A Comprehensive Guide: Can You Play VALORANT Without Vanguard?
Hello, gamer! Are you a fan of the tactical, fast-paced action in VALORANT but have concerns about Riot Games' anti-cheat system, Vanguard? You're not alone. Many players are curious about how Vanguard works and if it's even possible to play the game without it. Let's dive deep into this topic and understand the relationship between VALORANT and its powerful anti-cheat.
Step 1: Understanding the Inseparable Bond
Let's get straight to the point: no, you cannot play VALORANT without Vanguard.
I know, that's a bold statement, but it's a fundamental truth of the game's design. Vanguard is not just an optional add-on; it is a core, integral component of the VALORANT experience. Riot Games built VALORANT from the ground up with a kernel-level anti-cheat system to ensure a fair and competitive environment for all players. This means that for the game to even launch, Vanguard must be active and running on your system.
Why is this the case? Riot's goal is to prevent cheating at the source. Cheats often operate at the kernel level of your operating system, where they can bypass traditional anti-cheat measures. By having Vanguard as a kernel-level driver, it can detect and prevent these cheats from running before they can even affect the game. Think of it as a highly vigilant security guard that's always on duty, from the moment your computer boots up.
What happens if you try to disable it? If you attempt to disable or uninstall Vanguard, you will be unable to launch VALORANT. The game's client performs a check to see if Vanguard is running, and if it's not, you will get an error message and the game will refuse to load. Trying to bypass this system could even lead to your account being flagged or banned, as it would be considered an attempt to circumvent the anti-cheat.
Step 2: Disabling Vanguard When You're Not Playing
While you can't play without it, Riot has listened to player feedback and made it easier to manage Vanguard when you're not gaming. You can turn it off temporarily, but remember, you'll need to restart your computer to re-enable it and play VALORANT again.
Sub-step 2.1: The System Tray Method
QuickTip: Focus on what feels most relevant.
This is the simplest and most common way to disable Vanguard.
Look for the Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray, which is located in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar, near the clock. It's a small red icon. You may need to click the up arrow (^) to see hidden icons.
Right-click the Riot Vanguard icon. A small menu will pop up.
Select "Exit Vanguard".
A confirmation pop-up will appear. Click "Yes" to confirm that you want to close the application.
What does this do? This action stops the Vanguard service from running until your next system reboot. You'll be able to run other programs that might have been flagged by Vanguard, but you won't be able to play VALORANT until you restart your computer.
Sub-step 2.2: The "Services" Method (For the Tech-Savvy)
If you want more control, you can manually stop the Vanguard services. This is a bit more involved but gives you a deeper understanding of what's happening.
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type
services.mscand press Enter. This will open the Services window.In the Services list, find the services named "vgc" and "vgk". These are the core Vanguard services.
Right-click on each service and select "Stop".
Important: Even after stopping these services, you will still need to restart your computer to re-enable Vanguard and play VALORANT. Trying to launch the game after manually stopping these services will result in an error.
Step 3: Completely Uninstalling Vanguard
If you've decided to stop playing VALORANT or want to free up some space, you can completely uninstall Vanguard. It's a separate program from the game itself.
Sub-step 3.1: The "Add or remove programs" Method
This is the standard Windows method for uninstalling applications.
Press the Windows key and type "Add or remove programs".
Click on the matching result to open the Apps & features settings.
In the list of installed applications, find "Riot Vanguard". You may need to scroll down or use the search bar.
Click on "Riot Vanguard" and then click "Uninstall".
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation. You may be asked for administrator permission.
Sub-step 3.2: The Command Prompt (CMD) Method
This method is for when the standard uninstall fails or if you want to be thorough.
Tip: Jot down one takeaway from this post.
Click the Windows key, type
cmd, right-click "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator".In the command prompt window, type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgkRestart your computer. This is a crucial step and must be done before proceeding.
After rebooting, open File Explorer and navigate to the following directory:
C:\Program Files\Find the folder named "Riot Vanguard", right-click it, and select "Delete".
What's the difference? The CMD method uses Windows' Service Control command to forcefully remove the Vanguard services from your system, which can be useful if the regular uninstall process encounters an error.
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| How To Play Valorant Without Vanguard |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to play VALORANT without Vanguard?
As explained in the guide, you cannot play VALORANT without Vanguard. It is a mandatory anti-cheat that must be active to launch the game.
How to temporarily disable Vanguard?
You can temporarily disable Vanguard by right-clicking the Vanguard icon in your system tray and selecting "Exit Vanguard". You will need to restart your computer to play VALORANT again.
How to completely uninstall Riot Vanguard?
QuickTip: Take a pause every few paragraphs.
You can uninstall Vanguard through the "Add or remove programs" setting in Windows or by using Command Prompt commands as a more thorough method.
How to re-enable Vanguard after disabling it?
To re-enable Vanguard, all you need to do is restart your computer. Vanguard is designed to start with your system, so a reboot will automatically activate it.
How to fix Vanguard error VAN9003?
Error VAN9003 often relates to Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. You need to enable these features in your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings to resolve this error.
How to check if Vanguard is running?
You can check if Vanguard is running by looking for its icon in the system tray or by checking the status of the vgc and vgk services in the Windows Services application.
Tip: Reread sections you didn’t fully grasp.
How to prevent Vanguard from starting on boot?
You can prevent Vanguard from starting on boot by disabling it from the system tray and not rebooting, or by using specific command-line scripts to change its startup configuration. However, remember that you won't be able to play VALORANT until you re-enable it by restarting.
How to troubleshoot Vanguard installation issues?
If you have installation issues, you should contact Riot Games Support directly. They have comprehensive guides and can provide specific assistance.
How to avoid being banned by Vanguard?
The best way to avoid being banned is to never use any third-party software, cheats, or hacks that give you an unfair advantage in the game. Vanguard is designed to be highly sensitive to such programs.
How to re-install Vanguard?
If you have uninstalled Vanguard, simply launching the VALORANT game client will prompt you to re-install it automatically. You will need to restart your computer after the installation is complete.
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