How to uninstall riot client and stop it from running in windows?

Are we talking about how to completely uninstall Riot Client? To be honest, uninstall all Riot games first (Valorant, League of Legends, etc.), then uninstall Riot Vanguard, and finally uninstall the Riot Client.

Before I explain the solution of how to completely uninstall Riot Client. Let me tell you what is actually happening. When you try to uninstall Riot Client, Windows checks if the program is still running. If it detects any Riot-related background processes, it blocks the uninstallation to protect your system from being damaged . This is the error message you are seeing. The Riot Client is designed to keep running in the background even after you close its main window . This is because of Riot Vanguard, the anti-cheat system that operates at a deep level in Windows. Because it runs at this deep level, it can prevent uninstallation even when you think the program is closed.

Once your PC restarts in a Clean Boot state, no Riot-related services should be running. You can then try to uninstall the Riot Client again from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. To exit the Clean Boot state, simply go back to System Configuration, select "Normal Startup" , and restart your PC.

This method about how to completely uninstall Riot Client is completely free, uses no third-party tools, and avoids Task Manager and the Run dialog. By uninstalling Vanguard first and performing a Clean Boot if necessary, you should be able to remove the Riot Client completely.

How to completely uninstall Riot Client? Here is a sequence that works within your constraints:

Step 1: Exit via System Tray Only

• Look at the bottom-right corner of your screen near the clock (system tray)
• Find the Riot Client or Vanguard icon
• Right-click each and select Exit or Quit

Step 2: Uninstall from Settings

• Click the Start button, then the gear icon for Settings
• Navigate to Apps (Windows 10) or Apps > Installed Apps (Windows 11)
• Find Riot Client in the list
• Click Uninstall and follow prompts

Step 3: Delete Leftover Files Manually

Using File Explorer (Windows key + E if needed, or click the folder icon on your taskbar), navigate to these locations and delete any remaining Riot Games folders:

• C:\Program Files\Riot Games
• C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Riot Games
• C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Riot Games

To find AppData without Win + R: Open File Explorer, click the View menu, check Hidden items, then navigate manually to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local

Step 4: How to completely uninstall Riot Client

Return to Settings > Apps, find Riot Vanguard, and uninstall it . This is a separate kernel-level component that often persists even after the main client is removed.

About how to completely uninstall Riot Client. I've dug into this for you, Richard. The Riot Client is notoriously aggressive about keeping itself running in the background, which is why it's blocking your uninstall attempts. The good news is that there are definitely ways to get rid of it completely. The key is that you have to stop all of its hidden processes and services before Windows will let you uninstall it. A standard restart won't work because Riot's anti-cheat, Vanguard, is set to launch automatically with Windows.

You might be wondering why a simple restart doesn't fix this. The main culprit is Riot Vanguard, the kernel-level anti-cheat system.

It's designed to be persistent: Vanguard is programmed to start automatically with Windows, long before you even log in. So a standard restart just loads it right back up.

It operates at a deep level: Because it runs at such a low system level, it can block uninstallers from modifying its files, even when you think the game is closed.

How to completely uninstall Riot Client manually? you often have to go into its own system tray icon and explicitly choose "Exit Vanguard" before you can do anything else. This is why a dedicated tool like Uninstalr is so much easier—it handles this complex sequence for you.

This is a critical step to fully uninstall riot client from Windows 10 by removing leftover registry entries. It ensures no residual Riot Games data remains in your system, preventing conflicts during future installations or system operations.

Usage Guide: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor. This step is essential to fully uninstall riot client from Windows 10 by removing residual registry data.

Navigate to the following three registry keys and delete them (if they exist):

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Riot Games\,
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Riot Games\, and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Riot Games\.

After deleting these keys, press Ctrl + F to search for “Riot” and delete any remaining related entries found.

This will help you quickly and completely uninstall the Riot client from Windows 10, effectively resolving issues with leftover Riot files and registry junk.

It is particularly useful for thorough post-uninstallation cleanup, ensuring a fresh system state after removing Riot Client and its associated games.

To fully remove all Riot software, you need to uninstall every game first. This is an important part of how to completely uninstall riot client from your system.

how to completely uninstall riot client

Step 1: Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps

Step 2: Uninstall the following Riot games one by one:

• Valorant
• League of Legends
• Any other Riot games you have installed

Finally, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

You must uninstall all games before you can completely uninstall the Riot client and avoid leaving behind any residual files.

Cons

• Only uninstalls games, not the Riot Client or Vanguard.
• Manual operation required for each app.
• Leaves behind logs, cache and service files.

Notes

• Do not shut down or restart during uninstallation.
• Make sure all Riot processes are closed before uninstalling.
• If uninstall fails, go back to end background processes first.
• Restart is required to clear temporary files and services.

Before you uninstall riot client from Windows 10, you must close all Riot‑related processes first. If programs are still running in the background, you may face uninstall errors, leftover files, or incomplete removal.

How to uninstall riot client from Windows 10

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

2. Locate and end the following processes one by one:

• Riot Client
• RiotClientServices
• RiotClientCrashHandler
• Valorant.exe (or League of Legends.exe)
• vgc (Riot Vanguard)

3. Right-click each process and select End Task.

4. Go to the system tray, right-click the Riot icon, and select Exit.

Cons

• Manual process termination is time‑consuming and easy to miss background items.
• Some Riot services may restart automatically, requiring repeated checks.
• No automatic one‑click solution to stop all components at once.

Once all processes have stopped, you can safely and completely uninstall the Riot client on Windows 10 without any issues.