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“Can’t install League of Legends” can mean a failed download, a blocked folder, a missing existing installation, an incomplete Riot Client setup, or a Vanguard error that appears only when the game first launches. Identify that stage before deleting anything. League is officially supported on Windows and macOS; Linux, SteamOS, Bazzite, virtual machines and other unsupported environments are not reliable installation targets.
Work through the checks below in order, saving the exact error message or code before changing several settings at once.
Identify where the installation fails
| What you see | Most likely category |
|---|---|
| The download never starts | Network, browser, blocked domain, or an unofficial/ damaged installer |
| The installer stops, rolls back, or reports a path error | Storage, permissions, security software, or a corrupted download |
| The installation-location field is blank | Riot cannot find the existing League folder |
| Riot Client installs but League is unavailable | Wrong game path or an incomplete game installation |
| League appears installed but will not open | Vanguard, antivirus, compatibility mode, or a Windows security requirement |
| The message begins with VAN | Vanguard or a Windows firmware/security configuration |
Patch failures are also installation failures in practice. Note whether the problem is a new installation or an update to an existing copy; the safest next step differs.
Check compatibility before changing files
Riot’s requirements can change, so compare your machine with the current English League of Legends system-requirements page. The published table includes these important constraints:
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- Official desktop support is limited to Windows and macOS. Linux, SteamOS and Bazzite are not supported operating systems.
- Current Windows requirements specify x64 architecture, a supported Windows 10 version, and DirectX 11-capable graphics. Windows 11 systems may need TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and UEFI-compatible firmware for Vanguard.
- The table lists at least 16 GB of free storage for Windows and 12 GB for macOS, plus temporary space for extraction and patches. It lists 2 GB minimum RAM. Treat every number as version-sensitive rather than permanent.
- Windows graphics requirements are expressed through DirectX feature support; Mac graphics requirements use Metal. Riot also lists ARM limitations in its current requirements.
- The surfaced Riot Mac wording has changed and is not fully clear about Intel versus Apple Silicon. Do not infer that every Mac works or that every Apple Silicon Mac is excluded; compare your model with Riot’s current English table.
These checks answer whether the game can be installed, not whether it will run smoothly. A computer can meet the minimum needed to install while delivering poor performance in a match.
Use Windows’ diagnostic screens
These commands only show system information; they do not prove compatibility by themselves:
winver— Windows edition and version.dxdiag— DirectX and graphics information.tpm.msc— whether Windows detects TPM and its specification version.msinfo32— BIOS mode and Secure Boot state, among other details.
A virtual machine can be rejected even when its virtual hardware looks adequate. Riot documents virtualized execution as an incompatibility condition for Vanguard, so do not treat a VM as an officially supported workaround.
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Try the low-risk Windows fixes first
- Restart the PC. This clears a stuck Riot process and completes pending service changes.
- Install pending Windows updates. Restart again if Windows requests it.
- Check free space. Leave more than the published minimum for temporary installer and patch files.
- Download the installer again from Riot’s official League download flow. Do not use a repacked or “optimized” third-party installer.
- Save it locally. Run the downloaded file from a normal local folder, not a browser temporary location, network drive, or removable device.
- Use the default Riot location initially. A custom or protected folder adds permission and path variables.
- Run as administrator only when appropriate. Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator if ordinary execution fails or it reports a permissions error. It is not a universal fix.
- Check the account and folder permissions. Your Windows account must be able to create and modify files in the target directory.
- Test the connection. Temporarily disconnect a VPN and try a different network if Riot cannot contact its services. Work, school and managed networks may block required traffic.
- Inspect security-software history. Windows Security or third-party endpoint protection may have quarantined the installer or a Riot file.
Never leave antivirus, firewall or Windows security permanently disabled. If a temporary test is unavoidable, re-enable protection immediately afterward and do not browse or download unrelated files while it is off.
Point Riot to an existing League installation
The updated Riot Client shares files with an existing League installation. Choosing a new folder when the old one already exists can produce a second partial copy or make the client report that League is missing. Follow Riot’s updated-client installation guide.
Windows: copy the real League folder
- Right-click a League shortcut and choose Open File Location.
- Copy the folder path shown in File Explorer.
- Paste that path into the installer’s location field. Select the League installation folder itself, not merely its parent folder.
If there is no shortcut, search for lol.launcher.exe, open its file properties, and copy its location. Do not manually move the League directory while the client is being installed.
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Mac: select the application
When the installer asks for an existing copy, browse to League of Legends.app. Confirm the app is on the same volume and has not been moved or renamed since installation.
Allow Riot files through security software
Riot has documented antivirus and firewall blocks involving League and Vanguard. Add exceptions only for files you actually installed, and remember that a custom installation directory changes the paths. The default Windows examples are:
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Use Riot’s antivirus-exception guidance for the current list. Check that these executables have not been quarantined and are not set to run in Windows compatibility mode. Controlled Folder Access and enterprise endpoint protection can also block writes even when consumer antivirus appears quiet. Game boosters and other anti-cheat tools may interfere; remove or suspend them only for a controlled test.
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When the patcher hangs or shows an unknown error
- Wait briefly if disk or network activity is still progressing.
- Exit Riot Client completely, including its system-tray process.
- Restart Windows and reopen Riot Client.
- Check free space and the security-software quarantine history.
- Try a wired or different network.
- Download a fresh installer if the original download may be corrupt.
Do not delete random folders to force progress. For an unknown patching error, Riot asks for compressed client logs with a support ticket. The default Windows League folder is C:Riot GamesLeague of Legends; its Logs folder includes LeagueClient Logs. On Mac, Riot identifies logs inside the application bundle at Contents/LoL/Logs. See the updated client patcher instructions.
Resolve Vanguard errors after installation
A game that installs but fails at first launch may have a Vanguard problem rather than an installer problem. Riot’s meanings can change; use its current Vanguard error-code table as the authority.
| Code | Riot’s documented meaning or direction |
|---|---|
| VAN Missing -117 | Vanguard is not active; restart and repair or reinstall Vanguard as Riot directs. |
| VAN -1 | Vanguard uninstall failed. |
| VAN 9001 | TPM 2.0 is not enabled. |
| VAN 9002 | Windows Exploit Protection is disabled or customized incompatibly. |
| VAN 9003 | Secure Boot is not enabled. |
| VAN 9004 or VAN 9006 | The Windows version is unsupported. |
| VAN 9005 | Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and UEFI-compatible firmware. |
| VAN 138 | The game or Vanguard is running from a virtual machine. |
| VAN 152 | Riot identifies this as a hardware-ID ban, not an ordinary installation failure. |
VAN 9002: restore Windows Exploit Protection defaults
- Press the Windows key, search for Exploit protection, and open the Windows Security result.
- Under System settings, return these protections to Use default: Control flow guard, Data Execution Prevention, Force randomization for images, Bottom-up ASLR, High entropy ASLR, SEHOP and Validate heap integrity.
- Under Program settings, remove custom entries associated with Riot Games, Riot Vanguard or Riot titles.
- Only after removing those entries, restart the computer.
These are Riot’s current steps in its VAN 9002 guide.
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TPM, Secure Boot and UEFI
TPM and Secure Boot are normally changed in UEFI/BIOS, where menu names vary by manufacturer. Riot’s TPM 2.0 guide warns that incorrect firmware changes can stop Windows from booting. Follow your motherboard or computer manufacturer’s instructions, confirm whether Windows currently uses UEFI rather than legacy/CSM mode, and do not disable security features to bypass Vanguard.
Incompatible OEM storage driver
For an Incompatible OEM Driver message, Riot says some third-party NVMe or SATA/AHCI storage drivers do not meet Vanguard’s DMA-remapping requirements. Its examples of suitable Microsoft controllers include NVM Express Controller and Standard SATA AHCI Controller. This is an advanced change: create a restore point or backup, identify the exact controller, and follow Riot’s OEM-driver instructions rather than replacing storage drivers casually.
Clean reinstall only after diagnosis
Use a clean reinstall when the path, permissions, security and Vanguard checks have not repaired a damaged installation. It cannot fix an unsupported operating system, missing firmware requirements, incompatible hardware or a hardware-ID ban.
- Record the error, paths and logs first.
- Uninstall League of Legends using Windows or macOS’s normal app-removal process.
- Uninstall Riot Vanguard when Riot’s procedure calls for it.
- Remove Riot Client only if the dedicated Riot instructions require it; do not delete unrelated Riot games or account data.
- Restart between uninstall and reinstall stages.
- Download a fresh installer from Riot and install to a simple default location.
Riot maintains separate procedures for uninstalling games and Vanguard, clean boot, file-access errors and its Riot Repair Tool in the technical-support section. Use those procedures instead of a universal deletion script.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsmacOS-specific checks
- Compare your macOS version, Mac model, RAM, storage and Metal support with Riot’s current requirements.
- Use
League of Legends.appwhen selecting an existing installation. - Review macOS privacy and security prompts if the app is blocked, and launch only software downloaded from Riot’s official flow.
- Do not apply Windows Vanguard, TPM or Secure Boot steps to macOS.
- Because Riot’s current requirements wording about Intel and Apple Silicon needs careful reading, verify your exact Mac model against the live English requirements page before concluding it is supported or unsupported.
When to contact Riot Support
Escalate when the same error remains after the relevant branch above, when firmware or storage-driver changes are required, or when a managed computer prevents you from changing security settings. Include:
- The exact error text and code, including every VAN number.
- Windows or macOS version and whether the machine is physical or virtual.
- CPU, GPU and approximate free storage.
- Riot Client and League installation paths.
- Recent Windows, graphics-driver, antivirus or League-patch changes.
- Compressed League client logs and screenshots of Vanguard or Windows Security messages.
A support ticket can distinguish a damaged client from a platform or account restriction. Do not treat every VAN code as proof of a ban.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- Identify the failed stage and save the exact message.
- Confirm Windows or macOS support, architecture, graphics API, storage and current OS requirements.
- Restart, update the operating system, free space and redownload the official installer.
- Use the correct existing League folder, not a new parent folder.
- Check permissions, quarantine history, firewall rules and compatibility mode.
- Match any VAN code to Riot’s current documentation.
- Change TPM, Secure Boot, Exploit Protection or storage drivers only with hardware-specific guidance.
- Clean-reinstall only after the reversible checks fail.
- Send logs and system details to Riot Support if the problem persists.
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