How to Move League of Legends to Another Drive: A Complete 2026 Guide

Your primary drive is running on fumes, or maybe you’ve just upgraded your storage setup and want League of Legends on a faster SSD. Whatever the reason, moving League of Legends to another drive is one of those tasks that sounds more complicated than it actually is. Whether you’re freeing up space, chasing faster load times, or just organizing your game library better, the process has become significantly streamlined in recent years. This guide covers everything you need to know to safely migrate LoL to a new location without losing your progress, corrupting files, or spending hours troubleshooting. We’ll walk through the official method via the League Client, the manual approach for those who prefer hands-on control, and everything in between, including what to do if things go sideways.

Why Move League of Legends to Another Drive

Before diving into the technical steps, let’s talk about why you’d want to move League of Legends to another drive in the first place. The reasons vary depending on your setup, but they’re all valid.

Free Up Space on Your Primary Drive

League of Legends currently weighs in at roughly 14-16 GB, depending on your region and assets. That’s not massive by modern standards, but if you’re running a 256 GB SSD with Windows, applications, and a few other games, that space matters. Freeing up even 16 GB can make a noticeable difference in system responsiveness, especially if your drive is hovering near capacity. Windows performs better when there’s breathing room, cache operations speed up, temporary file management improves, and general system stability benefits from not constantly running against storage limits.

If you’ve got a secondary SSD or even a larger mechanical drive sitting there, moving LoL is a smart move for reclaiming valuable primary drive real estate.

Improve Game Performance and Load Times

Not all storage is created equal. If your primary drive is a slower mechanical hard drive and you’ve got a newer NVMe SSD available, moving League of Legends to that faster drive can noticeably reduce load times and improve overall performance. We’re talking about potentially cutting game load times by 30-50%, depending on your hardware.

That said, if you’re moving from one NVMe SSD to another NVMe SSD, performance gains will be minimal, the real bottleneck is usually GPU and RAM at that point. But if you’re moving from a HDD to an SSD for the first time, the difference is genuinely noticeable. Spawn camps load faster, game startup is quicker, and there’s less stuttering during asset streaming.

Organize Multiple Games Across Drives

Many gamers maintain a sprawling library, LoL, Valorant, CS2, Fortnite, and a dozen others. Organizing them strategically across multiple drives makes sense. Maybe you keep competitive games on your fastest drive, single-player stuff on a slower one, and streaming/recording software on a separate fast drive to avoid IO contention. Moving League of Legends to another drive lets you carry out this kind of organization without cluttering everything on one disk.

Before You Start: Important Prerequisites

Moving a game installation isn’t a flip-the-switch operation. There’s a few things to verify and prepare first.

Check Your System Requirements

You’ll need:

• OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (sorry, Mac and Linux players, native support isn’t available)
• Free space: At least 20 GB free on your destination drive (to account for the full installation plus buffer)
• Administrative rights on your PC
• The League Client installed and updated to the latest version
• An active internet connection (the Client may need to verify files post-move)

If you’re on Windows 10, ensure you’re on Build 1909 or later. Windows 11 users are fine across the board.

Backup Your Game Files and Settings

Before moving anything, back up your game configuration files. These are typically located at:

C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataLocalRiot Games

This folder contains your game settings, keybinds, saved replays, and other critical data. A simple copy to an external drive or cloud storage takes two minutes and protects you against catastrophic failure. If something goes wrong during the move, you’ve got a fallback.

You don’t need to back up the entire game installation (that’s what you’re moving), just the settings folder. Most of the heavy lifting is the game files themselves, which you’re copying anyway.

Ensure Sufficient Space on the Destination Drive

Check your destination drive’s free space before you start. League of Legends needs ~15 GB, but you want at least 20 GB free to account for:

• The actual installation files
• Temporary space during the copy/move operation
• Buffer room for shader cache and updates

If your destination drive is nearly full, clear some space first. Run a quick check using File Explorer: right-click the drive, select “Properties,” and verify the free space listed. If it’s close, delete old backups, unneeded downloads, or other large files until you’ve got comfortable headroom.

Method 1: Moving LoL Using the League Client

This is the officially recommended method and the cleanest approach. Riot Games has made this remarkably straightforward in recent years.

Step-by-Step Installation to a New Drive

Step 1: Open the League Client and navigate to Settings.

Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the League Client. Select “General” in the left sidebar.

Step 2: Locate the Game Installation Path.

You’ll see a section labeled “League of Legends Installation” with the current path listed. Note this location, you’ll want to confirm it matches where the game actually lives on your system.

Step 3: Initiate the Repair Installation (or Reinstall).

Here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of a direct “move” function, you’ll use the Client’s ability to repair or modify the installation:

• Click “Repair” in the League Client settings.
• The Client will begin verifying your current installation.
• During this process, you can optionally change the installation path to your new drive.
• If you don’t see a path-change option, you may need to uninstall LoL entirely and reinstall it to the new drive (more on that in a moment).

Alternative Approach: Uninstall and Reinstall

If your Client doesn’t offer a straightforward path-change option:

1. Open the League Client and click the settings gear
2. Select “About League of Legends”
3. Click “Uninstall”
4. Once uninstalled, in the Client’s install prompt, select your new drive as the destination
5. Click “Install”

The Client will download and install League of Legends fresh to your new location. This typically takes 20-40 minutes depending on your internet speed and drive write speed.

Pro tip: If you have the game files still intact on your old drive, don’t delete them until you’ve fully verified the new installation works. Keep them as a backup for 24 hours.

Verifying the Installation

Once the installation completes, don’t just jump into a game. Verify everything’s working correctly first:

1. Check the installation path: Confirm the Client shows your new drive as the installation location.
2. Run the Repair check: Go back to Settings → General and click “Repair.” Let it run fully. This ensures all files are intact and checksums match.
3. Launch the game: Start a practice tool game or ARAM. Load in, spawn, move around. Confirm frame rates, no stuttering, and no crashes.
4. Check log files: If you encountered any errors during installation, they’re typically logged in C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataLocalRiot GamesLogs. A quick glance here can catch issues early.

If everything runs smoothly for 30 minutes of play, you’re good. Now you can safely delete the old installation from your previous drive.

Method 2: Manual File Transfer to Another Drive

Sometimes you want direct control over the process. Manual file transfer isn’t harder, just requires a bit more attention to detail.

Locating Your Game Files

League of Legends typically lives in one of these locations:

• C:Riot GamesLeague of Legends (common default)
• D:Riot GamesLeague of Legends (if installed to a different drive originally)
• Custom location (wherever you or the installer specified)

To find your exact installation path:

1. Right-click the League of Legends shortcut on your desktop or Start Menu
2. Select “Properties”
3. In the “Target” field, you’ll see something like: C:Riot GamesLeague of LegendsLeagueClient.exe
4. The path before the .exe is your installation directory

Alternatively, open the League Client, go to Settings → General, and the “League of Legends Installation” section displays the exact path.

Once you’ve located it, navigate there using File Explorer. You should see folders like Game, LeagueClient, Metacommunications, and RADS. These are your core game folders.

Copying Files to the New Location

Before you copy anything, close the League Client completely. If it’s running, file locks can cause copy failures or incomplete transfers.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your game folder (e.g., C:Riot GamesLeague of Legends)
2. Select all files and folders in the installation directory (Ctrl+A)
3. Copy them (Ctrl+C)
4. Navigate to your destination drive (e.g., D:Riot Games or wherever you want it)
5. Create a new folder called “League of Legends” in your destination location
6. Paste the files (Ctrl+V) into this new folder

The copy operation may take 5-10 minutes depending on your drive speeds and hardware. Don’t interrupt it. If you see a “source and destination are the same” error, you’re copying to the wrong location, verify your destination path.

Once pasting completes, verify that all folders and files copied correctly. Compare file counts or folder sizes if you want to be thorough. Some players use tools like DSOGaming’s performance analysis to benchmark drive speeds before and after, ensuring they’ve chosen the right destination for maximum performance.

Updating Game Shortcuts and Paths

Now you’ve got the files in the new location, but your shortcuts and the League Client still point to the old location. Fix that:

For the League Client:

1. Open the League Client
2. Go to Settings → General
3. You should see the “League of Legends Installation” path
4. If the Client auto-detects your new location, great, it may prompt you to verify
5. If not, click the folder icon next to the path and manually browse to your new installation directory
6. The Client will re-index and verify the installation

This verification process takes a few minutes. Let it complete fully.

For desktop shortcuts:

1. Right-click the League of Legends desktop shortcut
2. Select “Properties”
3. In the “Target” field, update the path to reflect your new location

• Change C:Riot GamesLeague of LegendsLeagueClient.exe to D:Riot GamesLeague of LegendsLeagueClient.exe (or your actual new path)

4. Click “Apply” and “OK”

For Start Menu shortcuts:

1. Right-click the League of Legends tile in the Start Menu
2. Select “Open file location”
3. Right-click the shortcut and select “Properties”
4. Update the Target path as above

Once you’ve updated all shortcuts, test by clicking one. The League Client should launch from your new location without issue.

Using External Drives or USB Storage

Moving League of Legends to an external drive or USB is possible, but it comes with caveats. Let’s be clear about what works and what doesn’t.

Performance Considerations for External Storage

Running League of Legends from an external drive is slower than internal storage, period. The question is: how much slower, and is it acceptable?

External SSD (USB 3.1 or faster):

• Read/write speeds: 400-550 MB/s (good)
• Game load times: Minimal penalty, maybe 5-10% slower than internal SSD
• In-game performance: Negligible difference
• Verdict: Viable for casual play or if you’re desperate for internal space

External HDD:

• Read/write speeds: 100-150 MB/s (significantly slower)
• Game load times: 30-50% slower than internal SSD
• In-game performance: Potential stuttering during asset streaming, especially in chaotic teamfights
• Verdict: Not recommended for ranked or competitive play

USB 2.0 (older drives):

• Read/write speeds: 30-60 MB/s (very slow)
• Load times: Extremely slow, likely unplayable
• Verdict: Avoid entirely

If you’re moving to an external drive, an external SSD with USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) is your minimum requirement for acceptable performance. Budget $80-120 for a reliable 1TB external SSD from brands like Samsung, Crucial, or WD.

Connection Types and Speed Impact

USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) vs. USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) vs. Thunderbolt (40 Gbps):

The theoretical maximum speeds sound impressive, but real-world performance depends on the drive itself, not just the connector. A slower external SSD on USB 3.1 won’t magically be faster than a newer drive, the drive’s internal controller and NAND flash matter most.

Practical benchmark from PCWorld-level testing:

A typical USB 3.1 external SSD achieves 450-500 MB/s sequential read speeds. That’s solid enough for gaming. A USB 3.0 drive maxes out around 400 MB/s but may dip to 300 MB/s in real-world scenarios.

For League of Legends specifically, any external SSD with consistent 300+ MB/s read speed will work acceptably. Mechanical external hard drives, even with USB 3.0, typically hit only 80-120 MB/s and aren’t suitable for gaming.

Connection stability matters more than raw speed. A loosely connected external drive will cause game crashes and corrupted downloads. Invest in a quality USB cable, keep the drive on a stable surface (not dangling from your desk), and avoid daisy-chaining multiple USB devices on the same hub.

If you’re using an external drive for League of Legends, run the Repair check (mentioned earlier) regularly. External connections occasionally flake out, and frequent repairs catch corruption early. Playing from an external drive is a temporary solution, not a permanent setup, eventually, you’ll want to move LoL back to internal storage or upgrade your internal drive capacity.

Troubleshooting Common Issues After Moving

Even with careful planning, things occasionally go sideways. Here’s how to diagnose and fix the most common post-move issues.

Game Won’t Launch or Crashes Frequently

Symptom: You start League of Legends, the splash screen appears briefly, then the game either closes or the launcher crashes.

Cause 1: Incomplete File Copy

Some files didn’t copy fully, usually due to an interruption during the transfer. The installation is corrupted.

Fix:

1. Open the League Client
2. Go to Settings → General
3. Click “Repair”
4. Let the repair run to completion (10-15 minutes)
5. The Client will re-download and verify any missing or corrupted files

Don’t skip the repair, it’s your primary troubleshooting tool.

Cause 2: Directory Permissions

The new drive or folder has restrictive permissions, preventing the game from reading necessary files.

Fix:

1. Right-click the League of Legends folder on your new drive
2. Select “Properties”
3. Go to the “Security” tab
4. Click “Edit”
5. Select your username, then check “Full Control”
6. Click “Apply” and “OK”

Permissions issues are rare on Windows 10/11, but they occasionally occur if you’re using a shared or encrypted drive.

Cause 3: Antivirus or Security Software

Your antivirus may be blocking League of Legends from executing or accessing files in the new location.

Fix:

1. Temporarily disable your antivirus (if it’s separate from Windows Defender)
2. Try launching the game
3. If it works, add League of Legends’ installation folder to your antivirus whitelist
4. Re-enable your antivirus

This is why you should always add gaming folders to trusted locations in your security software.

Missing Game Files or Corrupted Data

Symptom: Game launches but immediately crashes in-game, or you get file-not-found errors.

Cause: The destination drive has bad sectors, or the copy operation had silent failures.

Fix:

1. Run the League Client’s Repair function again (Settings → General → Repair)
2. If Repair finishes but the problem persists, check your destination drive’s health:

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator
• Type: chkdsk D: /F (replace D: with your drive letter)
• Restart your PC when prompted
• Let the disk check complete

3. If bad sectors are found, you’ve got a failing drive, consider moving LoL to a different, healthy drive

Alternatively, do a fresh installation using the League Client on the destination drive (uninstall from the new location, then reinstall). This bypasses any corrupted files from the original copy operation. It takes longer but guarantees a clean installation. Many players find How-To Geek guides on file integrity helpful for understanding underlying filesystem issues if problems persist.

Launcher Cannot Find Game Installation

Symptom: The League Client says “Game installation not found” or prompts you to reinstall even though the game being present on the new drive.

Cause 1: Client Path Configuration

The Client’s configuration file still points to the old location.

Fix:

1. Close the League Client completely
2. Delete this file: C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataLocalRiot GamesRiot ClientDataRiotClientInstalls.json
3. Restart the League Client
4. The Client should detect the new installation or prompt you to browse for it
5. If prompted, navigate to your new game folder

Cause 2: Non-Standard Installation Path

If you moved the game to a custom location with spaces or special characters in the folder name, the Client sometimes struggles.

Fix:

Use simple folder naming without spaces or special characters. Instead of D:My GamesLeague of Legends, use D:LeagueOfLegends or D:LoL. Rename the folder if needed, then update the Client’s path settings.

Cause 3: Drive Letter Changed

If you’re using an external drive and reconnected it, it might have assigned a different drive letter. The Client’s cached path no longer exists.

Fix:

1. Check your external drive’s current drive letter in File Explorer
2. In the League Client, update the installation path to match the new drive letter
3. If you consistently reconnect an external drive, consider using a docking station or always plugging into the same USB port, this maintains the same drive letter

For persistent issues, you can also locate your game installation in the APA League of Legends guide mentioned in League of Legends Uninstall resources, which details file structure and recovery approaches.

Optimizing League of Legends After Relocation

You’ve successfully moved League of Legends. Now maximize your new setup’s performance.

Clearing Cache and Temporary Files

After moving or reinstalling League of Legends, your system accumulates cache and temporary files from the old installation location. Clear them out:

1. Game cache:

• Close the League Client
• Navigate to C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataLocalRiot Games
• Delete the Cache and Config folders (your actual game settings are separate and backed up)
• Restart the Client, it will regenerate these folders

2. Windows temporary files:

• Press Windows Key + R
• Type: %temp%
• Delete old League of Legends or Riot-related temp files
• Empty the Recycle Bin

3. Shader cache:

• Your GPU may cache shaders from the old location
• Delete C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataLocalRiot GamesRiot ClientCachesShaderCache
• On your first game launch after moving, expect a brief spike in resource usage as shaders recompile for your GPU, this is normal and happens once

Clearing cache frees up disk space and ensures the Client uses fresh configurations from your new installation.

Updating Graphics Drivers

While you’re optimizing, update your GPU drivers. Older driver versions sometimes cause issues with game relocations, and you want the latest stability and performance fixes anyway.

NVIDIA GPUs:

1. Visit the NVIDIA driver download page
2. Enter your GPU model and OS
3. Download the latest driver
4. Run the installer and restart

AMD Radeon GPUs:

1. Download from the AMD Radeon driver page
2. Install and restart

Intel Arc / Integrated Graphics:

1. Update via Intel’s driver support page
2. Or let Windows Update handle it automatically

Fresh drivers can improve League of Legends frame rates by 5-15% depending on your hardware and how outdated your previous drivers were. Combined with the faster drive, you might see noticeable performance gains.

Adjusting In-Game Settings for Your New Drive

Now that League of Legends is on faster (or at least different) storage, consider tweaking in-game settings:

If you moved to a faster drive (HDD → SSD):

• Increase Texture Quality from Low/Medium to Medium/High
• Enable Shadows if previously disabled
• Bump Character Inking Quality up (this relies on fast asset streaming)
• Increase Draw Distance if you had it limited

If you moved to an external drive (slower):

• Keep Texture Quality at Medium or lower
• Disable Shadows or set to Low
• Lower Draw Distance to reduce asset streaming demands
• Keep Particle Effects at Medium to avoid stutter during teamfights

Universal settings (helpful after any move):

• Set Frame Rate Cap to 120+ Hz if your monitor supports it (no reason to artificially limit yourself)
• Enable V-Sync only if you experience screen tearing: otherwise, leave it off for lower input latency
• Run Repair in the Client one final time to ensure all files are verified

Launch a practice tool game and spend 10 minutes testing. If frame rates are stable and consistent, you’ve nailed it. If you see stuttering or drops, lower settings further, your new drive location may not be as fast as you hoped, or other system bottlenecks (old CPU, insufficient RAM) are limiting performance.

Conclusion

Moving League of Legends to another drive is straightforward with the League Client or achievable with manual file transfer if you prefer hands-on control. The process typically takes 20-40 minutes from start to finish, and the payoff, freed-up primary drive space, faster load times, or simply better drive organization, is worth the effort.

The key takeaway: use the League Client’s built-in tools whenever possible. They’re designed to handle path changes and verifications automatically. If you go the manual route, take your time with file copying and always run a final Repair check before gaming. Backup your settings beforehand, verify the new installation thoroughly, and don’t delete the old files until you’re confident everything works.

If you hit snags, the troubleshooting section covers 90% of common issues. Repair functions, permissions checks, and antivirus whitelisting solve most problems. Should you decide League of Legends isn’t for you anymore after this move, the community has solid League of Legends Uninstall guides if you want to cleanly remove the game later.

Your gaming setup is now optimized, organized, and ready. Jump in, load up a ranked game, and enjoy the faster queue times and smoother gameplay your new drive provides.