A Comprehensive Guide to Fixing Valorant Vanguard Crashes
Hey there, Valorant warriors! Have you ever been in the middle of a clutch round, about to land that game-winning headshot, when suddenly… poof… your game crashes, and you're staring at your desktop? If you have, you know that frustrating feeling. The culprit is often Riot's anti-cheat software, Vanguard, which, while essential for a fair playing field, can sometimes be a bit too aggressive and cause system instability.
Don't worry, you're not alone, and more importantly, you're in the right place! We're going to walk through a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to get you back in the game and on your way to earning those sweet, sweet ranked points. Let's start by figuring out what might be causing the problem. Ready to troubleshoot? Let's dive in!
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| How To Fix Valorant Vanguard Crash |
Step 1: The Basics - Restart and Reinstall
Before we get into the more technical solutions, let's try the simplest fixes first. You'd be surprised how often a good old-fashioned restart can solve the problem.
Sub-heading: Give It a Reboot
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First, close Valorant and the Riot Client completely. Make sure they aren't running in the background. You can check this in the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
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Next, find the Vanguard icon in your system tray (the small icons on the right side of your taskbar). Right-click it and select "Exit Vanguard."
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Restart your entire PC. This is crucial. A full restart ensures that all the services, including Vanguard, are properly shut down and then re-initiated from a clean slate.
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After your PC has restarted, launch the Riot Client and Valorant. If the issue is resolved, great! If not, move on to the next sub-step.
Sub-heading: A Fresh Start with a Reinstall
Sometimes, Vanguard files can become corrupted during an update or installation. A clean reinstall is a great way to fix this.
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Uninstall Riot Vanguard. You can do this from the "Add or remove programs" settings in Windows. Just search for "Riot Vanguard" and uninstall it.
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Restart your PC. Again, this is a vital step to clear any residual files.
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Launch the Riot Client. It will automatically detect that Vanguard is missing and prompt you to reinstall it.
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Let the client download and install Vanguard. You may need to restart your PC one more time after the installation is complete.
Step 2: System and Driver Deep Dive
Now that we've covered the basics, let's look at potential conflicts within your system. Vanguard operates at the kernel level of your operating system, which means it can conflict with other software or outdated drivers.
Sub-heading: Update Your Graphics Drivers
Tip: Keep your attention on the main thread.
Outdated graphics drivers are a common culprit for game crashes.
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Identify your graphics card manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
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Visit the official website of your manufacturer to download the latest drivers. Do not rely on Windows Update for this.
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Perform a clean installation of the new drivers. Most driver installers will have an option for a "clean install" or "factory reset." This is the best way to ensure no old files cause conflicts.
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Restart your PC and check if the crashing persists.
Sub-heading: Check for Windows Updates
An outdated Windows version can also cause compatibility issues with Vanguard.
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Go to Settings > Update & Security (or Windows Update on Windows 11).
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Click "Check for updates."
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Install any pending updates and restart your PC as required.
Sub-heading: Manage Startup Services
Sometimes, other programs launching on startup can interfere with Vanguard.
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Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
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Go to the Startup tab.
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Disable any unnecessary applications that launch with your PC. Be careful not to disable any critical system services.
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You can also check the Services tab and look for the 'vgc' service (Vanguard's service). Right-click it, go to properties, and ensure the "Startup type" is set to Automatic. If it's not, set it to automatic and restart your PC.
Step 3: Compatibility and Security Settings
Vanguard has specific security requirements, especially on Windows 11. Let's make sure your system is compliant.
Sub-heading: The Exploit Protection Setting
This setting can sometimes cause conflicts.
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Search for "Exploit Protection" in the Windows search bar and open it.
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Go to the "Program settings" tab.
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Find Riot Games, Valorant, and Riot Vanguard in the list and ensure their settings are set to "Use Default."
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If they are not in the list, you can add them manually by clicking "Add program to customize."
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Restart your PC to apply the changes.
Sub-heading: Enabling Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (for Windows 11)
If you're on Windows 11 and getting an error like VAN9001 or VAN9003, this is a crucial step.
Tip: Watch for summary phrases — they give the gist.
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Restart your PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings. The key to enter BIOS varies by motherboard manufacturer (common keys are F2, F10, F12, or Del). You may need to look up your specific motherboard's key.
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Navigate to the Boot or Security section of the BIOS.
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Look for settings like "Secure Boot" and "TPM" (Trusted Platform Module). On some motherboards, TPM might be called PTT (Intel) or fTPM (AMD).
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Enable both Secure Boot and TPM.
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Save the changes and exit the BIOS. Your PC will restart.
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Important: Enabling these settings can be a bit tricky and vary from system to system. If you're unsure, consult your motherboard's manual or a reliable online guide.
Step 4: Advanced Troubleshooting
If the previous steps haven't worked, it's time to dig a little deeper.
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Sub-heading: Repairing Game Files
Corrupted game files can lead to crashes.
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Open the Riot Client.
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Click on your Profile icon and go to Settings.
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Select Valorant from the list on the left.
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Click the "Repair" button. This will scan your game files and download any corrupted or missing data.
Sub-heading: Clean Boot
A clean boot helps you identify if a third-party application is causing the conflict.
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Search for "msconfig" in the Windows search bar and open "System Configuration."
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Go to the Services tab.
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Check the box that says "Hide all Microsoft services." This is very important to avoid disabling crucial system services.
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Click "Disable all."
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Go to the Startup tab and click "Open Task Manager."
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Disable all the startup items in the Task Manager.
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Close Task Manager and click "Apply" and "OK" in the System Configuration window.
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Restart your PC. Now, only essential Microsoft services will be running.
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Launch Valorant. If it doesn't crash, you know a third-party application is the problem. You can then re-enable services one by one to find the culprit.
Sub-heading: Run as Administrator
Sometimes, a simple permission issue is all that's needed.
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Right-click the Valorant shortcut on your desktop.
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Go to Properties > Compatibility.
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Check the box that says "Run this program as an administrator."
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Click Apply and OK.
5. Final Resort: Contact Riot Support
If you've tried all these steps and the crashes persist, it's time to reach out to the experts. Riot Games has an excellent support team.
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Go to the official Riot Games Support website.
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Log in to your account and submit a ticket.
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Be as detailed as possible. Include all the steps you've already taken, your system specifications, and any error codes you've received.
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They may ask for your game logs, so be prepared to provide them.
QuickTip: Read actively, not passively.
FAQ: How to Fix Valorant Vanguard Crash
How to check if my drivers are outdated?
You can check for driver updates on your graphics card manufacturer's official website (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) or by using their dedicated software (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce Experience).
How to uninstall Riot Vanguard?
You can uninstall Riot Vanguard from the "Add or remove programs" section in Windows Settings.
How to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0?
Restart your PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, F10, F12, or Del during startup). Look for these options in the Boot or Security tabs and enable them.
How to run Valorant as an administrator?
Right-click the Valorant shortcut, go to Properties, click the Compatibility tab, and check the "Run this program as an administrator" box.
How to perform a clean boot on Windows?
Search for 'msconfig' in the Windows search bar, go to the 'Services' tab, check 'Hide all Microsoft services,' and click 'Disable all.' Then, disable all startup items in the Task Manager.
QuickTip: Focus more on the ‘how’ than the ‘what’.
How to fix Vanguard if it’s not running?
Restart your PC. If that doesn't work, open services.msc, find 'vgc,' and set its startup type to 'Automatic.' A reinstall may be necessary.
How to repair corrupted Valorant files?
Open the Riot Client, go to Settings from your profile icon, select Valorant, and click the 'Repair' button.
How to check for conflicting software?
Perform a clean boot to see if the crashes stop. If they do, re-enable your startup applications and services one by one to find the conflicting program.
How to check Vanguard error codes?
When Valorant or Vanguard crashes, it often provides an error code (e.g., VAN 1, VAN 128). You can search for the specific error code on the official Riot Games support website for more targeted solutions.
How to stop Vanguard from interfering with my antivirus?
Add the Valorant and Riot Vanguard installation folders to your antivirus or firewall's exclusion or whitelist.
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