“Windows cannot access the specified device” is one of the many performance issues that League of Legends is facing after the introduction of Vanguard with patch 14.9. Riot’s proprietary kernel-level anti-cheat system is causing a lot of problems for many users. Some are even going as far as to state that the program is bricking their computers.
All-in-all Vanguard’s release in the MOBA hasn’t exactly been a resounding success. So if you are continually facing the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error when trying to log into the game, below are a few workarounds that are sure to help you out.
How to fix the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error in League of Legends
Here are a few things that you can try in order to solve the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error in LoL:
1) Do not run the game as an administrator
This is one of the official solutions that Riot Games has pointed out on their official error page. According to the developers, if you do not have the appropriate permission to access the game then you will need to:
- Find the LeagueClient.exe file
- Select Properties
- Uncheck the box that says “Run as administrator.”
2) Re-install League of Legends
Another solution that Riot points to is to re-install the MOBA from scratch. You can use the official Riot Games client to uninstall the game and re-install it in your desired directory.
Once complete, try launching LoL again. This is likely to fix the error that you are getting.
3) Give your PC permission to access LoL
Another way of fixing the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error in League of Legends is to give your PC permission to access the game.
YOu can do this by exiting from the LoL client and then right-click on the League icon and make your way into the Security Tab. Here you will find a list of users with access, so simply edit and tick your user profile name from the box.
4) Ensure the target file is still accessible
For this step, you will need to locate the League of Legends.exe file location. In order to do this right-click on the LoL shortcut icon on your desktop, head to Properties, and under the Shortcut tab, look for Target.
This will take you to the installation directory, and from there make sure that the original “.exe” file is still accessible.
5) Unblock LoL
Another reason behind the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error in League of Legends is that the game is blocked on your system. To unblock it, right-click on the icon and head to Properties again. Here in the General tab untick the Unblock box if it was selected.
6) Make sure your anti-virus is not blocking the game
Your anti-virus or even Windows Defender might be blocking your access to LoL due to the most recent Vanguard update. So make sure that the MOBA is not in the block list.
If the above solutions do not work in fixing the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error in League of Legends, then you might want to reach out to Riot Support.
What causes the “Windows cannot access the specified device” error in League of Legends?
The accessibility issue is occurring mainly for Windows 11 users and is caused after the introduction of Vanguard in LoL. The anti-cheat is causing this issue for many, however, this is not the only error that players are facing.
Another prominent performance issue is the VAN Error Code 1067, which occurs when Vanguard’s TPM program is not able to authenticate the hardware that you are laying League of Legends on.
