(6 Fixes) Riot Client Won’t Open? Try these methods

If the Riot Client is not launching, it is likely caused by running Riot Client in administrator mode instead of normal mode. In Windows, every account, whether it is normal or admin, has an app data folder, which saves the program configuration.

Thus, if you used to run Riot Client in normal mode but now trying to run it in administrator mode, then most likely it won’t launch because there are no configurations saved in an admin AppData folder, such as JSON files, cookies, logs files, etc.

1. Prevent Riot Client from running as an administrator 

Running programs as an administrator often resolves issues where the firewall interferes and blocks the application from opening. However, this case is a little different because it s all about the configurations saved in the AppData folder.

Appdata is a folder that is used to save the configurations of programs such as cookies, log files, config files and etc. So, if you don’t use an administrator account to open Riot Client, that means there are no config files saved in the admin app data folder, which is why Riot Client is not launching.

To fix this, just uncheck the option Run this program as an administrator from the compatibility settings. To do so, follow the steps:

1. Right-click the Riot Client from the desktop or select Open file location. If you don’t have a Riot Client shortcut location, manually navigate to the Riot Client directory.

   

2. Now right-click the RiotClientServices and go to its Properties.

   

3. Then, go to the Compatibility tab and untick Run this program as an administrator.
4. Once done, click Apply and click OK.

   

5. Once done, try to launch Riot Client to see if it’s launching or not.

2. Make sure the Riot Client process is not running in the background

In some cases, applications or programs don’t appear on the screen even though they are already running in the background. This mainly happens when you try to open an application multiple times by double-clicking on it.

1. To fix this issue, close all the Riot Client processes from the task manager by following the steps:
2. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.

   

3. Once it is opened, find and right-click the Riot Client processes one by one and click End Task.
4. Once done, now try to launch Riot Client to see if it’s opening or not.

3. Change Compatibility Settings

Sometimes Riot Client refuses to launch with the current compatibility settings of Windows. In this case, we can try changing its compatibility settings. Compatibility settings allow users to disable Windows full-screen optimization and run the program with the old version of Windows. It also includes other features, but those are not relevant in this case.

Full-Screen Optimization is a Windows feature included in the compatibility settings. This feature is enabled by default and used to optimize the application, which improves overall performance if the application is running in full-screen mode.

However, in some cases, full-screen optimization conflicts with built-in application optimization, which results in various different issues such as crashing, not launching, and stuttering. Hence, disable full-screen optimization and try running Riot Client with an old version of Windows.

1. To do so, right-click the Riot Client launcher and go to the Properties. If you don’t have a shortcut, navigate to your Riot Client folder. Then, right-click the RiotClientServices and go to Properties.

   

2. Then, go to Compatibility, and tick Run this program in compatibility mode for.
3. Choose Windows 8 or Windows 7 from the menu.
4. Then, tick Disable full-screen optimization.
5. Then, click Apply and click OK.

   

6. Once done, now try launching Riot Client to check if the problem persists.

4. Disable Third-Party Antivirus Software

If you are using any third-party antivirus software, it is possible that your antivirus is preventing the Riot Client from opening. Sometimes, third-party antivirus software interferes and blocks the application’s executable file (EXE) for no reason. Hence, try temporarily disabling your third-party antivirus software.

To disable the third-party antivirus software, follow the steps. The following may vary depending on the antivirus you are using.

1. Right-click the antivirus from the system tray.
2. Hover your mouse on your antivirus name.
3. Select Disable for 10 minutes or Disable Permanently.

   

4. Once done, now try launching Riot Client to see if it works.

5. Allow Riot Client from the Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall is a built-in component of Windows defender. It is used to monitor outgoing and incoming data to prevent unauthorized access. However, in some cases, the Windows firewall blocks the programs from launching. Hence, allow Riot Client from Windows Firewall settings to see whether it helps or not.

To allow Riot Client from the firewall settings, follow the steps:

1. Launch Control Panel by searching it from Start Menu.

   

2. Navigate to System and Security\Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall from the left sidebar.

   

4. Click Change Settings, then find Riot Client under Allowed apps and features.
5. Tick the boxes under Private and Public of a Riot Client.

   

6. In case you cannot find Riot Client, click Allow another app.
7. Click Browse and go to the directory where the Riot Client is installed.

   

8. Select RiotClientServices and click Open.

   

9. Then, click Add, and check the boxes under Private and Public.
10. Once done, click OK to save the changes.
11. Then, try launching Riot Client to see if that helps or not. 

6. Re-install Riot Client Launcher

The final solution is to reinstall the Riot Client launcher, as it is possible that some application files get corrupted, which is why Riot Client is not opening. To fix this, just reinstall the Riot Client launcher by following the steps.

1. Right-click the Riot Client launcher and select Open file location if you have a shortcut created on the desktop. Otherwise, manually navigate to the riot client folder.
2. Go back to the Riot Games folder from the address bar, then right-click the Riot Client folder by holding Shift.
3. Then, click the Delete option.

   

4. Once it is removed, now go to the official game website. In my case, it is VALORANT.
5. Download the installer and wait for the downloading to be finished.
6. Once done, open the installer, and click the Advanced Option.
7. Then, click the folder icon to browse the files, select the Riot Games folder and click OK.

   

8. Then, click Install.

   

9. Once done, wait for Riot Games to install, and your issue will be fixed.