The League of Legends Repair Tool is the fastest way to fix crashes, black screens, patching errors, and corrupted game files — all without uninstalling and reinstalling the entire client. Riot builds the tool directly into the Riot Client launcher, so you do not need to download anything extra. This guide walks you through every step from opening the client to clicking Play after the repair finishes.
When should you use the Repair Tool?
Run the Repair Tool when you notice any of the following: League of Legends crashes at launch or in champion select, the patcher gets stuck or throws an error, in-game textures appear broken or missing, the client shows a black screen on startup, or a recent patch left the game in a broken state. The repair process typically takes between 5 and 30 minutes depending on your internet speed and how many files need to be replaced. Your in-game settings, rune pages, and account progress are stored server-side and will not be affected.
How to Repair League of Legends
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Step 1: Open the Riot Client
Find the Riot Client shortcut on your desktop or in your Start Menu and double-click it to launch the launcher. If you cannot find the shortcut, open File Explorer and navigate to
C:\Riot Games\Riot Client\and run RiotClientServices.exe. Wait for the Riot Client to finish loading — it may need a moment to check for client updates before the main screen appears.
Double-click the Riot Client icon on your desktop to open the launcher. -
Step 2: Select League of Legends
Once the Riot Client is open, look at the left sidebar. You will see icons for all Riot Games titles installed on your computer, including League of Legends (LoL), Teamfight Tactics (TFT), Legends of Runeterra (LoR), and Valorant. Click the LoL icon to switch the main panel to League of Legends. The central area will update to show the League of Legends banner and a Play button.
Click League of Legends in the left sidebar to bring up the LoL panel. -
Step 3: Open the Dropdown and Click Repair
Next to the large Play button you will see a small downward arrow (▼) on its right side. Click that arrow to open a short dropdown menu with three options: Play Tutorial, Repair, and Uninstall. Click Repair. The client may ask you to confirm the action in a pop-up dialog — click Yes or OK to proceed. The Repair Tool will immediately begin its scan without requiring you to close or reopen anything.
Click the ▼ arrow beside the Play button, then choose Repair from the menu. -
Step 4: Wait for the Repair Scan to Complete
The Riot Client will display a repair progress screen showing the percentage of files scanned, the number of files checked, and any corrupted files it has found and replaced. Do not close the Riot Client while this process is running — interrupting the repair can leave the game in a worse state than before. The repair downloads replacement files directly from Riot's servers, so a stable internet connection is important. If the repair appears stuck at the same percentage for more than ten minutes, check your internet connection and try again.
The Repair Tool shows a live progress bar and lists any corrupted files it replaces. -
Step 5: Launch League of Legends After Repair
When the repair is finished, the Riot Client shows a Repair Complete confirmation screen with a green checkmark and a count of how many files were verified. Click the Play League of Legends button to launch the game and confirm it runs correctly. If you were experiencing a specific crash or error before the repair, test the exact scenario again — for example, load into a practice game — to verify the issue is resolved.
The green checkmark confirms all files are healthy. Click Play to launch the game.
Tips for a Smooth Repair
- Run as Administrator. If the Repair Tool fails partway through, right-click the Riot Client shortcut, choose "Run as administrator," and try again. This ensures the tool has permission to write replacement files to the game directory.
- Temporarily disable antivirus. Some antivirus programs block the patcher from downloading or overwriting game files. Pausing real-time protection for the duration of the repair can help; re-enable it immediately after.
- Check available disk space. The Repair Tool downloads fresh copies of damaged files. Make sure you have at least 10 GB of free space on the drive where League of Legends is installed.
- Repair does not reset your settings. Your key bindings, graphics settings, and rune pages are all stored on Riot's servers. They will be exactly as you left them after the repair.
- If repair does not fix the problem, the next step is a clean reinstall: uninstall League of Legends through the Riot Client, then delete any remaining files in the Riot Games folder before reinstalling.
Troubleshooting
The Repair option is greyed out or missing
Make sure the Riot Client itself is fully updated. If the client shows a pending update, allow it to finish and then retry. The Repair option may also be hidden if League of Legends is currently downloading a patch — wait for the patch to complete first.
The repair gets stuck at a percentage
Check your internet connection. Restart your router if needed and then close and reopen the Riot Client. If the issue persists, try flushing your DNS cache: open Command Prompt as Administrator and run ipconfig /flushdns, then relaunch the client and start the repair again.
The repair finishes but the game still crashes
The crash may be caused by an outdated graphics driver rather than a corrupted game file. Update your GPU drivers from your manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel), then restart your PC and test the game again. If the problem continues, a full reinstall is the recommended next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the League of Legends Repair Tool take?
The repair typically takes 5 to 30 minutes. If only a few files are corrupted it can finish in under ten minutes. If large core files need to be re-downloaded over a slow connection, it may take longer. You can monitor progress in real time via the progress bar in the Riot Client.
Will repairing League of Legends delete my settings or skins?
No. Your champion skins, rune pages, key bindings, and account data are all stored on Riot's servers and are not affected by a repair. The tool only replaces local game files that are damaged or missing.
Can I use League of Legends while the repair is running?
No. The Riot Client blocks you from launching the game while a repair is in progress. Do not attempt to force-quit the repair — let it run to completion to avoid leaving files in an inconsistent state.
Where is the Repair Tool in the old League of Legends client?
The standalone old launcher has been retired. All repair functionality is now handled through the Riot Client. If you are not using the Riot Client, download it from the official League of Legends website and it will detect your existing installation.
Does the Repair Tool work on Mac?
Yes. The Riot Client is available for macOS and includes the same Repair option. The steps are identical — open the Riot Client, select League of Legends, click the ▼ arrow beside Play, and choose Repair.
Wrapping Up
Repairing League of Legends with the built-in Repair Tool is almost always faster than a full reinstall, and it fixes the majority of file-related issues that cause crashes, patching errors, and visual glitches. The whole process takes just a few clicks in the Riot Client. If you ever run into further technical issues, the official League of Legends support page has additional articles and the option to submit a ticket directly to Riot Games.
