How To Run Vanguard As Administrator

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Unlocking Full Control: A Step-by-Step Guide to Running Vanguard as Administrator

Hey there, fellow gamers! Ever felt like Vanguard isn't quite running at its peak, maybe experiencing some pesky issues that seem to vanish when your friends play? You're not alone! Often, these hiccups can be attributed to insufficient permissions. That's where running Vanguard as an administrator comes in – it essentially gives the game the "keys to the kingdom" on your PC, allowing it to access all necessary resources and potentially iron out those frustrating performance glitches.

Ready to take control and potentially boost your Vanguard experience? Let's dive in!

**Step 1: Understand Why We Do This**

Before we jump into the "how," let's quickly chat about the "why." When you run an application as an administrator, you're granting it elevated privileges. Think of it like this: your user account might have access to certain rooms in a house, but the administrator account has the master key to all rooms. For games like Vanguard, which deeply integrate with your system to combat cheating and optimize performance, these elevated permissions can be crucial. Without them, the game might be blocked from accessing certain files or processes, leading to crashes, freezes, or even connection issues.

So, are you ready to give Vanguard the power it needs to perform its best? Let's proceed!

Step 2: Locating the Vanguard Executable

Our first practical step is to find the Vanguard executable file. This is the core program that launches the game.

Option A: Through the Desktop Shortcut (Easiest)
1. Look for your Vanguard shortcut on your desktop. It usually has the game's icon.
2. Right-click on the shortcut.
3. From the context menu that appears, select "Open file location." This will take you directly to the folder where the Vanguard executable resides.
Option B: Through the Start Menu
1. Click on the Windows Start button (usually in the bottom-left corner of your screen).
2. Type "Vanguard" in the search bar.
3. When "Vanguard" (or "VALORANT" if you're looking for the game client itself, as Vanguard is its anti-cheat) appears in the search results, right-click on it.
4. Select "Open file location." If it leads to another shortcut, right-click on that shortcut and select "Open file location" again. You're trying to get to the actual .exe file.
Option C: Manual Navigation (If all else fails)
1. Open File Explorer (you can do this by pressing Windows Key + E).
2. Navigate to the drive where you installed Vanguard. Most commonly, this is your C: drive.
3. Look for the game's installation folder. For VALORANT (which uses Vanguard), this is often found at C:\Riot Games\VALORANT. Within this folder, you'll find another folder named live, and inside that, you'll usually find the game's executable, such as VALORANT.exe. The Vanguard anti-cheat itself often has its own separate installation, typically in C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard. You might also find vgc.exe (Vanguard Client) or vgcs.exe (Vanguard Client Service) in this directory. For our purposes, we're primarily focused on giving the Vanguard service itself the necessary permissions.

Step 3: Granting Administrator Privileges Temporarily

This is the quickest way to run Vanguard as administrator for a single session. This is great for testing if it resolves your issues.

Once you've located the Vanguard executable (or more specifically, the vgc.exe or vgcs.exe if you're in the Riot Vanguard folder), right-click on it.
From the context menu, select "Run as administrator."
A User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear asking, "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" Click "Yes."

Congratulations! Vanguard is now running with administrator privileges for this session. Launch your game and see if your issues are resolved!

Step 4: Setting Up Permanent Administrator Privileges (Highly Recommended)

If running as administrator temporarily fixed your problems, you'll want to make this change permanent so you don't have to repeat Step 3 every time.

Locate the Vanguard executable (or vgc.exe / vgcs.exe in the Riot Vanguard folder) as described in Step 2.
Right-click on the executable file.
Select "Properties" from the context menu. This will open a new window.
In the Properties window, navigate to the "Compatibility" tab.
Under the "Settings" section, you'll see a checkbox labeled "Run this program as an administrator." Check this box.
Now, for good measure, let's also click the "Change settings for all users" button. This will open another small window.
In this new window, check the "Run this program as an administrator" box again for all users. This ensures that no matter who logs into this computer, Vanguard will always attempt to run with elevated privileges.
Click "OK" on both the "Compatibility for all users" window and the main "Properties" window to apply the changes.

Excellent! Vanguard should now automatically launch with administrator privileges every time you start it.

Step 5: Addressing Potential Conflicts and Best Practices

While running as administrator is often beneficial, it's good to be aware of a few things:

Security Implications: Granting administrator access means the application has more control over your system. While Vanguard is a legitimate program from Riot Games, it's generally good practice to only grant administrator privileges to applications you trust.
Other Anti-Cheat Software: If you have other games with their own anti-cheat systems, ensure they aren't conflicting. Sometimes, different anti-cheats can interfere with each other, regardless of administrator status.
Update Your Drivers: Always make sure your graphics drivers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel), chipset drivers, and network drivers are up-to-date. Outdated drivers can cause performance issues that even administrator privileges can't fix.
Windows Updates: Keep your Windows operating system updated. Microsoft often releases patches and performance improvements that can directly impact game stability.
Restart Your PC: After making any significant changes like these, a quick restart of your computer can help ensure all changes are properly applied.

Step 6: Troubleshooting (If Issues Persist)

If running as administrator doesn't completely solve your problems, don't despair! Here are some additional steps:

Verify Game Files: Most game launchers (like the Riot Client) have an option to "verify" or "repair" game files. This checks for corrupted or missing files and replaces them. This is often a surprisingly effective fix.
Reinstall Vanguard: If all else fails, a clean reinstallation of Vanguard (and potentially VALORANT itself) can resolve deeply rooted issues.
Contact Riot Support: If you've tried everything and are still facing problems, reach out to Riot Games Player Support. They have dedicated teams to help with technical issues and can often provide specific solutions for your situation.

By following these steps, you've taken a significant stride towards optimizing your Vanguard experience and ensuring the game has the necessary permissions to run smoothly. Happy gaming!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to check if Vanguard is running as administrator?

You can check by opening Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), going to the "Details" tab, finding vgc.exe or vgcs.exe, and checking the "User name" column. If it shows "SYSTEM" or your user name with elevated privileges, it's likely running as administrator.

How to stop Vanguard from running as administrator?

Go to the properties of the Vanguard executable (or vgc.exe/vgcs.exe), navigate to the "Compatibility" tab, and uncheck the "Run this program as an administrator" box. Do this for both the main setting and "Change settings for all users."

How to find the Vanguard executable file location?

Right-click on your VALORANT or Vanguard desktop shortcut, then select "Open file location." If you don't have a shortcut, navigate manually to C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard.

How to fix Vanguard installation errors?

Try restarting your computer, temporarily disabling your antivirus, and then reinstalling Vanguard. If problems persist, clear your temp files and try again, or consult Riot Games support.

How to update Vanguard?

Vanguard typically updates automatically when you launch the Riot Client or VALORANT. Ensure your game client is up to date, and Vanguard will follow suit.

How to uninstall Vanguard?

You can uninstall Vanguard through "Add or remove programs" in Windows Settings. Search for "Riot Vanguard" and select "Uninstall."

How to deal with Vanguard blue screen errors?

Blue screen errors with Vanguard are often due to driver conflicts or system instability. Ensure all your drivers are updated, run a system file checker (sfc /scannow in Command Prompt as admin), and consider reinstalling Vanguard.

How to disable Vanguard temporarily?

You can disable the Vanguard service through the Windows Services manager (search "Services" in Start menu), find "vgc," right-click, and select "Stop." However, VALORANT will not launch without Vanguard running.

How to improve Vanguard performance?

Running as administrator, ensuring updated drivers, closing background applications, and verifying game files can all contribute to improved performance.

How to contact Riot Games support for Vanguard issues?

Visit the official Riot Games Support website. Navigate to the VALORANT section or directly search for "Vanguard" issues, and you'll find options to submit a ticket.

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