While it is easy to uninstall Valorant on your Windows PC, it tends to leave trace of files behind. Here we show how you can completely uninstall Valorant from your Windows PC, including removing all the files it left behind.
Close Valorant and the Riot Client
The first step you should do is kill the Valorant and the Riot Client on your PC. Closing them is not enough. You need to ensure that they are not running in the background.
Open the System Tray and check if the RIOT Client or Valorant game is running. If yes, right-click on them in the System Tray and select Exit.
Open your Task Manager, and check if any instances of Valorant, Vanguard, or Riot Client are still running. If yes, right-click on it, and click on End task.
Uninstall the Valorant Game
After closing the Valorant, Riot Client, and Vanguard completely, the second step you should do is uninstall Valorant.
Click on the Start button and type Settings. Now, select Settings from the search results. This will open the Windows 11 Settings app.
In Windows 11 Settings app, select Apps from the left side, and then select the Installed apps option on the right side.
Search for the Valorant game by typing Valorant in the search field. The Valorant game will appear in the search results. Click on the three dots next to the Valorant game and select Uninstall. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the Valorant game.
Delete the Residue Files
The next step is to delete the residue files. Open the File Explorer and go to the C drive to find the Riot Games folder. Open it and click on the VALORANT folder. Click on the Delete button. Alternatively, select the VALORANT folder and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Delete the Valorant Registry Keys
The last step is to delete the registry keys associated with the Valorant game. This step requires you to modify the Windows Registry. Windows Registry is a hierarchical database of Windows files. Any mistake while modifying the Registry can make your system unstable and also cause serious errors. Therefore, we recommend you create a system restore point before proceeding.
Click on the Start button and type “Registry Editor”. Select the Registry Editor from the search results to open the Registry Editor. Now, copy the following path, paste it into the address bar in the Registry Editor, and press Enter.
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Riot Game valorant.live
Right-click on the Riot Game valorant.live key on the left side and select Delete. Select Yes in the confirmation box.
Uninstall Valorant Completely with Revo Uninstaller
Revo Uninstaller is a third-party app that you can use to remove programs completely from your system. It automatically scans your system for the residue files of the program you uninstall and removes all of them. This software is available as a portable app and an EXE file for Windows computers. If you want to install it on your system, you can download its EXE file. The portable version of this software is available for users who do not want to install it on their computers.
Launch Revo Uninstaller. It will automatically scan your computer for the installed programs. Search for Valorant. If the Valorant is not displayed in the list of installed programs, click on the Refresh button.
Make sure you have completely closed the Valorant game, Vanguard, and the RIOT Client. Now, select the Valorant game from the list of programs and click on the Uninstall button.
The Uninstall Wizard will open. By default, Revo Uninstaller creates a system restore point before uninstalling every program. You can uncheck this checkbox if you do not want Revo Uninstaller to do this. Click Continue to proceed.
After the uninstallation, the next window will appear where Revo Uninstaller wants you to allow it to scan your system for residue files. Click Scan.
Select the residue files by clicking on the respective checkboxes and click Delete. Now, click Finish. If the residue files show any DLL files, do not select them. Deleting the DLL files can cause other programs to malfunction because they may be used by other programs.
Now that you have completely uninstalled Valorant on your Windows PC, you can also use these methods to free up even more space on your hard drive.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Deeksha Gola.
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