Hello there! Having trouble with your Vanguard Notification Center? It can be super frustrating when you're trying to play your favorite Riot Games title like Valorant or League of Legends and you're hit with an error message, often telling you to check the Vanguard Notification Center... but where is it? Or worse, you see the icon but there are no notifications!
Don't worry, you're not alone. This is a common issue, and we're going to walk through a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to get it all sorted out. Let's dive in!
Step 1: The First, Easiest Fix: Restart!
Before we do anything drastic, let's start with the simplest and often most effective solution: a good old-fashioned restart. But not just any restart. We want to do a clean restart to ensure all Riot-related services are completely shut down and then relaunched.
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First, close the game and the Riot Client. Make sure they're completely closed, even from your system tray. You can do this by right-clicking the Riot Client icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen and selecting "Exit."
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Next, open your Task Manager. You can do this by pressing
Ctrl + Shift + Escon your keyboard. -
Look for any processes related to Riot Games or Vanguard. These might include "Riot Client," "VALORANT," "League of Legends," "Riot Vanguard," or "vgc.exe."
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End any of these processes that are running. Simply right-click the process and select "End task."
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Now, restart your computer. This is a crucial step. A simple log out and log in might not be enough. You need to restart your PC to ensure a fresh boot of the Vanguard service.
After your computer restarts, launch your game again. Does the Vanguard Notification Center appear with the correct notifications? If so, great! If not, let's move on to the next step.
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| How To Fix Vanguard Notification Center |
Step 2: Check for System and Software Requirements
QuickTip: Every section builds on the last.
Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat, which means it works at a very deep level of your operating system. Because of this, it has certain system requirements to function correctly. Many notification issues are related to your system not meeting these requirements.
Sub-heading: Update Your Windows
Vanguard requires a modern version of Windows to function. If you are on an older build of Windows 10 or still using Windows 8/7, you will likely encounter errors.
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Check for Windows updates. Go to
Settings > Update & Security > Windows Updateand click "Check for updates." -
Install any pending updates. Even if they seem minor, they could be crucial for Vanguard's compatibility.
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Restart your computer after the updates are installed.
Sub-heading: Enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (Windows 11)
If you're on Windows 11, Vanguard has strict requirements for security features like Secure Boot and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. A common error message is "This version of Vanguard requires Secure Boot to be enabled."
Tip: Write down what you learned.
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Check your system information. Press
Windows Key + R, typemsinfo32, and press Enter. In the System Information window, look for "Secure Boot State" and "TPM Version." -
If Secure Boot is "Off" or TPM is not 2.0, you'll need to enable them in your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings.
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Access your BIOS/UEFI. This is usually done by pressing a specific key (
Del,F2,F10, etc.) repeatedly as soon as you turn on your computer. The key varies depending on your motherboard manufacturer. -
Find Secure Boot and TPM settings. These are often under a "Security," "Boot," or "Advanced" tab.
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Enable both Secure Boot and TPM 2.0.
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Save and exit the BIOS. Be careful when changing settings in your BIOS. If you're not confident, it's best to consult your motherboard's manual or a tutorial specific to your PC model.
Step 3: A Clean Reinstallation of Riot Vanguard
Sometimes, the Vanguard files themselves can become corrupted. The best way to fix this is with a clean reinstallation.
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First, uninstall Vanguard. Go to
Control Panel > Programs and FeaturesorSettings > Apps > Apps & features, find "Riot Vanguard," and click "Uninstall." -
Next, open your File Explorer. Navigate to your C: drive and look for a folder named "Riot Vanguard" in the
Program FilesorProgram Files (x86)directory. -
Delete this folder. If it's still there after the uninstall, manually delete it to ensure a clean slate.
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Restart your PC.
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Launch the Riot Client. The client should automatically detect that Vanguard is missing and prompt you to install it.
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Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall Vanguard.
This process will force a fresh download and installation of the anti-cheat, often resolving corrupted file issues.
Step 4: Command Prompt Magic
If the above steps don't work, we can use a couple of commands in the Command Prompt to manually delete the Vanguard service.
QuickTip: Slow down when you hit numbers or data.
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Run Command Prompt as an administrator. Click the Start menu, type
cmd, right-click on "Command Prompt," and select "Run as administrator." -
Type the following commands, hitting Enter after each one:
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sc delete vgc -
sc delete vgk
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You should see a message confirming that the services were successfully deleted.
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Restart your computer.
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Launch the Riot Client. This should trigger the automatic reinstallation of Vanguard.
Step 5: Check for Software Conflicts
Some software, particularly other anti-virus programs or system optimization tools, can interfere with Vanguard's operation.
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Disable or temporarily uninstall other security software. This is a troubleshooting step to see if there's a conflict. If the issue is resolved, you can then add Riot Vanguard as an exception in your other security software.
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Check for virtualization settings. If you have "Hyper-V" or "Virtual Machine Platform" enabled in Windows features, it can sometimes conflict with Vanguard. To check, go to
Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off. Uncheck the boxes for "Hyper-V" and "Virtual Machine Platform," then restart your PC.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some quick answers to common questions about Vanguard notifications:
How to check if Vanguard is running? You can check if the Vanguard service is running by opening the Task Manager and looking for vgc.exe in the "Details" tab.
QuickTip: Keep going — the next point may connect.
How to enable Vanguard notifications? Vanguard notifications are typically managed by the Riot Client and the Vanguard service itself. If they are not appearing, it's usually due to a system or installation issue, which can be fixed by following the steps above. There isn't a simple toggle switch for them in the game client.
How to fix VAN 9005 error? The VAN 9005 error is a common one that requires you to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 in your BIOS/UEFI settings. Follow Step 2 for a detailed guide on this.
How to fix Vanguard not starting? If Vanguard isn't starting, try restarting your PC, running the Riot Client as an administrator, or performing a clean reinstallation using Step 3 or 4.
How to uninstall Riot Vanguard? You can uninstall Riot Vanguard through the "Apps & features" section in Windows Settings or through the Control Panel, similar to any other program.
How to check my TPM version? You can check your TPM version by pressing Windows Key + R, typing tpm.msc, and hitting Enter. It will show you the status and version of your TPM.
How to update Vanguard? Vanguard updates automatically with the Riot Client. When you launch the client, it will check for and install any necessary updates for both the game and Vanguard.
How to contact Riot Support for Vanguard issues? You can submit a support ticket on the official Riot Games support website for your specific game (e.g., VALORANT Support). They have dedicated articles and a ticket submission system for technical issues.
How to fix "Vanguard is not running" error? This error often means the Vanguard service vgc.exe is not running. A simple PC restart usually fixes this. If not, follow the reinstallation steps.
How to repair Vanguard? There is no dedicated "repair" tool for Vanguard in the same way as for a game client. The best way to "repair" it is to perform a clean reinstallation by following the steps outlined in this post.
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