League of Legends is one of the best multiplayer online games developed by Riot Games. You can enjoy this game on both Windows and Mac operating systems. It is a free game, yet you can buy in-game items to enhance your game. Like all games, League of Legends also is not without errors. League of Legends error 004 is a common error code faced by many gamers these days. The error code 004 also states that patching of the game is failed. This error code occurs when you try to update the game and you can fix this simply by restarting the game. If this hack does not work for you, you can follow the troubleshooting methods discussed in this article.

How to Fix League of Legends Error 004 in Windows 10

Several reasons contribute to League of Legends error code 004 on your Windows 10 PC. Here are a few of them.

• The launched game does not have administrative rights, hence your PC does not allow it to patch.
• There is not enough space on your PC. Patching (the act of including additional codes to enhance gaming) needs some space.
• The installation files and configuration files of the game are corrupt and have to be replaced.
• The game client is corrupt or broken on your PC.
• The overprotective antivirus program or firewall is blocking the game.
• Outdated Windows 10 operating system and drivers.
• There is no stable internet connection to launch and play the game.
• Misconfigured game installation files.

Here is a list of troubleshooting methods that will help you fix error code 004 in League of Legends. Follow them in the same order to attain the best results.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

Following are some of basic troubleshooting methods that you should try before going through the advanced steps to fix the said error code.

1A: Restart PC

The general trick to resolve all the temporary glitches associated with League of Legends error code 004 is to restart your computer. You can restart your PC by following the steps.

1. Navigate to the Windows Power User menu by pressing the Windows and X keys simultaneously.

2. Select Shut down or sign out.

3. Finally, click on Restart.

1B. Restart Router

This is a simple troubleshooting way that will help you fix League of Legends error 004 within simple steps. You can restart your router by following our guide to Restart Router or Modem. Once your router has restarted, check if you can fix League of Legends error code 004.

1C. Verify Server Status

Very often, you may face League of Legends error code 004 due to problems from the server side. To check whether the server is offline or it has some technical problems, follow the below-mentioned steps.

1. Visit the official Riot-server status update page.

2. Then, scroll down and select League of Legends.

3. Then, select your Region and Language to continue.

4. On the next page, you can see any notifications for server end errors. If there are any, you have to wait until they are resolved.

Also Read: How To Fix League Of Legends Client Not Opening Issues

1D. Run League of Legends as Administrator

To avoid League of Legends error code 004 on your Windows 10 computer, run League of Legends as an administrator as instructed below.

1. Right-click on the League of Legends shortcut on the Desktop.

2. Now, select the Properties option.

3. Then, navigate to the Compatibility tab and check the option Run this program as an administrator.

1E. Close All Background Processes

If there are too many background processes on your Windows 10 PC, you cannot access your network connection that easily, since all those tasks will take a share of the network. Also, RAM consumption will be more and the performance of the game will slow down apparently. Follow our guide How to End Task in Windows 10 to close all other background processes on your Windows 10 PC.

After closing all the background processes, check if error code 004 in League of Legends is fixed or not.

Method 2: Delete LoL_air_client Folder (If Applicable)

Another simple way to fix League of Legends error code 004 is to delete a specific folder in File Explorer. This removes the corrupt components in your Windows 10 associated with the game. Here are a few steps to delete the folder.

1. Press the Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.

2. Now, navigate to the following location path.

C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\RADS\projects\lol_air_client 

Note: You may also find the lol_air_client folder in some other location too. Pay a bit extra attention to finding the folder.

3. Now, right-click on the lol_air_client folder and click on the Delete option.

Once you have deleted the folder, restart the PC and check if you have fixed the 004 error League of Legends.

Also Read: Fix Apex Legends Anti Cheat Error in Windows 10

Method 3: Run League of Legends Manually

If your computer takes some additional time to patch up League of Legends, you will face League of Legends error code 004. Yet, you can manually patch the game by following the below-mentioned steps.

1. Hit the Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.

2. Now, navigate to the following location path.

C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\RADS\projects\lolpatcher\releases\deploy

3. In the Deploy folder, right-click on the LoLPatcher.exe executable file and click on Run as administrator.

Once you have launched your game manually, check if you face League of Legends error code 004 again.

Method 4: Tweak File Hosts

If the host file has edited entries of League of Legends, you will face League of Legends error 004. Hence, you have to remove the entries to resolve the same. Here are a few instructions to tweak hosts entries.

1. Press Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.

2. Now, switch to the View tab and check the Hidden items box in the Show/hide section.

3. Now, copy and paste the following path into the navigation path of File Explorer.

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

4. Now, select and right-click on the hosts file and select the Open with option as shown.

5. Now, select the Notepad option from the list and click on OK as depicted.

6. Now, the hosts file will be opened in Notepad as follows.

7. Add this line 67.69.196.42 l3cdn.riotgames.com to the bottom of the file.

8. Now, save the file by clicking on Ctrl+ S keys together.

9. Exit Notepad and check if you have fixed League 004 error.

Also Read: How to Change League Of Legends Summoner Name

Method 5: Clear DNS Cache & Data

Few users have suggested that clearing the DNS cache and data on your PC has helped them fix League of Legends error 004. Follow as instructed.

1. Hit the Windows key and type cmd. Then, click on Open.

2. Now, type the following commands one by one and hit Enter key after each command.

ipconfig/flushdns
ipconfig/registerdns
ipconfig/release
ipconfig/renew
netsh winsock reset

3. Wait for the commands to be executed and restart the PC.

Method 6: Update Windows

All the bugs and erroneous patches in your computer can be fixed by Windows updates. Microsoft releases frequent updates to fix all these problems. Hence, make sure whether you are using the updated version of the Windows Operating System and if any updates are pending in action, use our guide How to Download and Install Windows 10 Latest Update

After updating your Windows Operating System, check if you have fixed League of Legends error 004.

Also Read: Fix Windows 10 Update Error 0x80070103

Method 7: Update GPU Drivers

If you want to enjoy any graphical games without any errors, your drivers must be in a perfect state. If the drivers are outdated or faulty, make sure you update them. You can search for the newest releases of drivers from its official websites or you can update them manually. Follow our guide 4 Ways to Update Graphics Drivers in Windows 10 to update your driver and check if you have fixed League of Legends error code 004.

Method 8: Roll Back GPU Drivers

Sometimes, the current version of your graphics drivers may cause any launching conflicts and in this case, you have to restore previous versions of installed drivers. This process is called rollback of drivers and you can easily roll back your computer drivers to their previous state by following our guide How to Rollback Drivers on Windows 10.

Also Read: How to Tell If Your Graphics Card is Dying

Method 9: Reinstall GPU Drivers

If you still face League of Legends error 004 after updating your GPU drivers, then reinstall device drivers to fix any incompatibility issues. There are several ways to reinstall drivers on your computer. Yet, you can easily reinstall Graphical drivers as instructed in our guide How to Uninstall and Reinstall Drivers on Windows 10.

After reinstalling GPU drivers, check if you can access League of Legends without any errors.

Method 10: Run Disk Cleanup

If your PC does not have any drive space to install any new patches from the game, you will face League of Legends error 004. Hence, firstly check the drive space and clean the temporary files if necessary.

Step I: Check Drive Space

To check the drive space in your Windows 10 PC, follow the below-mentioned steps.

1. Press and hold Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.

2. Now, click on This PC from the left screen.

3. Check the disk space under Devices and drivers as shown. If they are in red, consider clearing the temporary files.

Step II: Clear Temporary Files

If there is minimum available space in your computer contributing to error code 004, follow our guide 10 Ways to Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows which helps you clear all unnecessary files in your computer.

Method 11: Change DNS Server Address

Several users have suggested that switching to Google DNS addresses may help you fix League of Legends error code 004. If you launch the game properly and face an error prompt, follow our guide to change the DNS address. This will help you fix all DNS (Domain Name System) problems so you can launch the game without any hustles.

After changing your DNS address, check if you can launch LoL without error screen.

Method 12: Disable Antivirus Temporarily (If Applicable)

One other possible reason that causes League of Legends error 004 is your security suite. When your antivirus programs detect LoL files and folders as a threat, you will face several conflicts. So, read our guide on How to Disable Antivirus Temporarily on Windows 10 and follow the instructions to disable your Antivirus program temporarily on your PC.

After fixing the discussed League of Legends error 004 error on your Windows 10 PC, make sure to re-enable the antivirus program since a system without a security suite is always a threat.

Also Read: Fix Avast Blocking League of Legends (LOL)

Method 13: Disable Windows Defender Firewall (Not Recommended)

In addition to the Antivirus program, the Windows Defender Firewall might prevent access to games on your PC. So, try to disable Windows Defender Firewall as instructed in our guide How to Disable Windows 10 Firewall, and follow the steps accordingly.

Note: Once launching LoL after disabling Windows Defender Firewall, make sure you re-enable the Firewall suite after the game. A computer without a security suite is always prone to malware attacks.

Method 14: Use Virtual Private Network

Still, if you are unable to fix your problem, you can try using Virtual Private Network. It ensures to keep your connection is more private and encrypted. You can change the geographic region with the help of VPN settings so you can fix League of Legends error 004 easily. Although there are so many free VPNs available over the internet, you are advised to use a reliable VPN service to enjoy premium versions and features. Have a glance at our guide What is a VPN and how it works? to learn more about Virtual Private Limited.

If you are confusing how to set up a VPN on your Windows 10 computer, follow our guide on How to set up a VPN on Windows 10 and implement the same.

Once you have set up a VPN connection, check if you have fixed League 004 error.

Also Read: Fix League of Legends Black Screen in Windows 10

Method 15: Delete DirectX via Registry

Several gamers have confirmed that reinstalling DirectX on your PC helped them to fix League of Legends error 004. Here is how to delete DirectX installed file from Registry.

1. Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.

2. Now, type regedit and hit Enter key to launch Registry Editor.

3. Now, navigate to the following location in the Registry Editor.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX

4. Now, right-click on the InstalledVersion file and click on the Delete option.

5. Then, right-click on the Version file and then select the Delete option.

6. Now, follow our guide Download And Install DirectX on Windows 10 to reinstall DirectX on your Windows 10 PC.

Also Read: Fix League of Legends Frame Drops

Method 16: Reinstall League of Legends Game

Any misconfigured files in League of Legends will lead to the League of Legends error 004 even if you have followed all the above-discussed methods and updated all the pending actions. So, in this case, you have no other option than to reinstall the game. The game is tied up with your account and when you reinstall the game, you will not lose your progress. Here is how to reinstall League of Legends.

1. Hit the Windows key and type apps and features. Then, click on Open.

2. Now, search League of Legends in the list and click on it. Then, select the Uninstall option.

3. If you are prompted, again click on Uninstall.

4. Once the game is completely uninstalled from your computer, press and hold Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.

5. Now, navigate to the following paths and delete the folders related to LoL such as:

C:\Windows\Temp
C:\Program Files\gametitle
C:\Program Files (x86)\gametitle
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Riot Games
C:\Users\Public\Games\gametitle
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Riot Games\gametitle

Note: Make sure you find something related to League of Legends instead of gametitle in the above locations.

6. Then, empty all the data in Recycle bin and permanently delete the files/folders you have deleted now.

7. Then, go to the League of Legends official website download page and click on the Play For Free option.

8.  Sign up for your account and click on Download for Windows option. Then, click on the Install option.

9. Wait for the game to be installed. Navigate to My downloads in File Explorer and double-click on the setup file to run the application.

10. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the game on your Windows 10 PC.

11. Finally, relaunch the game and now you will have a fix for League unspecified error.

Note: Many users and online forums have reported that reinstalling the game with the Hextech Repair tool helped fix the error. Visit the official Hextech Repair tool site and download the program. It is free of cost, hence when you install and launch the tool, you will see an option to reinstall the game. Follow the instructions to fix the LoL error 004.

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We hope that this guide was helpful and you could fix League of Legends error 004 in Windows 10. Let us know which method worked for you the best. Also, if you have any queries/suggestions regarding this article, then feel free to drop them in the comments section.