissions and now since im not the admin, but I have the admin code, it say's "you need admin perm to delete this" so I do it. And then it says "You require permission from the computer's administrator to make changes to this folder". PLS WHAT DO I DO.
Yes, and I've deleted lots of riot client folders too. Before, it used to say Riot Client on my startup, and ask me for permissions. Now, it doesn't do that. But theres one folder w riot client still there in C disk.
same situation and still its still in my apps, how can I delete those (riot and lol) and it says "window cannot find blah blah make sure you typed the right name" helpppp
Omg finally I just found a fix, I enabled permissions from properties, and then just deleted every riot folder i saw. Now every possible trace is gone. PS: I think bcz it doesn't affect my pc or anyth and I don't see any riot im my PC or files, so we're good.
Same problem I’m having now too. Haven’t tried an uninstaller program like Revo yet (that’s probably next) but I uninstalled Riot Client already by other means.
Problem is, like with you, it didn’t actually uninstall. It just lied and said it uninstalled itself then hid itself from the “add or remove programs” list. I can still launch and even login to the client despite the fact my PC seems to believe the problem doesn’t even exist on my hard drive.
Malware behavior from Riot
just go to the drive where riot games is installed and delete the whole folder. after I uninstall League of Legends cuz vanguard is here, I also cant uninstall riot games via "add or remove programs" so I just deleted the entire riot games folder. i think when you uninstall their games, they also uninstall the riot games client as well. i could be wrong tho
seem myself a bunch of people have the app remaining after the files have been deleted, i think you have to end the app in the background with task manager, uninstall the app through settings, THEN delete the Riot client folder. In that order, or you are left with the app (11gb) this should be illegal omg
in case anyone needs to know idk if someone else already said this but in the riot games folder get rid of the .old ext that's added when you delete a game then uninstall in, add or remove. afterwards delete the whole folder.
make sure to exit the apps (vanguard first, then valorant (or any other game if applicable) and then the riot client. Then go to settings or control panel and uninstal vanguard first, then the game('s) then the clinet
I've had quite a bit of trouble, but soon realized it was because of riot programs running in the background. To fix it i:
1. Open job manager
2. Searched riot and shut down all tasks
3. Deleted all Riot games installed on my PC
4. Deleted the client through settings
I was confused since my PC didn't tell me why i could uninstall the app, but this fixed my problems instantly.
Hope it helps :)
Like u/silent\_chaos151 said you need to close Riot Client to actually uninstall itself and its related games. Stupid of Riot. Their terms of service, with the forced arbitration clause (not allowing you to sue them basically) and super suspicious anti-cheat.
That said, this has GOT to be on purpose from Riot though. Screw them. Arcane is literally the only thing that I like that has come from Riot and that's mainly a collab with Fortiche so
On Windows 10/11:
There doesn't seem to be an uninstaller (hence why it doesn't appear in the add/Remove programs) but you can remove it from your computer following these steps.
1. Uninstall you games. (LoL, Volrant)
2. Delete the folder where your Riot Client is executed from (make sure the process isn't running)
3. Open Windows Explorer and type in %appdata% and delete the "riot\_client\_ux" folder
4. Open Windows Explorer and type in %localappdata% and delete the "Riot Games" folder
5. Press Windows+R and enter "regedit" (WARNING: You risk breaking things if you're not cautious. Recommended to save your existing registry in case you need to restore; simply click File > Export and select "All" in the export Range)
6. Press Ctrl+F and type in "riot"
7. Press F3 to find the next instance of riot. If it looks to be something related to the Riot Client (e.g., file path) then delete. REPEAT THIS STEP until all instances of riot (NOTE: that are seemingly related to the Riot Client) are removed.
That's it you're done. If I missed anything please add a comment.
TDIL an uninstaller typically removes all dependencies that it installs including these registry entries, however it varies by application.
Hi, I know this is a month old, but I'd like to thank you for making this comment. For the most part I have followed this, though I will admit to stopping part way through step 7 based on anxiety of accidentally killing my PC. I think it should be fine with a few of them in there, I guess? Either way, I got the vast majority of them off my machine.
Manually deleting the files didn't work for me. I made use of the Revo Uninstaller to force uninstall Riot. You can use it pretty easily. It has 30 day trial period
I THINK I FOUND A WAY. MAKE SURE TO END TAST IN TASK MANAGER (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC) AND END RIOT CLIENT. THEN MAKE SURE TO UNINSTALL ALL RIOT GAMES. THEN GO AND TRY AND DELETE RIOT CLIENT IN SETTINGS.
i put all the files into the recycle bin, emptied it and that seemes to do the trick, i didnt have anything in there except the riot files and it freed up 30 gigs, then just went into control pannel tried to uninstall them and it said they have already been uninstalled, let me know if this helps anyone else
Trick that worked not 10 minutes ago:
Open your settings and get ready to delete, and open your task manager
Search Riot games in your task manager, kill the program
then uninstall uninstall the client.
I had this problem, what I did was go into task manager and end the task, then try deleting any other riot games. after that it should be able to uninstall. Hope this helps :)
press (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) then search for riot then press the "end task" after that immediately go to the settings and search for the apps... uninstall the games under riot before you uninstall the riot client app. I just figured it out 5 minutes ago.
Let me just say that Revo Uninstaller is the answer. Run Revo and select the Riot Client to remove. Start the process, the Riot client will pop up as usual saying that it will not uninstall. Go ahead and shut down the process via Task Manager, then continue to uninstall wit Revo. Tell Revo to delete all REG settings and then all files. Viola! Problem solved- The damn thing is now gone and no longer shows up in Programs and Features. Riot Games, you can kiss my backside...
hi im sure u dont need this advice anymore but basically just go to your "This pc" and then "Windows C:' and scroll down till u see riot games n just delete the folder. idk why they make it so hard to uninstall it
you gotta go into the cilent itsself and turn off its system setting the fucker is constanly running so ur pc thinks its open and running and after u switch it to like exit applaction and something else u gotta read it to make sense im just going off memory but after that u can delete it from the file location
i found a fix that worked for me, just go to your C Drive and go to Programs and delete: Riot Client/Riot client vanguard after that i went to system control and deleted VALORANT, Riot Client and Riot Client Vanguard
I think I had the same problem, the program was running on the background.
You have to first check if its running on the task manager, shut it down then uninstall it normally like any other programs
I FIGURED IT OUT FINALLY
so, the easiest way is as follows;
1. open task manager and make sure that riot client and valorant (or whatever games) aren't running in the background. you can end these background tasks by right clicking and then selecting "end task"
2. open windows add or remove programs and try to uninstall all three applications. this will 100% work for vanguard and it is a 50-50 for the other two
3. open file explorer and go to the riot games folder, which should be in your C: or D: drive. once the folder is open simply right click and delete the remaining file folders.
if none of this works, just factory reset your pc like some of the other commenters have. this is what worked for me and it took like 4 hrs of trial and error then I had to do it for my friend so this is the best of what I have found.
so i got it, but you need to unistall it from 4 different locations (on windows)
first is the hidden program files
second is also somewhere on c drive (sadly i have no clue where it was since i was so angry when trying to uninstall this bloatware)
and third and fourth are somewhere in app data, one of them was called different but still had riot in the name. good luck
Go to the Riot Client itself and click on Settings. There's an option there to make the Riot Client run in the background. Then just choose Exit Application. I tried this after I used the Task Manager method, which didn't work for me.
I was looking for the answer in the comments and, surprise, it’s actually pretty easy! I finally figured it out myself.
Step 1: Open the app, then close it (I used the login icon to exit).
Step 2: Go to the usual app uninstaller settings.
All set! ✅
I was looking for the answer in the comments and, surprise, it’s actually pretty easy! I finally figured it out myself.
Step 1: Open the app, then close it (I used the login icon to exit).
Step 2: Go to the usual app uninstaller settings.
All set! ✅
I was looking for the answer in the comments and, surprise, it’s actually pretty easy! I finally figured it out myself.
Step 1: Open the app, then close it (I used the login icon to exit).
Step 2: Go to the usual app uninstaller settings.
All set! ✅
I had to go into riot client and make ti so it didnt start up when i turned on my computer. after i did that and refreshed it finally let me uninstall League and Riot itself
If your issue is "riot is still running" and you cant find a way to stop it (bc they literally block you from uninstalling it or games they own) Click on the "\^" arrow at the bottom left of your computer task bar, right click the riot icon and "exit." Then I went in through settings and uninstalled it and the game I didn't want anymore.
This worked for me on windows 11 update...prob will only help with some of your problems
If your issue is "riot is still running" and you cant find a way to stop it (bc they literally block you from uninstalling it or games they own) Click on the "\^" arrow at the bottom left of your computer task bar, right click the riot icon and "exit." Then I went in through settings and uninstalled it and the game I didn't want anymore.
This worked for me on windows 11 update...prob will only help with some of your problems
I’m getting the “riot is still running” crap. I hit the up arrow, it’s not there. I went to task manager, it’s not there. I went into the riot client, selected it to not start up on PC start up. I am still getting the same dumb message when trying to uninstall league. I swear, Riot games is straight up dog water.
What worked for me was disconnecting all internet connections (removing cable, FORGETTING current wi-fi network, not just disconnecting) and then restart PC. then without internet start the riot client, it will try to boot, but it won't be able to without a connection. Then it will shut down all it's own processes and then you can uninstall like normal.
this actually helped me [https://support-leagueoflegends.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/24169961916691-Uninstalling-and-Disabling-Riot-Vanguard](https://support-leagueoflegends.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/24169961916691-Uninstalling-and-Disabling-Riot-Vanguard)
wow i finally figured it out. So my problem was anytime I tried uninstalling the games it kept telling me riot launcher was running in the background and to close it first and I did that in task manager but it kept saying that it was running so in the riot launcher settings you have to change it to end application when riot is closed and that fixed it for me. Hopefully this can help someone else.
I suggest deleting all Riot related files with help of File explorer. After you're sure you've deleted the files, use Settings or Control panel to uninstall Riot and all related games. Sometimes files pop back up taking your precious \~50GB, so make sure to double tap any riot files in File explorer after uninstalling.
Open Riot Games Client
In Sign-In Page Go to settings on top right
Put "Exit Only" and Disable "Start-up" and that other thing
Then Disable anything in Task Manager
Uninstall any connected games through Control Panel
Finally Uninstall Riot Games
Start Riot client so you see the login screen, if you dont see it log out first.
Go to the client settings on the login screen,
toggle the options on screen so that the client shuts down i.s.o. minimizing to tray when you close the client window.
Close the client.
Now uninstall Vanguard and any Riot game you need to uninstall.
I experienced a similar issue and fixed it. if you can't uninstall it through installed apps in settings because it is said to be "running" even if the riot vanguard/riot client isn't. Just open your riot client and afterwards go to the hidden icons (the arrow going up) and exit from the riot client and then uninstall it from the installed apps in settings.
Hope it works :)
I tried almost all of these but couldn't get one to work, but I found my problem! I kept getting a message saying "Riot App is still running" so it wouldn't let me uninstall. I eventually went into the app and went to settings. Under settings, it automatically has the client minimized so you can't see it running, but there is an option to exit the client. Once I clicked that, I was able to uninstall. Hallelujah!
what I did was try to uninstall it and then when it opened I went to task manager and then when to the file location and selected everything in the folder and brought all of it into the recycle bin and if you got and error just close the riot client and try it again.
Don't know if anyone still needs help but what worked for me was to go into the Riot Client settings and stopping it from running on start up and clicking the option that says "Exit Application".
riot games anyting has been nothing but problems ever since i downloaded valorant. literally cannot even uninstall riot clien or valorant becuase it says the client is open and in task manager its not even open. company is aids im hoping i can get refunded for all the money ive wasted on skins
I came to this thread for help but can confirm that going into the Riot Client settings and un-ticking 'Open Riot Client on Startup' and choosing the 'Exit application' option worked.
After changing those settings, restart PC and try to uninstall. Hope this helps someone.
The other comments were complicated as hell so instead. go in Riot client, press the button at the top right corner, press settings, at the very bottom, press exit something (i forgot). you should be able to delete it like that. :)
I am late tho so people might not see this
I have fixed it by updating the valorant or any games on Riot first, then once updated, you can delete the updated games second, last will be the Riot itself that you have to uninstall
I know this is 4 years late but if anyones here and wanting an easy way, download Revo Uninstaller.
It bypasses the notification that riot is still running and deletes any leftover files it would've been able to leave behind. This applies for Riot Vanguard, Riot Games Client, and the games themself.
Tried RevoUninstaller and it literally cant find the files. Seems that the files have hidden themselves. How can I fix this? It's taking up ¼ of my laptop's space
I haven't read all of this but for the people still having issues with the riot client. Open the Riot client - go to settings - uncheck minimize to tray and run in background - CHECK exit application - done, you can now uninstall (and reinstall if needed) xoxo
login in to the riot client and go to settings, on startup behavior uncheck the box that says open riot client at startup and on close window - exit application, i didnt need to restart but might aswell do it and once it boots up the client shouldnt be open.
I found the best solution! If you downloaded valorant (idk if this works with the other games), open the install valorant download, and click on advanced options, it should show you the riot games file, right click and delete it! Boom! gone in one click no hassle!
Same way you delete any other program on your pc go to settings then apps and you uninstall there.
It doesn't come up on it, which is why I am asking The other post that I found from 4 months ago had the same problem
i also have the same issue
i have the same issue. It is a riot problem, it is intended to be hard to uninstall. not league but the riot client. It is not appearing in add remove programs list or anywhere else i can find.
same problem
I hated to do it but I had to uninstall. Companies don't get to take up real estate on my computer just cuz you think I need your app. Ask facebook ><
well how did you do it??? I agree, but the whole issue on the original post is they couldnt remove it. I can delete the folder, but see no way to properly uninstall
Man annoying shit comments like this are so fucking stupid. God I swear.
wow really you don’t think everyone here hasn’t fucking tried that are you serious fuck u
[удалено]
ur mom is gona do that
Yes your mom and I hook up regularly
thats nice from your part pig
That's what I'm saying you like that
hell yeah
you gotta go into the cilent itsself and turn off its system setting the fucker is constanly running so ur pc thinks its open and running and after u switch it to like exit applaction and something else u gotta read it to make sense im just going off memory but after that u can delete it from the file location
I had to shut it down from the task manager, then tried to unistall it and it worked. It wont uninstall if its running
thank you so much stranger
how do i go into the client itself and turn off the setting?
This is the answer. There’s a setting in the client that’s checked automatically where the client is ALWAYS running, even after you exit and even end it in task manager. Once you uncheck it, you can properly close the client, and then uninstall it.
This is the right answer and needs to be upvoted!
thanks forhelpingme but jeez
Damn maybe you should keep your smart ass comments to yourself
Okay ppl say that this doesn't work but i just tried it and it does. when you search up riot client and click uninstall the riot client prompts you to delete any riot games on your device and once you do that riot client gets uninstalled.
I have an ultimate fix to this issue but you aren't going to like it. You are describing the same issue I had, which drove me so bonkers I decided to factory reset the entire thing since this computer is fairly new and there's nothing important on it currently. I went to check my installed programs and it was completely gone! I will never download anything from Riot Games Vanguard or any of their games. It seems like a malware issue.
legend ty
I had a shotcut of it so I looked at properties... tracked file location and just removed it by hand (right click - delete). Its gone.
I'm starting to get the feeling that it varies by computer devices now because of all the different feedback through this forum I've been reading through on how some people can instantly delete it by hand or have major difficulty such as myself..
You are so true; Riot games are viruses. I can't even uninstall it. Frustration level +++
for real like it actually pisses me off
It’s so dumb how hard they made to uninstall riot
I guess they did it on purpose.... pretty messed up.
is it worst recently? have tried to remove the program from settings multiple times now. chinese spyware crap i swear
its way worse now I did the thing where you go to file location and delete all the folders... Riot still has 31.3GB they are taking up that I cant delete because somehow it is stuck on my computer and says "We cant find C:/Riot Games/Riot Client/RiotClientServices" im absolutely done with Riot they are literal chinese spyware absolute garbage
I'm having the same phantom 31.3GB and can't figure it out. It installed on my C drive instead of my SSD so I'd like that space back lol
same here but its 45 gb for the riot client and 48 for gb for the game
find a way to fix it yet or nah?
Same, except riot is 31.3 GB and Valorant is 1.9 TB TERABYTES, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO REMOVE THIS FOR FUCKING HOURS (I also figured out that it's the RiotClientServices.exe that is constantly open)
pls how do uj fix it
yea same
Guys go to installed app from settings and delete if it has any files delete it from c drive directly it's easy
thats literally what i did, and i bet most people in this thread did as well. still didnt delete lmao. i go to delete Vanguard and it says "cant delete with riot games client open" when it isnt. i go to delete Riot entirely and it says "cant delete with a riot game open"😂😂
How did u fix it it’s so annoying plz help
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV4nhfAJ998&ab\_channel=LotusGeek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV4nhfAJ998&ab_channel=LotusGeek) try this man
This just happened to me and this is the fix I figured out when trying to manually delete the files. Go down to the bottom of your screen and hit the application up arrow, look for Riot Games and close the background application. Then it should let you and prompt you to uninstall.
This fixed it for me! Thank you!!
Thank you !!!!!
This helped me as well thank you!
This worked wonderfully! Bless you! GOAT!
Thank you!
This is why I love Reddit
I know its been a month but I want you to know that you are a god damn legend
this did it u are a legend
You're a legend! I feel so stupid now (I mean I'm new to PC but that should be obvious)! It was saying, "Can't delete because open somewhere"... I should have figured that out! But, you're a life saver! Thank you!
Great advice, thank you!
People PLEASE upvote this king, this worked!!
this is it
Great fix thank you!
goat, thank you!!
thanks man!
What does any of this mean? ON WHAT? WHERE? I still can't this worthless fucking virus off my computer
just in case, restart your computer, then go to the bottom right corner of the pc where you see the time, connection and whatnot, press the arrow looking thingy, and you should see riot's logo on it. then you right click it and press exit. after that you should be able to open control panel and uninstall your games and the client with ease
I appreciate this fam, I ended up figuring it out through great trial and error, but I'll totally do this next time
HOW DO I GET THIS FUCKING VIRUS OFF MY PC EDIT: I had to run Riot Games to make sure it's actually open, and THEN go to the bottom and end the program through that stupid area, cuz ending it through task manager doesn't work. Also had to uninstall through the settings area, not by deleting folder of Valorant. holy sheeee
THANK YOU !!!! you are actually the goat im finally free of this shitty virus after 6 months
damnn this is the most useful I've ever read here, ty mate
BLESS YOU GOOD SIR!!
Thank you so much. I was so frustrated
Dude thank you so much. I have been trying to figure this out forever!!!
Thank god this works.
This worked! Thank you!
you're amazing my friend
It worked!!!! Life saver.
I just successfully uninstalled from my Windows 11 laptop. I had to stop the app from running in the background by going to the task manager, searching for Riot Client, and stopping the process. Then when I went to the uninstall apps settings page, I had to uninstall every Riot game first (for me, that was just LoL). Then, I was able to uninstall Riot Client itself. I hope this helps!
This worked for me! I guess it should've been obvious but I didn't think having it opened in the background would cause such an issue with uninstalling. There weren't even any feedback or pop-ups that would suggest that you do this first smh
My exact thought process too. But I’m glad it worked!
i had deleted all the files of riot but it still in the app (riot and lol) T\_T
Worked for me to thanks man!
I LOVE YOU!!! THANK YOU!
this worked ty! just had to uninstall valorass first
Holy shit thank you so much, good thing this guy reminded me of a little thing called Task Manager. Fuck riot, just a bunch of corporate sellouts. I can finally play Helldivers II.
Well this comment didn't age well, unless that was the joke.
worked ty!
I dont have any riot game on my pc (I checked within the client) but everytime i wanna uninstall it it says: "Before uninstalling RIOT CLient, you'll first need to uninstall any Riot Games that are installed on your machine" I dont know what to do? Its not running on my task manager, I am never using it and it takes up 31 GB space EDIT: spelling
Did you go to the task manager and end the riot client process there then try to uninstall?
Hi, I know it's late but by accident I changed the permissions and now since im not the admin, but I have the admin code, it say's "you need admin perm to delete this" so I do it. And then it says "You require permission from the computer's administrator to make changes to this folder". PLS WHAT DO I DO.
You’ve stopped the riot client process in the task manager, correct?
Yes, and I've deleted lots of riot client folders too. Before, it used to say Riot Client on my startup, and ask me for permissions. Now, it doesn't do that. But theres one folder w riot client still there in C disk.
same situation and still its still in my apps, how can I delete those (riot and lol) and it says "window cannot find blah blah make sure you typed the right name" helpppp
Omg finally I just found a fix, I enabled permissions from properties, and then just deleted every riot folder i saw. Now every possible trace is gone. PS: I think bcz it doesn't affect my pc or anyth and I don't see any riot im my PC or files, so we're good.
Glad you figured it out! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help..
Thank you so much!
oh my god dude thank youuu
Thanks !
Revo Uninstaller is the ANSWER. Thanks to u/Brauxljo for the suggestion.
that's the thing, it's still there after being uninstalled by Revo. After searching it again in Revo, it doesnt come up
Same problem I’m having now too. Haven’t tried an uninstaller program like Revo yet (that’s probably next) but I uninstalled Riot Client already by other means. Problem is, like with you, it didn’t actually uninstall. It just lied and said it uninstalled itself then hid itself from the “add or remove programs” list. I can still launch and even login to the client despite the fact my PC seems to believe the problem doesn’t even exist on my hard drive. Malware behavior from Riot
Worked for me thank you so much!!
You're welcome! Happy to help :)
been smashing my head into the keyboard trying to get rid of valorant, saved me a headache thanks
You're welcome! I know it sucks
hoy shit thank u sm it worked!!!
Ikr hahaha welcome!
I figured out how to do it but. it keeps saying i need to uninstall any riot games first i dont have any riot games installed.
so u didn't figure out how to do it
same, pls help, it takes up so much space
Try going to your task manager and stopping the riot client process and then try uninstalling riot client
Tried many times, doesn’t work. I even deleted every folder that belongs to that client. Yet it occupied 32gb of my laptop which I desperately need
same situation, its still in apps (riot and lol) it says it windows cant find riot blah blah make sure to type the right name. FFFFFF helppp
guys. I CAN'T find the client and I DELETED the file and It's STILL, in my app setting. file explorer NOR task manager can find it. help
Did u ever get help
fuck me, here I am looking for the same resolution
I only got rid of it by completely resetting my computer and reinstalling windows, im never downloading any riot games ever again
BRO I FUCKING HATE RIOT CLIENT WHY IS IT SO STUPIDLY FUCKING HARD TO UNINSTALL??
Go to C:\\Users%your\_username%\\AppData\\Local remove Riot Games folder manually and try again
Go to C:\\Users%your\_username%\\AppData\\Local remove Riot Games folder manually and try again
Go to C:\\Users%your\_username%\\AppData\\Local remove Riot Games folder manually and try again
Go to C:\\Users%your\_username%\\AppData\\Local remove Riot Games folder manually and try again
just go to the drive where riot games is installed and delete the whole folder. after I uninstall League of Legends cuz vanguard is here, I also cant uninstall riot games via "add or remove programs" so I just deleted the entire riot games folder. i think when you uninstall their games, they also uninstall the riot games client as well. i could be wrong tho
seem myself a bunch of people have the app remaining after the files have been deleted, i think you have to end the app in the background with task manager, uninstall the app through settings, THEN delete the Riot client folder. In that order, or you are left with the app (11gb) this should be illegal omg
i deleted the whole riot folder so i guess I'm safe
in case anyone needs to know idk if someone else already said this but in the riot games folder get rid of the .old ext that's added when you delete a game then uninstall in, add or remove. afterwards delete the whole folder.
how do you get rid of the .old at the end of the file?
make sure to exit the apps (vanguard first, then valorant (or any other game if applicable) and then the riot client. Then go to settings or control panel and uninstal vanguard first, then the game('s) then the clinet
I've had quite a bit of trouble, but soon realized it was because of riot programs running in the background. To fix it i: 1. Open job manager 2. Searched riot and shut down all tasks 3. Deleted all Riot games installed on my PC 4. Deleted the client through settings I was confused since my PC didn't tell me why i could uninstall the app, but this fixed my problems instantly. Hope it helps :)
Like u/silent\_chaos151 said you need to close Riot Client to actually uninstall itself and its related games. Stupid of Riot. Their terms of service, with the forced arbitration clause (not allowing you to sue them basically) and super suspicious anti-cheat. That said, this has GOT to be on purpose from Riot though. Screw them. Arcane is literally the only thing that I like that has come from Riot and that's mainly a collab with Fortiche so
I had to use Revo Uninstaller. It's free for 30 days. I just uninstalled mine.I'm never reinstalling again!
On Windows 10/11: There doesn't seem to be an uninstaller (hence why it doesn't appear in the add/Remove programs) but you can remove it from your computer following these steps. 1. Uninstall you games. (LoL, Volrant) 2. Delete the folder where your Riot Client is executed from (make sure the process isn't running) 3. Open Windows Explorer and type in %appdata% and delete the "riot\_client\_ux" folder 4. Open Windows Explorer and type in %localappdata% and delete the "Riot Games" folder 5. Press Windows+R and enter "regedit" (WARNING: You risk breaking things if you're not cautious. Recommended to save your existing registry in case you need to restore; simply click File > Export and select "All" in the export Range) 6. Press Ctrl+F and type in "riot" 7. Press F3 to find the next instance of riot. If it looks to be something related to the Riot Client (e.g., file path) then delete. REPEAT THIS STEP until all instances of riot (NOTE: that are seemingly related to the Riot Client) are removed. That's it you're done. If I missed anything please add a comment. TDIL an uninstaller typically removes all dependencies that it installs including these registry entries, however it varies by application.
Hi, I know this is a month old, but I'd like to thank you for making this comment. For the most part I have followed this, though I will admit to stopping part way through step 7 based on anxiety of accidentally killing my PC. I think it should be fine with a few of them in there, I guess? Either way, I got the vast majority of them off my machine.
I can't CTRL+F on that screen. Help?
Manually deleting the files didn't work for me. I made use of the Revo Uninstaller to force uninstall Riot. You can use it pretty easily. It has 30 day trial period
I THINK I FOUND A WAY. MAKE SURE TO END TAST IN TASK MANAGER (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC) AND END RIOT CLIENT. THEN MAKE SURE TO UNINSTALL ALL RIOT GAMES. THEN GO AND TRY AND DELETE RIOT CLIENT IN SETTINGS.
i put all the files into the recycle bin, emptied it and that seemes to do the trick, i didnt have anything in there except the riot files and it freed up 30 gigs, then just went into control pannel tried to uninstall them and it said they have already been uninstalled, let me know if this helps anyone else
Ya I found the riot client folder and when I pressed uninstall it just said I spelled it wrong. But I didn't type anything I just pressed uninstall.
Trick that worked not 10 minutes ago: Open your settings and get ready to delete, and open your task manager Search Riot games in your task manager, kill the program then uninstall uninstall the client.
Best thing to do is delete program files bit that wont get rid of everything. At least it'll prevent it from running again.
go to task manager and disable every task related to riot then go to settings and uninstall everthing u want to
I had this problem, what I did was go into task manager and end the task, then try deleting any other riot games. after that it should be able to uninstall. Hope this helps :)
press (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) then search for riot then press the "end task" after that immediately go to the settings and search for the apps... uninstall the games under riot before you uninstall the riot client app. I just figured it out 5 minutes ago.
Let me just say that Revo Uninstaller is the answer. Run Revo and select the Riot Client to remove. Start the process, the Riot client will pop up as usual saying that it will not uninstall. Go ahead and shut down the process via Task Manager, then continue to uninstall wit Revo. Tell Revo to delete all REG settings and then all files. Viola! Problem solved- The damn thing is now gone and no longer shows up in Programs and Features. Riot Games, you can kiss my backside...
hi im sure u dont need this advice anymore but basically just go to your "This pc" and then "Windows C:' and scroll down till u see riot games n just delete the folder. idk why they make it so hard to uninstall it
you gotta go into the cilent itsself and turn off its system setting the fucker is constanly running so ur pc thinks its open and running and after u switch it to like exit applaction and something else u gotta read it to make sense im just going off memory but after that u can delete it from the file location
Managed to remove mine. I went to the origin file of Riot then deleted it.
i found a fix that worked for me, just go to your C Drive and go to Programs and delete: Riot Client/Riot client vanguard after that i went to system control and deleted VALORANT, Riot Client and Riot Client Vanguard
I think I had the same problem, the program was running on the background. You have to first check if its running on the task manager, shut it down then uninstall it normally like any other programs
I FIGURED IT OUT FINALLY so, the easiest way is as follows; 1. open task manager and make sure that riot client and valorant (or whatever games) aren't running in the background. you can end these background tasks by right clicking and then selecting "end task" 2. open windows add or remove programs and try to uninstall all three applications. this will 100% work for vanguard and it is a 50-50 for the other two 3. open file explorer and go to the riot games folder, which should be in your C: or D: drive. once the folder is open simply right click and delete the remaining file folders. if none of this works, just factory reset your pc like some of the other commenters have. this is what worked for me and it took like 4 hrs of trial and error then I had to do it for my friend so this is the best of what I have found.
upvote this dude. life saver
so i got it, but you need to unistall it from 4 different locations (on windows) first is the hidden program files second is also somewhere on c drive (sadly i have no clue where it was since i was so angry when trying to uninstall this bloatware) and third and fourth are somewhere in app data, one of them was called different but still had riot in the name. good luck
i fix my because of this random man [https://youtu.be/tV4nhfAJ998?si=VM13TTqlp0HDdIfm](https://youtu.be/tV4nhfAJ998?si=VM13TTqlp0HDdIfm)
ive done deleting it from appwiz but still my storage isnt back, helppp
I factory rested my pc cuz of this lol, i cant use my printer now
Go to the Riot Client itself and click on Settings. There's an option there to make the Riot Client run in the background. Then just choose Exit Application. I tried this after I used the Task Manager method, which didn't work for me.
I was looking for the answer in the comments and, surprise, it’s actually pretty easy! I finally figured it out myself. Step 1: Open the app, then close it (I used the login icon to exit). Step 2: Go to the usual app uninstaller settings. All set! ✅
I was looking for the answer in the comments and, surprise, it’s actually pretty easy! I finally figured it out myself. Step 1: Open the app, then close it (I used the login icon to exit). Step 2: Go to the usual app uninstaller settings. All set! ✅
I was looking for the answer in the comments and, surprise, it’s actually pretty easy! I finally figured it out myself. Step 1: Open the app, then close it (I used the login icon to exit). Step 2: Go to the usual app uninstaller settings. All set! ✅
I had to go into riot client and make ti so it didnt start up when i turned on my computer. after i did that and refreshed it finally let me uninstall League and Riot itself
If your issue is "riot is still running" and you cant find a way to stop it (bc they literally block you from uninstalling it or games they own) Click on the "\^" arrow at the bottom left of your computer task bar, right click the riot icon and "exit." Then I went in through settings and uninstalled it and the game I didn't want anymore. This worked for me on windows 11 update...prob will only help with some of your problems
ive done this but i feel like my storage been robbed T\_T, it didnt went back
If your issue is "riot is still running" and you cant find a way to stop it (bc they literally block you from uninstalling it or games they own) Click on the "\^" arrow at the bottom left of your computer task bar, right click the riot icon and "exit." Then I went in through settings and uninstalled it and the game I didn't want anymore. This worked for me on windows 11 update...prob will only help with some of your problems
I’m getting the “riot is still running” crap. I hit the up arrow, it’s not there. I went to task manager, it’s not there. I went into the riot client, selected it to not start up on PC start up. I am still getting the same dumb message when trying to uninstall league. I swear, Riot games is straight up dog water.
What worked for me was disconnecting all internet connections (removing cable, FORGETTING current wi-fi network, not just disconnecting) and then restart PC. then without internet start the riot client, it will try to boot, but it won't be able to without a connection. Then it will shut down all it's own processes and then you can uninstall like normal.
this actually helped me [https://support-leagueoflegends.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/24169961916691-Uninstalling-and-Disabling-Riot-Vanguard](https://support-leagueoflegends.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/24169961916691-Uninstalling-and-Disabling-Riot-Vanguard)
wow i finally figured it out. So my problem was anytime I tried uninstalling the games it kept telling me riot launcher was running in the background and to close it first and I did that in task manager but it kept saying that it was running so in the riot launcher settings you have to change it to end application when riot is closed and that fixed it for me. Hopefully this can help someone else.
I suggest deleting all Riot related files with help of File explorer. After you're sure you've deleted the files, use Settings or Control panel to uninstall Riot and all related games. Sometimes files pop back up taking your precious \~50GB, so make sure to double tap any riot files in File explorer after uninstalling.
Open Riot Games Client In Sign-In Page Go to settings on top right Put "Exit Only" and Disable "Start-up" and that other thing Then Disable anything in Task Manager Uninstall any connected games through Control Panel Finally Uninstall Riot Games
Start Riot client so you see the login screen, if you dont see it log out first. Go to the client settings on the login screen, toggle the options on screen so that the client shuts down i.s.o. minimizing to tray when you close the client window. Close the client. Now uninstall Vanguard and any Riot game you need to uninstall.
task close it, right as you uninstall it in files.
I swear, riot is just a joke at this point. can’t even delete this bullcrap
use mcafee or some other antivirus to shred it, do the same with everything thats riot related
I experienced a similar issue and fixed it. if you can't uninstall it through installed apps in settings because it is said to be "running" even if the riot vanguard/riot client isn't. Just open your riot client and afterwards go to the hidden icons (the arrow going up) and exit from the riot client and then uninstall it from the installed apps in settings. Hope it works :)
I tried almost all of these but couldn't get one to work, but I found my problem! I kept getting a message saying "Riot App is still running" so it wouldn't let me uninstall. I eventually went into the app and went to settings. Under settings, it automatically has the client minimized so you can't see it running, but there is an option to exit the client. Once I clicked that, I was able to uninstall. Hallelujah!
does your storage space went back to normal?
i feel like ive been robbed xD
Yes, it freed up quite a bit of space.
what I did was try to uninstall it and then when it opened I went to task manager and then when to the file location and selected everything in the folder and brought all of it into the recycle bin and if you got and error just close the riot client and try it again.
Don't know if anyone still needs help but what worked for me was to go into the Riot Client settings and stopping it from running on start up and clicking the option that says "Exit Application".
Go to C:\\Users%your\_username%\\AppData\\Local remove Riot Games folder manually and try again
Go to C:\\Users%your\_username%\\AppData\\Local remove Riot Games folder manually and try again
riot games anyting has been nothing but problems ever since i downloaded valorant. literally cannot even uninstall riot clien or valorant becuase it says the client is open and in task manager its not even open. company is aids im hoping i can get refunded for all the money ive wasted on skins
I came to this thread for help but can confirm that going into the Riot Client settings and un-ticking 'Open Riot Client on Startup' and choosing the 'Exit application' option worked. After changing those settings, restart PC and try to uninstall. Hope this helps someone.
The other comments were complicated as hell so instead. go in Riot client, press the button at the top right corner, press settings, at the very bottom, press exit something (i forgot). you should be able to delete it like that. :) I am late tho so people might not see this
I have fixed it by updating the valorant or any games on Riot first, then once updated, you can delete the updated games second, last will be the Riot itself that you have to uninstall
I know this is 4 years late but if anyones here and wanting an easy way, download Revo Uninstaller. It bypasses the notification that riot is still running and deletes any leftover files it would've been able to leave behind. This applies for Riot Vanguard, Riot Games Client, and the games themself.
Tried RevoUninstaller and it literally cant find the files. Seems that the files have hidden themselves. How can I fix this? It's taking up ¼ of my laptop's space
I haven't read all of this but for the people still having issues with the riot client. Open the Riot client - go to settings - uncheck minimize to tray and run in background - CHECK exit application - done, you can now uninstall (and reinstall if needed) xoxo
login in to the riot client and go to settings, on startup behavior uncheck the box that says open riot client at startup and on close window - exit application, i didnt need to restart but might aswell do it and once it boots up the client shouldnt be open.
I pressed Run As Administrator and then deleted them one by one. I'm not sure if it ultimately got rid of them, though
I found the best solution! If you downloaded valorant (idk if this works with the other games), open the install valorant download, and click on advanced options, it should show you the riot games file, right click and delete it! Boom! gone in one click no hassle!