Of course! Here is a lengthy, step-by-step guide on how to manually start Riot Vanguard, designed to be engaging and informative.
How to Manually Start Riot Vanguard: A Comprehensive Guide
Hey there, fellow gamer! Ever found yourself ready to jump into a heated match of VALORANT or League of Legends, only to be met with a pesky error message saying that Riot Vanguard isn't running? It can be frustrating, especially when you're itching to play. But don't worry, you're in the right place. This guide will walk you through the process of manually starting Riot Vanguard, a crucial step for getting back into your favorite Riot Games titles.
Let's dive in and get you back in the game!
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| How To Manually Start Vanguard |
Step 1: Understand the 'Why' Before the 'How'
Before we get our hands dirty with the technical stuff, let's quickly address a common question: Why can't I just start Vanguard like any other program?
It's a great question, and the answer lies in how Riot Vanguard works. Riot Vanguard is not a typical anti-cheat software. It's a kernel-mode anti-cheat, which means it operates at the deepest level of your computer's operating system. This is by design, as it allows Vanguard to detect and prevent cheats more effectively. Because of this deep-level integration, it needs to start when your PC boots up to ensure that no malicious programs or cheats can hide from it.
This is why you'll often see that the most reliable way to start Vanguard is by restarting your computer. However, there are times when you've closed it for some reason (maybe to run a different program that conflicted with it) and want to get it running again without a full reboot. While a reboot is still the recommended method by Riot Games, here's how you can try to kickstart it manually.
Step 2: Check the VGC Service
The core of Riot Vanguard is a Windows service called 'vgc'. This service is what controls the anti-cheat. If this service isn't running, Vanguard won't be either.
Tip: The middle often holds the main point.
Sub-heading 2.1: Accessing Services
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type services.msc in the box and press Enter. This will open the Windows Services window.
Scroll down the list of services until you find "vgc" (Vanguard Anti-Cheat).
Sub-heading 2.2: Verifying and Starting the Service
Look at the "Status" column for the "vgc" service. If it says "Running", great! If it's empty, it means the service is not active.
Now, look at the "Startup Type" column. It should be set to "Automatic". If it's set to "Disabled" or "Manual," you'll need to change it.
To change the startup type and start the service, right-click on "vgc" and select Properties.
In the Properties window, change the "Startup type" to "Automatic" from the dropdown menu.
Click the "Start" button to manually start the service.
Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.
You should now see "Running" in the status column for the "vgc" service.
Step 3: Launching the Vanguard Tray Icon
Even with the service running, you might not see the Vanguard icon in your system tray. The tray icon is handled by a separate program, vgtray.exe.
Sub-heading 3.1: Finding the Vanguard Files
Open your File Explorer (press Windows key + E).
Navigate to the Riot Vanguard installation folder. By default, this is usually located at:
C:\Program Files\Riot VanguardLook for the executable file named
vgtray.exe.
Sub-heading 3.2: Starting the Tray Icon
QuickTip: A slow read reveals hidden insights.
Double-click on
vgtray.exe.You should now see the Riot Vanguard icon appear in your system tray (the area on the right side of your taskbar, near the clock).
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Step 4: The Final Check and Potential Reboot
Now that you have the service running and the tray icon visible, you're almost ready to go.
Right-click on the Riot Vanguard tray icon.
You should see an option to "Exit Vanguard" and a setting for disabling it. This confirms that it's running.
Now, try launching your Riot Games title (e.g., VALORANT or League of Legends).
In many cases, following these steps will be enough to get the game to launch. However, it's crucial to note that Riot Vanguard's kernel-level nature can sometimes still require a full system restart to properly initialize all its components. If you still encounter an error after following these steps, a full reboot of your computer is the most reliable and recommended solution.
Why the reboot might still be necessary? Riot Vanguard's design is based on the principle that it must be present from the very beginning of the system boot process to ensure no "cheats" are able to load into memory before the anti-cheat is active. Starting the service after the system has already booted can sometimes leave a window of vulnerability that Vanguard is designed to prevent.
10 Related FAQs: Quick Answers to Common Vanguard Problems
1. How to know if Riot Vanguard is running?
Look for the Riot Vanguard icon (a small red shield with a 'V') in your system tray on the right side of your taskbar. If you see it, it's running.
2. How to uninstall Riot Vanguard?
Tip: Share one insight from this post with a friend.
Go to 'Add or remove programs' in Windows Settings, find 'Riot Vanguard' in the list, and click 'Uninstall'. You may need to restart your PC after uninstalling.
3. How to fix the "Vanguard not initialized" error?
First, try restarting your computer. If that doesn't work, follow the steps in this guide to manually start the 'vgc' service and vgtray.exe. You might also need to check your BIOS settings for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
4. How to disable Riot Vanguard?
You can right-click the Vanguard icon in the system tray and select "Exit Vanguard." However, be aware that you will need to restart your computer to re-enable it and play a Riot Games title again.
5. How to re-enable Riot Vanguard after disabling it?
A full system reboot is the only way to re-enable Riot Vanguard after you have exited it from the system tray.
6. How to check if the 'vgc' service is set to 'Automatic' startup?
Tip: Reading twice doubles clarity.
Open the Services window (services.msc), find "vgc", and check the "Startup Type" column. It should say "Automatic."
7. How to fix the "System Reboot Required" Vanguard error?
This error is usually a hard requirement. The most reliable fix is to simply reboot your computer as requested by the client. It's a security measure to ensure Vanguard starts with the system.
8. How to fix Vanguard conflicts with other programs?
If a program conflicts with Vanguard, you'll need to exit the conflicting program or temporarily disable Vanguard from the system tray before launching the program. Check the Riot Games support page for a list of known conflicting programs.
9. How to update Riot Vanguard?
Vanguard updates automatically when you launch a Riot Games client like VALORANT. You don't need to manually update it. If an update is required, the client will notify you.
10. How to report a problem with Riot Vanguard?
If you are still facing issues, the best course of action is to contact Riot Games Support directly through their website. They have dedicated teams to help with technical issues and can provide personalized troubleshooting steps.
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