The Ultimate Guide to Making Riot Vanguard Not Run on Startup
Tired of Riot Vanguard, the anti-cheat for Valorant and League of Legends, automatically launching every time you boot your PC? You're not alone. While Vanguard is a crucial component for ensuring fair play in these games, its kernel-level access and constant presence can be a source of frustration for many users. The good news is that you have options. Let's dive in and take back control of your PC's startup processes.
Ready to begin? Let's take the first step together and give your PC a little more breathing room.
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| How To Make Vanguard Not Run On Startup |
Step 1: Understand What Vanguard Does and Why It Autostarts
Before we start changing things, it's important to know what you're dealing with. Riot Vanguard is a two-part system:
VGC (Vanguard Client): This is the part that runs in the background while you are playing a Riot game. It's the "active" anti-cheat.
VGK (Vanguard Kernel Driver): This is the part that runs at boot-up. It's a kernel-level driver, which means it loads with your operating system and has deep access to your computer's processes. This is why it's so effective against cheaters, but also why it's so intrusive.
The reason Vanguard autostarts is to prevent cheaters from loading malicious software before the anti-cheat can even begin to monitor the system. If you want to play Valorant or League of Legends, Vanguard must be running. Disabling it completely will prevent you from playing the game until you re-enable it and restart your PC.
Step 2: The Easiest Method - Using the System Tray Icon
This is the simplest and most recommended method if you only want to temporarily disable Vanguard.
Locate the Vanguard icon: Look for the small, red Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray, which is the area in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar, near the clock. You might need to click the small upward arrow () to show hidden icons.
Right-click the icon: A small menu will pop up.
Click "Exit Vanguard": A confirmation box will appear.
Confirm the action: Click Yes to confirm that you want to exit Vanguard.
What just happened? You've just stopped the Vanguard service from running. The Vanguard icon will disappear from your system tray. Keep in mind: This is only a temporary solution. Vanguard will start again the next time you reboot your computer. You'll also need to restart your computer to play any Riot games after re-enabling it.
Step 3: Disabling Vanguard from Startup Permanently (But with a Catch)
QuickTip: Take a pause every few paragraphs.
This method prevents Vanguard from automatically starting with your computer, but you'll have to manually enable it and restart your PC every time you want to play a Riot game.
Sub-heading 3.1: Using Windows Services
This is a more technical approach, but it gives you more control.
Open the Services application:
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type
services.mscand press Enter.Alternatively, you can search for "Services" in the Windows search bar.
Find the Vanguard services: In the Services window, scroll down and look for a service named "vgc". This is the main Vanguard service.
Change the startup type:
Right-click on vgc and select Properties.
In the "General" tab, find "Startup type".
Click the dropdown menu and change it from Automatic to Manual.
Stop the service: If the service is currently running, click the "Stop" button.
Click Apply and OK: Close the Properties window.
Find the kernel driver service: While in Services, you might also want to look for the "vgk" service, which is the kernel driver. While this one is often hidden, it's good to know about. You can't easily change its startup type from here, but this is the core of the problem.
Sub-heading 3.2: Using Task Manager (The Less Effective Way)
Some online guides suggest disabling "Vanguard tray notification" from the Task Manager's Startup tab. While you can do this, it's important to know that it's not the full solution.
Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Go to the Startup tab: This tab shows a list of programs that start with your computer.
Find "Vanguard Tray Notification":
Right-click on it.
Select Disable.
What's the catch? Disabling "Vanguard Tray Notification" only stops the icon from appearing in your system tray. The kernel-level driver (vgk) and the main service (vgc) will still be running in the background, consuming resources and potentially causing conflicts with other programs. This is not a true solution to stopping Vanguard from running on startup.
Step 4: The Most Aggressive Method - Manual Uninstallation
If you're absolutely done with playing Valorant or League of Legends and want to completely remove Vanguard from your system, this is the way to go. Be warned: You will not be able to play any Riot game that requires Vanguard until you reinstall it and restart your PC.
Tip: Keep your attention on the main thread.
Sub-heading 4.1: Standard Uninstallation via Settings
This is the recommended first step for uninstallation.
Open Windows Settings: Press the Windows key + I.
Go to "Apps": In the Settings window, click on "Apps".
Find Riot Vanguard: Scroll down the list of installed applications until you find Riot Vanguard.
Uninstall:
Click on Riot Vanguard.
Click the Uninstall button.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation.
You may be asked to allow the program to make changes to your device. Click Yes.
Restart your computer: A restart is crucial to ensure all components are removed.
Sub-heading 4.2: Manual Uninstallation via Command Prompt (If Standard Fails)
If for some reason the standard uninstallation doesn't work, you can use the Command Prompt to manually remove the services.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
Press the Windows key.
Type
cmd.Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator".
Execute the commands: In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgk
Reboot your computer: This is a critical step. You must reboot your computer before attempting to delete the remaining files.
Delete the folder: After rebooting, navigate to
C:\Program Files\and manually delete the Riot Vanguard folder.
Related FAQ
How to temporarily disable Vanguard?
Right-click the Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray and select "Exit Vanguard". This will stop the service until your next reboot.
How to check if Vanguard is running?
Reminder: Save this article to read offline later.
You can check for the Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray. For a more technical check, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and type sc query vgc and sc query vgk. If the services are running, the state will be listed as RUNNING.
How to make Vanguard start manually instead of automatically?
Open the Services application (services.msc), find the "vgc" service, and change its startup type from "Automatic" to "Manual".
How to fully uninstall Riot Vanguard?
The recommended way is through Windows Settings > Apps. If that fails, use Command Prompt as an administrator to run sc delete vgc and sc delete vgk, then reboot and manually delete the Riot Vanguard folder.
How to play Valorant after disabling Vanguard?
You can't. You must have Vanguard running to play any Riot game that requires it. You will need to either restart your PC to enable it or, if you've set the service to manual startup, start it through the Services application and then restart.
How to reinstall Vanguard?
Tip: Reading in chunks improves focus.
Simply launch a Riot game like Valorant or League of Legends that requires it. The Riot Client will automatically detect that Vanguard is missing and prompt you to install it. You will need to restart your PC after the installation is complete.
How to fix Vanguard-related startup issues?
Try to uninstall and reinstall Vanguard using the methods outlined in this guide. Also, ensure your system has Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled if you are on Windows 11, as these are now required for Vanguard to function.
How to stop the Vanguard tray icon from appearing on startup?
Open Task Manager, go to the Startup tab, find "Vanguard Tray Notification", and disable it. Remember, this only hides the icon and doesn't stop the service itself.
How to delete the Vanguard folder after uninstalling?
First, ensure you have uninstalled the program and deleted its services via Command Prompt. Then, reboot your PC and navigate to C:\Program Files\ to manually delete the "Riot Vanguard" folder.
How to know if disabling Vanguard will affect my other games?
Disabling Vanguard should not affect other games unless they also use Riot's anti-cheat. However, due to its kernel-level nature, it can sometimes interfere with other software. Disabling it might resolve such conflicts.
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