Hello there! Thinking of freeing up some space on your PC or perhaps moving on from VALORANT? Deleting Riot Vanguard can be a bit more involved than uninstalling a typical program, as it's a kernel-level anti-cheat system designed to run deep within your operating system. But don't worry, we'll walk you through it step-by-step to ensure a clean and complete removal.
So, are you ready to get started? Let's dive in!
Step 1: The Essential First Move - Exit Riot Vanguard
Before you even think about uninstalling, you must close Riot Vanguard. This is a critical step because the program is designed to run in the background as a security measure, and Windows will prevent you from uninstalling it if it's still running.
Look for the icon: Check your system tray in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar. You'll see a small red shield icon. That's Riot Vanguard.
Right-click on it: Right-click the icon to open its menu.
Select 'Exit Vanguard': A pop-up will appear asking for confirmation. Click Yes to turn it off.
You've successfully disabled the program from running, and now we can proceed with the uninstallation process without any pesky error messages.
Step 2: Uninstalling the Programs
You'll need to uninstall both VALORANT (if you have it installed) and Riot Vanguard separately. Uninstalling one does not automatically remove the other.
Sub-step 2.1: Uninstall VALORANT (if applicable)
You can do this in one of two ways:
Method 1: Using Windows Settings (Recommended for Windows 10/11)
Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
Go to Apps > Installed Apps (or Apps & Features, depending on your Windows version).
Scroll down the list until you find VALORANT.
Click on it and then select Uninstall.
Confirm your choice by clicking Uninstall again.
Method 2: Using the Control Panel (Classic approach)
Press the Windows key + R, type
Control Paneland press Enter.Click on Programs > Uninstall a program.
Find VALORANT in the list of programs.
Right-click on it and choose Uninstall.
Follow any on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Important Note: Even after you've uninstalled VALORANT, Riot Vanguard will still be on your PC and running in the background unless you've exited it as described in Step 1.
Sub-step 2.2: Uninstall Riot Vanguard
This is the main event. Now that you've closed Vanguard and optionally uninstalled VALORANT, let's get rid of the anti-cheat itself.
Method 1: Through Windows Settings (Same as before)
Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
Go to Apps > Installed Apps.
Find Riot Vanguard in the list.
Click on it and select Uninstall.
A pop-up will ask for confirmation. Click Yes to proceed.
Follow any on-screen prompts. You may be required to restart your PC to finalize the removal.
Method 2: Using Command Prompt (for stubborn uninstallations) If the above method doesn't work, this manual method is your best bet.
Open the Start Menu, search for Command Prompt, right-click it, and select Run as administrator.
In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
sc delete vgcNext, type this command and press Enter:
sc delete vgkYou should see a message confirming the service deletion.
Now, it is crucial to restart your PC. This is necessary for the changes to take effect and for the driver files to be released.
Step 3: Cleaning Up Leftover Files and Folders
Even after the uninstallation process, some residual files and folders might be left behind. To ensure a truly clean removal, it's a good idea to manually delete them.
Open File Explorer: Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
Navigate to the Program Files directory: Go to
C:\Program FilesorC:\Program Files (x86).Delete the Riot Vanguard folder: Look for a folder named Riot Vanguard. Right-click on it and select Delete.
Check other common locations: Some files might be in hidden app data folders. To check these, press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, and type the following one by one, pressing Enter after each:
%appdata%%localappdata%%programdata%
In each of these locations, look for a folder named Riot Games or Riot Vanguard and delete them.
Empty the Recycle Bin: Once you've deleted all the folders, remember to empty your Recycle Bin to permanently remove them from your PC.
Step 4: A Final Check
After restarting your computer and completing the cleanup, you can do a final check to ensure Vanguard is no longer running.
Open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
Go to the Processes tab and look for any process related to "Riot Vanguard" or "vgc.exe" or "vgk.sys". If you don't see them, you're good to go!
Congratulations, you have successfully and completely deleted Riot Vanguard from your PC!
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some quick answers to common questions about uninstalling Riot Vanguard.
How to check if Riot Vanguard is still running? You can check for the red shield icon in your system tray (the small icons in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar). You can also open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and look for "Riot Vanguard" in the list of processes.
How to uninstall Valorant without uninstalling Vanguard? You can uninstall Valorant using the normal Windows Settings or Control Panel method, but Vanguard is a separate program and will remain installed and active unless you uninstall it separately.
How to disable Vanguard without uninstalling it? Right-click on the Riot Vanguard icon in the system tray and select "Exit Vanguard." You will be prompted to confirm. This will turn off the anti-cheat until you restart your computer or launch a Riot Games title again.
How to fix Vanguard not uninstalling from my PC? If the standard methods fail, try the manual uninstall via Command Prompt as an administrator (Step 2.2, Method 2) and restart your PC. If that still doesn't work, you can try uninstalling in Windows Safe Mode.
How to uninstall Riot Client completely?
After uninstalling VALORANT and Vanguard, you can also uninstall the Riot Client from the "Installed Apps" list in Windows Settings. Then, check the common file locations (%appdata%, %localappdata%, %programdata%) for any remaining "Riot Games" folders.
How to get rid of the Vanguard icon from my system tray? The icon will automatically disappear from your system tray once you have successfully uninstalled Riot Vanguard and restarted your PC.
How to reinstall Vanguard if I change my mind? You don't need to reinstall Vanguard separately. Simply launch VALORANT or another Riot Games title that requires it, and the game will prompt you to download and install it again.
How to uninstall Vanguard on Windows 7/8? For older versions of Windows, the process is similar. You'll typically use the "Control Panel" and then "Programs and Features" to find and uninstall the programs. The manual Command Prompt method also works.
How to delete the vgc and vgk services manually?
Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the commands sc delete vgc and sc delete vgk. These commands specifically target and remove the Vanguard services from your system.
How to remove remaining registry entries for Vanguard?
This is an advanced step and should be done with caution. You can open the Registry Editor (regedit) and search for entries related to "Riot Vanguard" or "vgc" and "vgk" in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software. However, be extremely careful as deleting the wrong entry can cause system instability. For most users, deleting the files and folders is sufficient.