You've had enough of Valorant for now, or perhaps you're experiencing some system hiccups related to Riot Vanguard, its ever-present anti-cheat companion. Whatever your reason, understanding how to properly exit and even uninstall Valorant Vanguard is crucial for maintaining your PC's health and ensuring other applications run smoothly. It's not as simple as closing a game, as Vanguard operates at a deeper level of your system.
So, are you ready to take back control of your system resources and put Valorant on pause? Let's dive into the step-by-step process of managing Riot Vanguard.
A Comprehensive Guide to Exiting and Managing Valorant Vanguard
Riot Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat system designed to prevent cheating in Valorant (and now League of Legends). While highly effective in its purpose, its deep integration with your operating system means it runs from boot-up and can sometimes lead to concerns about system performance, privacy, or compatibility with other software. This guide will walk you through various methods to manage Vanguard, from temporarily exiting it to a full uninstallation.
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| How To Exit Valorant Vanguard |
Step 1: Understand What Riot Vanguard Is (and Why it's Always Running)
Before we jump into the "how-to," let's quickly address why Vanguard behaves the way it does.
- Kernel-Level Access: Unlike many anti-cheat systems that operate at the user level, Vanguard runs at the "kernel" level of your operating system. Think of the kernel as the core of your OS, with deep access to your hardware and software. This allows Vanguard to detect and prevent cheats more effectively by monitoring your system from the moment it starts up.
- Persistent Monitoring: To ensure fair play, Vanguard's driver starts with your PC. This prevents cheaters from loading malicious software before the anti-cheat can even begin its work. It's designed to be a constant guardian, which is why you'll often see its icon in your system tray even when you're not playing Valorant.
- Why this can be an issue: While effective, this deep integration can lead to concerns about privacy (though Riot maintains it only collects data relevant to cheating), potential conflicts with other software, and even slight performance impacts on some systems.
Now that we understand its nature, let's proceed with managing it.
QuickTip: A quick skim can reveal the main idea fast.
Step 2: Temporarily Exiting Riot Vanguard (The Quick Fix)
If you just need to stop Vanguard from running for now without uninstalling it, this is the easiest method. Keep in mind that you'll need to restart your computer to play Valorant again after performing this step, as Vanguard must be active for the game to launch.
Sub-heading 2.1: Exiting from the System Tray
This is the most straightforward way to disable Vanguard temporarily.
- Locate the System Tray: Look for the small upward-pointing arrow (caret "^") in the bottom-right corner of your Windows taskbar. This is your system tray, where background applications often reside.
- Find the Vanguard Icon: In the expanded system tray, you'll see a red shield icon, which represents Riot Vanguard.
- Right-Click and Exit: Right-click on the Riot Vanguard icon. A small menu will appear.
- Select "Exit Vanguard": Click on “Exit Vanguard.”
- Confirm Your Action: A prompt will appear asking "Do you want to exit Riot Vanguard?" Click “Yes” to confirm.
- What happens next: Vanguard's service will stop running. You might notice a small message from Vanguard confirming its exit. Remember, to play Valorant again, you'll need to restart your computer, allowing Vanguard to reload.
Step 3: Completely Uninstalling Valorant Vanguard (for a Clean Slate)
If you're done with Valorant for an extended period, or if you're troubleshooting persistent system issues that you suspect are related to Vanguard, a full uninstallation is the best approach. It's crucial to understand that uninstalling Valorant itself does not automatically uninstall Vanguard. They are separate programs.
Sub-heading 3.1: Uninstalling via Windows Settings (Recommended Method)
This is the standard and generally most reliable way to remove programs from your Windows system.
QuickTip: Don’t skim too fast — depth matters.
- Open Windows Settings:
- Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app directly.
- Alternatively, click on the Start button and then the gear icon for Settings.
- Navigate to Apps: In the Settings window, click on “Apps” and then “Installed apps” (or "Apps & features" on older Windows versions).
- Find Riot Vanguard: Scroll through the list of installed applications until you find “Riot Vanguard.” It's important to look specifically for "Riot Vanguard" and not just Valorant.
- Initiate Uninstall:
- Left-click on "Riot Vanguard."
- Click the “Uninstall” button that appears.
- You might be asked to confirm the uninstallation again. Click “Uninstall” a second time.
- Follow On-Screen Prompts: A User Account Control (UAC) prompt may appear asking for permission. Click “Yes.” Then, follow any further on-screen instructions from the Vanguard uninstaller.
- Restart Your Computer: After the uninstallation is complete, it's highly recommended to restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect and any remaining temporary files are cleared.
Sub-heading 3.2: Uninstalling Valorant (After Vanguard)
If your goal is to remove both Vanguard and Valorant, it's best to uninstall Vanguard first. Once Vanguard is gone, you can proceed with uninstalling Valorant using the same Windows Settings method:
- Open Windows Settings (Windows key + I).
- Navigate to Apps > “Installed apps.”
- Find Valorant: Scroll down and locate “VALORANT” in the list.
- Initiate Uninstall:
- Left-click on "VALORANT."
- Click “Uninstall.”
- Confirm the uninstallation if prompted.
- Follow On-Screen Prompts: Follow any additional instructions from the Valorant uninstaller.
- Restart Your Computer: A final restart is good practice.
Sub-heading 3.3: Manual Removal Using Command Prompt (Advanced Method)
This method is for when the standard uninstallation processes encounter errors or fail. It directly targets the Vanguard services. Use this method with caution as incorrect commands can affect your system.
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
- Press the Windows key, type “CMD” in the search bar.
- Right-click on "Command Prompt" in the search results.
- Select “Run as administrator.”
- Execute Commands to Delete Services: In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgk- Explanation: These commands delete the "vgc" (Vanguard Game Client) and "vgk" (Vanguard Kernel) services from your system.
- Restart Your Computer: This step is crucial. Restart your computer immediately after executing these commands to ensure the changes take effect. If you don't, you might not be able to delete the remaining files.
- Delete Remaining Vanguard Folder:
- After restarting, open File Explorer (Windows key + E).
- Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\ - Look for the folder named “Riot Vanguard.”
- Right-click on the "Riot Vanguard" folder and select “Delete.”
- Confirm the deletion if prompted.
- Empty Recycle Bin: To permanently remove the files, empty your Recycle Bin.
Sub-heading 3.4: Cleaning Up Leftover Riot Games Files (Optional but Recommended)
Even after uninstalling, some residual files from Riot Games might remain. For a truly clean removal, you can manually delete these folders.
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- Open Run Dialog: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Delete AppData Folders:
- Type
%appdata%and press Enter. Locate and delete the “Riot Games” folder if it exists. - Repeat the process for
%LocalAppData%(type%LocalAppData%in the Run dialog) and delete the “Riot Games” folder there. - Repeat for
%ProgramData%(type%ProgramData%in the Run dialog) and delete the “Riot Games” folder there. (Note: ProgramData might be a hidden folder. You might need to enable "Show hidden files" in File Explorer's View options.)
- Type
- Check C:\Riot Games: Navigate to
C:\Riot Gamesin File Explorer and delete any remaining files or folders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 10 common questions about exiting and managing Valorant Vanguard:
Tip: Context builds as you keep reading.
How to temporarily disable Vanguard without uninstalling it?
You can temporarily disable Vanguard by right-clicking its icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your taskbar) and selecting "Exit Vanguard." You'll need to restart your PC to play Valorant again.
How to completely uninstall Riot Vanguard from my computer?
The most reliable way is through Windows Settings: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find "Riot Vanguard," and click "Uninstall." Remember to restart your PC afterward.
How to uninstall Valorant and Vanguard together?
It's recommended to uninstall Riot Vanguard first, then uninstall Valorant. They are separate programs in your "Installed apps" list.
How to remove Vanguard if the standard uninstall fails?
You can use Command Prompt as an administrator: type sc delete vgc and press Enter, then sc delete vgk and press Enter. Immediately restart your PC, then manually delete the "Riot Vanguard" folder from C:\Program Files\.
Tip: Rest your eyes, then continue.
How to re-enable Vanguard if I disabled or uninstalled it?
If you temporarily exited Vanguard, simply restarting your computer will typically re-enable it. If you uninstalled it, you'll need to reinstall Valorant, which will automatically reinstall Vanguard alongside it.
How to check if Vanguard is still running on my PC?
Look for the red shield icon in your system tray (the hidden icons area near your clock). If it's there, Vanguard is active. You can also check in Task Manager under the "Processes" tab for "Riot Vanguard" or "vgc.exe."
How to fix Vanguard high CPU usage issues?
Try restarting Valorant and Vanguard processes, setting Vanguard's process priority to "Low" in Task Manager (under the "Details" tab for vgc.exe), or restarting the Vanguard service via Windows Services (find "vgc" service). Disabling third-party overlays can also help.
How to deal with "Vanguard not running" errors?
Restart your PC and the Riot Client. If the issue persists, consider uninstalling and reinstalling both Riot Vanguard and Valorant for a fresh start.
How to prevent Vanguard from starting with Windows?
While you can't permanently prevent Vanguard from starting with Windows if you want to play Valorant (as it's a kernel-level driver), you can temporarily exit it from the system tray as described in Step 2. You will always need Vanguard to be active to play Valorant.
How to ensure all Valorant and Vanguard leftover files are removed?
After uninstalling, check and delete the "Riot Games" folders in %appdata%, %LocalAppData%, %ProgramData%, and C:\Riot Games. This ensures a truly clean slate.
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