How to Completely Uninstall Riot Vanguard: A Thorough Guide
So, you've decided to part ways with Riot Vanguard. Maybe you're freeing up system resources, troubleshooting a persistent error, or simply moving on from the games that require it. Whatever your reason, you've probably noticed that uninstalling it isn't as straightforward as a typical program. That's because Riot Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat, which means it runs at the deepest level of your operating system to ensure competitive integrity in games like VALORANT. But don't worry, with this guide, we'll walk you through every step to ensure a clean and complete uninstallation.
Ready to reclaim your system? Let's get started!
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| How To Completely Uninstall Vanguard |
Step 1: Disable Riot Vanguard
Before you can even think about uninstalling, you need to properly close down the Vanguard service. If you don't, you'll likely run into errors that prevent the uninstallation process from starting.
Look for the Vanguard icon in your system tray. This is the small group of icons in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar, near the clock. It's a red, shield-like icon.
Right-click on the icon. A small menu will pop up with a few options.
Select "Exit Vanguard" or "More..." and then "Exit Vanguard." A pop-up will appear, asking for confirmation. Click Yes to shut down the anti-cheat.
Why is this so important? Because Vanguard is designed to run in the background from the moment your computer boots up, a key part of its anti-cheat function. By exiting it from the system tray, you're telling the program to temporarily stop its operations, allowing you to proceed with the uninstallation without any conflicts.
QuickTip: Short pauses improve understanding.
Step 2: Uninstall from Windows Settings
Now that the Vanguard service is disabled, you can use the standard Windows uninstallation method. This is the simplest and most common way to remove the program.
Open your Windows Settings. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard.
Navigate to "Apps" or "Apps & Features" (or "Installed Apps" in newer Windows versions). In the search bar at the top of the list, type "Riot Vanguard" to quickly find it.
Click on Riot Vanguard and select "Uninstall." You will likely be prompted with a pop-up window asking for confirmation. Click "Uninstall" again.
Confirm the action. A Windows User Account Control (UAC) prompt may appear, asking for permission to make changes to your device. Click Yes.
Follow the on-screen prompts. The uninstaller will now run. Once it's finished, you may be prompted to restart your computer. It's crucial to restart your PC after this step to terminate all kernel processes associated with Vanguard.
Step 3: Manually Remove Leftover Files
Sometimes, even after a successful uninstallation through the Windows settings, some residual files and folders can remain. To ensure a truly complete removal, you'll need to do a manual cleanup.
QuickTip: Reflect before moving to the next part.
Open File Explorer. You can do this by pressing Windows key + E.
Navigate to the following locations and delete any Riot Vanguard or Riot Games folders you find:
C:\Program Files\Riot VanguardC:\Riot Games(This folder might contain other Riot games, so be careful if you want to keep them. If you only have VALORANT, you can likely delete the whole folder.)
Check hidden app data folders. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type the following commands one by one and press Enter:
%appdata%%LocalAppData%%ProgramData%
In each of these folders, look for a "Riot Games" folder and delete it. This will remove any residual settings or temporary files.
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Step 4: Use the Command Prompt for a "Nuclear Option"
If the standard uninstallation gets stuck, fails, or if you just want to be absolutely certain every trace is gone, the Command Prompt is your best friend. This method directly deletes the Vanguard services from your system.
Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Click the Start Menu, type "CMD," right-click on "Command Prompt," and select "Run as administrator."
A UAC prompt will appear. Click Yes.
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgk
You should receive a success message for each command. If it says "The specified service does not exist," that means the service was already removed, which is a good sign.
Restart your computer. This is a mandatory step. It allows your system to fully process the deletion of the services.
After restarting, go back to Step 3 and manually delete the leftover files.
This method is powerful and is often the solution for when the standard uninstallation process gets stuck or gives you an error.
Reminder: Take a short break if the post feels long.
Step 5: (Optional but Recommended) Clean Up the Registry
For a truly pristine system, you can use a registry cleaner. Be warned: editing the Windows Registry can be risky and may lead to system instability if done incorrectly. It is highly recommended to create a system restore point before attempting this step. You can use a trusted, third-party registry cleaner like CCleaner or RegSeeker to scan and remove any remaining registry entries related to Riot Vanguard.
Download and install a reliable registry cleaner.
Run a scan for registry issues.
Review the results and only delete entries that are clearly related to "Riot" or "Vanguard."
Remember to proceed with caution!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to disable Riot Vanguard from startup?
You can disable the Vanguard service from starting with your computer by opening the Command Prompt as an administrator and running the command sc config vgc start= disabled. You can also manage the startup programs in the Task Manager's "Startup" tab, although Vanguard's services may not always be listed there.
Tip: Don’t skim — absorb.
How to uninstall Vanguard if it's not showing in "Apps & Features"? If Vanguard is not listed in your Windows settings, you can use the Command Prompt method (Step 4) to forcefully delete its services. After that, manually delete the program files and folders as described in Step 3.
How to fix a stuck Vanguard uninstallation? If the uninstallation process is stuck, first try to end any related Riot or Vanguard processes in the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). If that doesn't work, use the Command Prompt method (Step 4) to delete the services and then restart your PC.
How to remove Riot Vanguard's kernel-level driver?
The manual uninstallation steps, especially the Command Prompt method (sc delete vgk), are designed to remove the kernel-level driver (vgk.sys) from your system. Restarting your computer after these steps is essential for the changes to take effect.
How to check if Vanguard is completely uninstalled? After following all the steps, you can check for the Vanguard icon in your system tray, search for "Riot Vanguard" in your Windows Apps list, and check the file locations mentioned in Step 3. If you find no traces, it's likely gone.
How to uninstall Vanguard without uninstalling VALORANT? Yes, you can uninstall Vanguard separately from VALORANT. However, keep in mind that you will not be able to play VALORANT until Vanguard is reinstalled. When you launch the game, the Riot Client will prompt you to reinstall Vanguard, and you will need to restart your PC to complete the process.
How to remove the Riot Games folder?
To remove the Riot Games folder, you simply navigate to its location, typically C:\Riot Games, in File Explorer, right-click on the folder, and select "Delete." You may need administrator permissions to do this.
How to deal with "Riot Vanguard prevents uninstallation" error? This error often occurs because the Vanguard service is still running. The solution is to first "Exit Vanguard" from the system tray (Step 1) and then proceed with the uninstallation. If that fails, the Command Prompt method is your next best bet.
How to uninstall Riot Client completely?
While you can uninstall the Riot Client from the Windows Apps list, to completely remove all its data, you should also manually delete the Riot Games folders from your AppData, LocalAppData, and ProgramData directories as mentioned in Step 3.
How to prevent Vanguard from reinstalling automatically? Vanguard is required to play Riot's games like VALORANT. If you launch a game that requires Vanguard, the Riot Client will automatically detect its absence and prompt you to reinstall it. The only way to prevent it from reinstalling is to not play the games that require it.
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