Facing issues with Riot Vanguard in Valorant can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you're itching to jump into a game. Vanguard is Riot Games' proprietary anti-cheat system, and while it's essential for maintaining fair play, it can sometimes be a bit overzealous or conflict with your system. But don't worry, you're not alone, and there are many steps you can take to get back to playing Valorant smoothly.
Let's dive into a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and fix common Vanguard problems.
How to Fix Vanguard Problems in Valorant: A Comprehensive Guide
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| How To Fix Vanguard Problem In Valorant |
Step 1: The Initial (and Often Overlooked) Fixes – Let's Start Simple!
Before we get into anything complex, let's try some basic solutions that surprisingly resolve a large percentage of issues. Have you ever been told to "turn it off and on again"? Well, there's a good reason for that!
- Have you tried restarting your computer? Seriously, a full system restart can often resolve temporary glitches or processes that are interfering with Vanguard. This allows Vanguard to properly initialize when your PC boots up.
- Restart the Riot Client: Sometimes, the issue isn't with Vanguard itself, but with the Riot Client not communicating properly. Close the Riot Client completely (make sure it's not just minimized to the system tray), then relaunch it.
- Check Valorant and Vanguard Processes: Open your Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). Go to the "Processes" tab and look for anything related to Valorant or Vanguard (e.g., "Riot Client," "VALORANT," "vgc," "vgtray"). If you find any, right-click and select "End task" for each of them. Then, try launching Valorant again.
Step 2: Ensuring Vanguard is Running Correctly – The "VGC" Service
Vanguard relies on a core service called "vgc" to run in the background. If this service isn't starting automatically or is somehow stopped, you'll encounter problems.
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Sub-heading: Checking the VGC Service Status
- Press
Windows Key + Rto open the Run dialog box. - Type
services.mscand press Enter. This will open the Services window. - In the Services list, scroll down and locate "vgc" (Vanguard Anti-Cheat).
- Right-click on "vgc" and select "Properties."
- Under the "General" tab, ensure that the "Startup type" is set to "Automatic."
- Check the "Service status." If it's "Stopped," click "Start."
- Click "Apply" and then "OK."
- Press
-
Sub-heading: Force Starting VGC If the above didn't work, sometimes you need to explicitly tell it to start:
- Follow steps 1-3 from "Checking the VGC Service Status."
- Right-click on "vgc" and select "Start."
- Close the Services window and try launching Valorant.
Step 3: Addressing Common Error Codes – Decoding the "VAN" Messages
Riot Vanguard often provides error codes that start with "VAN." These codes can give us a clue about the specific problem. While a full list is extensive, here are some common ones and their direct solutions:
Tip: Highlight sentences that answer your questions.
- VAN -1 (Uninstall Failure) / VAN 57 (Vanguard Not Running) / VAN -81, -102, -104, 128 (Connection Errors): These often point to a corrupt Vanguard installation or a conflict preventing it from running.
- Solution: Reinstall Vanguard and Valorant. This is a more drastic step but often the most effective for these codes. Proceed to Step 4 for a detailed guide on clean reinstallation.
- VAN 138 (Virtual Machine Conflict): Vanguard is designed to run on a native Windows machine. If you're trying to play Valorant from a virtual machine (like VMware or VirtualBox), you'll encounter this error.
- Solution: You must install Valorant and Riot Vanguard on a regular instance of Windows. Virtual machines are not supported for playing Valorant.
- VAN 9001 (TPM 2.0 Not Enabled) / VAN 9003 (Secure Boot or TPM Disabled): These errors indicate that your system's security features, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and Secure Boot, are not enabled or configured correctly in your BIOS/UEFI settings. Vanguard increasingly relies on these for enhanced security.
- Solution: Enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 in BIOS.
- Restart your PC and repeatedly press the key to enter your BIOS/UEFI settings (common keys are Del, F2, F10, F12 – consult your motherboard manual if unsure).
- Once in BIOS, navigate to sections related to "Boot," "Security," or "Advanced."
- Look for "Secure Boot" and "TPM" (it might be listed as PTT for Intel or fTPM for AMD).
- Enable both Secure Boot and TPM 2.0.
- Save your changes and exit BIOS. Your PC will restart.
- Check if VBS (Virtualization-based Security) is enabled as well. Type
msinfo32into Windows Search and look for "Virtualization-based security." If it's enabled and you're still facing issues, you might need to disable it as a temporary measure. Open Command Prompt as administrator and typebcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off. Restart your PC.
- Solution: Enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 in BIOS.
- VAN 9006 (Unsupported Windows Version): Vanguard requires Windows 10 20H1 or later, or Windows 11.
- Solution: Update your Windows OS. Ensure your Windows installation is fully up to date. Go to
Settings > Update & Security > Windows Updateand check for updates.
- Solution: Update your Windows OS. Ensure your Windows installation is fully up to date. Go to
Step 4: The Full Reset – Reinstalling Vanguard and Valorant
If the above steps haven't resolved your issue, a clean reinstallation of both Riot Vanguard and Valorant is often the most reliable solution. This ensures no corrupted files or conflicting installations are present.
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Sub-heading: Uninstalling Riot Vanguard
- Close Valorant and the Riot Client completely. Make sure they are not running in the background (check Task Manager).
- Open your Control Panel (search for it in Windows Start).
- Go to
Programs > Programs and Features(orApps & featuresin Windows 10/11 Settings). - Find and uninstall "Riot Vanguard."
- After uninstalling, press
Windows Key + R, typecmd, and pressCtrl + Shift + Enterto open Command Prompt as an administrator. - In the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgk- (You may get a message saying the service doesn't exist, which is fine if Vanguard uninstalled properly).
- Restart your computer. This is crucial to completely remove all Vanguard components.
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Sub-heading: Uninstalling Valorant
- Open Control Panel or Apps & features again.
- Find and uninstall "VALORANT."
- Delete any remaining Valorant or Riot Games folders from your
C:\Riot Gamesdirectory or where you installed them.
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Sub-heading: Reinstalling Valorant (which includes Vanguard)
- Go to the official Valorant website (playvalorant.com) and download the game client.
- Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Valorant will automatically prompt you to install Riot Vanguard as part of its setup.
- Once the installation is complete, restart your PC one more time. This allows Vanguard to properly integrate with your system.
Step 5: Checking for Conflicts – Antivirus, Firewall, and Other Software
Vanguard, being an anti-cheat, can sometimes be flagged by security software or conflict with other programs running on your PC.
- Sub-heading: Antivirus and Firewall Exceptions
- Temporarily disable your antivirus software and Windows Defender Firewall.
- Try launching Valorant. If it works, then your security software is likely the culprit.
- Re-enable your antivirus and firewall.
- Add Valorant and Riot Vanguard to your antivirus and firewall exception lists. The exact steps vary by software, but generally, you'll need to go into your antivirus settings and find an "Exclusions," "Allow List," or "Whitelist" section. Add the entire Riot Games folder (usually
C:\Riot Games) and the specific executables for Valorant (VALORANT.exeandVALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe) and Vanguard (vgc.exe,vgtray.exe).
- Sub-heading: Close Background Applications
- Before launching Valorant, close any unnecessary background applications that might be consuming resources or conflicting with Vanguard. This includes other game launchers, overlay programs (like Discord overlay, GeForce Experience overlay), VPNs, or system monitoring tools.
- VPNs are a common cause of Vanguard issues. If you use one, disable it before launching Valorant.
Step 6: Driver Updates and System Health
Outdated drivers or a generally unhealthy system can also lead to Vanguard problems.
- Sub-heading: Update Graphics Drivers
- Ensure your graphics drivers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) are up to date. Visit your GPU manufacturer's website or use their dedicated software (GeForce Experience, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition) to download and install the latest drivers.
- Sub-heading: Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM
- These Windows commands can check for and repair corrupted system files.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator (search
CMD, right-click,Run as administrator). - Type
sfc /scannowand press Enter. Let the scan complete. - After that, type
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthand press Enter. Let this process complete as well. - Restart your PC after these scans.
Step 7: Advanced Troubleshooting for Persistent Issues
If you've tried everything above and Vanguard is still giving you grief, consider these more advanced steps.
Tip: Look for small cues in wording.
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- Sub-heading: Check for Windows Updates: While mentioned for VAN 9006, ensuring your Windows OS is fully up to date is crucial for compatibility with Vanguard. Sometimes, specific cumulative updates are required.
- Sub-heading: Disable Fullscreen Optimization (for Black Screen issues): If you're experiencing a black screen on startup, this might help.
- Right-click on your Valorant shortcut and select
Properties. - Go to the
Compatibilitytab. - Check the box for "Disable fullscreen optimizations."
- Click
ApplyandOK.
- Right-click on your Valorant shortcut and select
- Sub-heading: Run Valorant as Administrator:
- Right-click on your Valorant shortcut.
- Select
Run as administrator. You can also set this permanently in theCompatibilitytab of the properties.
- Sub-heading: Adjust Environment Variables (for specific black screen cases): This is a less common fix but has helped some users with black screen issues.
- Search for "environment variables" in Windows and select "Edit the system environment variables."
- Click "Environment Variables."
- Under "System variables," click "New."
- For "Variable name," enter
OPENSSL_ia32cap. - For "Variable value," enter
~0x200000200000000. - Click "OK" to apply and restart your PC.
Step 8: Contact Riot Support
If you've diligently followed all these steps and are still facing Vanguard issues, it's time to reach out to the experts.
- Submitting a Support Ticket:
- Go to the official Riot Games Support website (support.riotgames.com).
- Log in with your Riot account.
- Navigate to the Valorant section and look for "Submit a Ticket."
- Provide as much detail as possible:
- The exact error message or error code you're receiving.
- A description of when the problem started.
- What troubleshooting steps you've already attempted (mentioning the steps from this guide will be very helpful).
- Your system specifications (OS version, CPU, GPU, RAM).
- Any relevant screenshots or video clips of the issue.
Riot Support has access to advanced diagnostic tools and can provide personalized assistance based on your specific system configuration and logs.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Valorant and Vanguard problems, along with quick answers:
How to check if Riot Vanguard is running?
You can check if Riot Vanguard is running by looking for its icon in your system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen, near the clock). If it's there, it's active. You can also check the "vgc" service status in services.msc.
Tip: Look out for transitions like ‘however’ or ‘but’.
How to update Riot Vanguard?
Riot Vanguard updates automatically with Valorant game patches. There's no separate manual update process for Vanguard itself. Ensure your Valorant client is always up to date.
How to disable Riot Vanguard?
You can temporarily exit Riot Vanguard by right-clicking its icon in the system tray and selecting "Exit Vanguard." However, Valorant will not launch if Vanguard is not running. To permanently disable it, you would need to uninstall it.
How to fix "Vanguard Not Initialized" error?
This error (often VAN 57, 44, or 9001/9003) usually means the "vgc" service isn't starting. Try restarting your PC, checking the "vgc" service in services.msc to ensure it's set to "Automatic" and started, or enabling Secure Boot/TPM 2.0 in your BIOS. A full reinstallation of Valorant and Vanguard is also a strong solution.
How to resolve "VAN 0" or other connection errors?
VAN 0 and similar connection errors (like VAN 6, 84, -100, etc.) often indicate network issues. Try restarting your Riot Client and PC, checking your internet connection stability, temporarily disabling your firewall/antivirus, and adding Valorant/Vanguard to their exceptions.
Tip: Take your time with each sentence.
How to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0?
You enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (or PTT/fTPM) in your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings. You access BIOS by restarting your PC and pressing a specific key (often Del, F2, F10, or F12) during startup. Look for these options under "Boot," "Security," or "Advanced" settings.
How to deal with Vanguard causing blue screens of death (BSOD)?
BSODs caused by Vanguard can indicate deep system conflicts, often related to drivers or system integrity. Ensure all your drivers (especially graphics and chipset) are updated, run SFC and DISM scans, and consider a clean reinstallation of Valorant and Vanguard. If persistent, contact Riot Support with your BSOD error codes.
How to uninstall Riot Vanguard completely?
To completely uninstall Riot Vanguard, first close Valorant and the Riot Client. Then, uninstall "Riot Vanguard" from Programs and Features or Apps & features in Windows settings. Follow up by running sc delete vgc and sc delete vgk in an administrator Command Prompt, and finally, restart your PC.
How to check for Valorant server status?
You can check the official Riot Games Service Status page online (status.riotgames.com) or their social media channels for real-time updates on server issues or maintenance.
How to get help directly from Riot Games for Vanguard issues?
Visit the Riot Games Support website (support.riotgames.com), log in to your account, select Valorant, and then choose "Submit a Ticket." Provide detailed information about your problem and the steps you've already taken for the quickest resolution.
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