How to Back Up League of Legends Settings

Updated 15 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to back up your League of Legends settings, including keybindings, hotkeys, and client preferences, so you can restore them after a reinstall, a new computer, or a settings reset. You’ll copy a few configuration files from your game folder to a safe location, and later paste them back when needed. No extra software is required.

What You’ll Need

Access to your computer’s file system (Windows Explorer or macOS Finder).
A safe destination for the backup, such as a USB drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage folder.
Your League of Legends installation path (default is C:\Riot Games\League of Legends on Windows).

Step-by-Step

Close League of Legends completely. Make sure the game client and the game itself are not running. Right-click the system tray icon (if present) and choose Exit, or use Task Manager to end any League processes.
Navigate to your League of Legends config folder. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and go to the installation directory. Typically, it’s C:\Riot Games\League of Legends on Windows or /Applications/League of Legends.app on macOS (right-click the app and choose Show Package Contents to access the files).
Locate the config folder. Inside the main game folder, find the Config folder. On Windows, it’s usually at League of Legends\Config. On macOS, it’s inside the package contents, often at Contents/LoL/Config.
Copy the entire Config folder. Right-click the Config folder and select Copy (or press Ctrl+C on Windows / Cmd+C on macOS).
Paste it to your backup location. Navigate to your chosen backup destination (e.g., a USB drive or a folder in the cloud). Right-click and select Paste (or press Ctrl+V / Cmd+V). Rename the copied folder to something like LoL_Config_Backup_2025-01-15 to keep track of the date.
Optionally, back up your in-game settings separately. Some settings like resolution, graphics quality, and sound are stored in a file named game.cfg inside the Config folder. The PersistedSettings.json file contains keybinds and other UI preferences. Since you copied the whole folder, these are included.
Verify the backup. Open the backup folder and check that it contains files like game.cfg, PersistedSettings.json, and input.ini (if present). If these exist, your backup is complete.

Common Mistakes

Copying only the .cfg file. Keybinds are often stored in PersistedSettings.json or input.ini, not just game.cfg. Copying the whole Config folder avoids missing these.
Backing up while the game is running. The game may overwrite the files with temporary values when it closes, so your backup could be corrupted. Always close the client first.
Forgetting to restore after an update. Game updates sometimes reset settings. If you restore your backup after an update, make sure the game is closed and the update has finished.
Storing the backup on the same drive. If your hard drive fails, the backup is lost too. Use a separate drive or cloud storage.

Tips

Make a backup before every major patch. Riot occasionally changes settings or resets them; having a recent backup ensures you can quickly revert.
Use a descriptive name. Include the date and maybe the patch number, e.g., LoL_Config_Backup_14.23_2025-01-15.
Keep multiple backups. If you change keybinds frequently, keep the last two or three versions so you can go back to an older one if needed.
Consider syncing to cloud. Services like Google Drive or Dropbox can automatically sync your backup folder, making it easy to access from another computer.

Troubleshooting

I can’t find the Config folder. If you installed the game via the Riot Client, the path might be C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\Config. On macOS, right-click the app and choose Show Package Contents, then navigate to Contents/LoL/Config. If you still can’t find it, search your computer for PersistedSettings.json using the file search function.

My backup doesn’t restore my keybinds. Make sure you copied the entire Config folder, not just one file. Also, ensure the game is fully closed when you paste the files back. If you’re restoring after a reinstall, the folder must be placed in the exact same location as before.

The game resets my settings after I restore. This can happen if the game is running when you paste the files, or if the game’s cloud sync (if enabled) overwrites your local files. Close the game, paste the backup, and then launch the game. If the issue persists, check if the game has a cloud sync option and disable it temporarily.

I get a permission error when copying. On Windows, if the game is installed in Program Files, you may need to run File Explorer as administrator. Right-click File Explorer and select Run as administrator, then try copying again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does backing up the Config folder also save my skins and champions?

No. Skins, champions, and other account data are tied to your Riot account and stored on Riot’s servers. The Config folder only contains local settings like keybinds, graphics, and UI preferences.

Will my keybinds transfer to another computer?

Yes, if you copy the Config folder to the same location on another computer, your keybinds and other settings will be applied. However, make sure the game version is compatible; if the other computer has a different patch, some settings might not work perfectly.

Can I back up only my keybinds, not graphics settings?

Yes. Keybinds are typically stored in PersistedSettings.json or input.ini. You can copy just those files, but it’s safer to copy the whole Config folder to avoid missing any related files.

How often should I back up my settings?

It’s a good idea to back up after you make significant changes to your keybinds or settings, and before any major game update. A monthly backup is also reasonable if you don’t change things often.

What if I accidentally delete the Config folder?

If you have a backup, simply copy it back. If not, the game will recreate the folder with default settings when you launch it. You’ll need to reconfigure your keybinds manually.

Does the backup include my chat macros or item sets?

Item sets are stored in a separate folder called ItemSets under the Config folder, so they are included in the backup. Chat macros (if any) are usually part of the client settings and are also in the Config folder.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.