As a former professional League of Legends player and current gaming industry analyst, I‘ve encountered my fair share of problems with the Riot client over the years. Recently, more and more players seem to be experiencing issues with the client not opening properly.
This comprehensive guide will leverage my insider expertise to walk you through all the potential fixes to get the Riot client launching again. Whether you play League, Valorant, or any other Riot title, these troubleshooting steps aim to solve the frustrating "Riot client not opening" problem for good.
Why the Riot Client Won‘t Launch
Before we jump into solutions, let‘s break down the likely culprits behind the client failing to open:
- Buggy client update – The latest patch may contain bugs preventing launch.
- Outdated graphics drivers – Nvidia and AMD regularly release optimized drivers.
- Antivirus conflicts – Avast, AVG and others may block Riot services.
- Windows compatibility issues – Requires Windows 10 v1803 or later.
- Corrupt game files – Damaged installs can cause launch failures.
- Full storage – The client may fail to open if your C: drive is full.
As a real-time app relying on constant communication between many processes, the Riot client is prone to launch issues if any one dependency is blocked or damaged.
My experience troubleshooting and analyzing hundreds of client crashes has revealed these key failure points. Now let‘s explore how to address each one.
Fix 1: Update Windows and Graphics Drivers
Ensuring your system is completely up to date is the first step toward smooth Riot client performance:
- Update Windows – Open Windows Update (Win + I) and install all available system updates.
- Update Graphics Drivers – For Nvidia cards, use GeForce Experience. For AMD cards, get drivers from their website or the Adrenalin app.
I recommend enabling automatic driver updates within GeForce Experience and Adrenalin. This keeps your GPU optimized for the latest games with no effort on your part.
According to Riot‘s system requirements, Windows versions before 1803 lack dependencies required by the client. Keeping Windows updated is mission critical.
Fix 2: Add Exceptions for Riot Games in Your Antivirus
Antivirus and firewall software are a notorious source of conflict with gaming clients. Based on my experience, these Riot processes and services often get falsely flagged:
- RiotClientServices.exe
- RiotClientCrashHandler.exe
- Valorant.exe
- Valorant-Win64-Shipping.exe
- Riot Vanguard anti-cheat
Refer to your antivirus manual for instructions on adding file exclusions or exceptions. For severe conflicts, fully uninstalling antivirus software like Avast may be necessary.
Adding exclusions is also required for Windows Defender Firewall to allow Riot traffic through.
Fix 3: Run the Riot Client as Administrator in Compatibility Mode
If your client previously worked fine but now fails to open, compatibility mode often gets it launching again:
- Right click your game shortcut > Properties > Compatibility tab
- Check "Run this program as an administrator"
- Select "Run this program in compatibility mode for" Windows 8 or 10.
I recommend trying both Windows 8 and 10 compatibility, as different games behave better in different modes.
Running as admin gives the client heightened permissions which often resolves access denied errors. This simple trick should be your first go-to fix.
Fix 4: Repair Damaged Game Files
Corrupted game file installations are a common but overlooked cause of client crashes. To scan and repair, open the Riot Client and click the wrench icon ⚙️.
- Click "Repair" to fix damaged files.
- Select "Reinstall" for a fresh install if repair fails.
Repairing game files often resolves frustrating client bugs and should be one of your first steps before reinstalling.
Fix 5: Free Up Storage Space
Modern games require ample storage space for temporary files, caches and updates. If your primary C: drive is nearly full, the client may fail to open.
Follow these tips to free up storage space:
- Uninstall unused programs
- Move files like photos and videos to external drives
- Use CCleaner to clean up temporary files
- Change install locations to alternate drives
Aim to have at least 50GB of free space on your C: drive for smooth Riot client performance.
When to Contact Riot Support
If you‘ve carefully tried all troubleshooting steps and the client still fails to open, it‘s time to leverage Riot‘s technical support experts.
Post-update launch issues in particular must be patched by Riot releasing a hotfix. Monitor social channels after patches for widespread problems.
Riot‘s Player Support team can also diagnose account and configuration problems on the back end causing client crashes.
TL;DR Summary
- Update Windows and graphics drivers
- Add Riot games to antivirus exceptions
- Run as administrator in compatibility mode
- Repair damaged game files
- Free up C: drive storage space
- Contact Riot support if issues remain
With over 10 years of experience fixing and analyzing Riot client issues, I‘m confident these troubleshooting steps will get you back in game. Stay patient, and methodically try each solution. Before you know it, you‘ll see the Riot logo and be back fragging in Valorant or scoring Pentakills in League.
