"Windows cannot access": check the game's administrator setting

Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.

What Riot says

Here, running as administrator is the thing to switch off (both Riot articles make it step one). Riot has two articles for this message, and they agree. The League one (updated June 1, 2026) names LeagueClient.exe specifically. The other (last updated October 23, 2025) covers every Riot game and talks about the game's .exe in general.

Neither article explains why that box causes it. Both just have you clear it, and both fall back on a reinstall if that isn't enough.

How to fix it

1. Find the program file. For League that's LeagueClient.exe, in C:\Riot Games\League of Legends unless you picked another folder at install (for another Riot game, it's that game's own .exe).
2. Right-click it and choose Properties, then open the Compatibility tab.
3. Untick Run this program as an administrator, click Apply, then OK.
4. Launch again. If the message comes back, reinstall the game (Riot's reinstall guide walks through a clean one).

Some other League fixes ask you to tick that same box. The 0xc0000005 fix and Error 1B both start with administrator mode, so if you went through those first, this is the setting to undo.

Related errors

• Error 0xc0000005
• Critical error
• Unsupported operating system
• Failed to launch

Source: Riot Games Player Support, LeagueClient.exe Error, updated June 1, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked September 25, 2026.