Of course! Let's dive into the world of Riot Vanguard and how you can manage its presence on your system.
A Crucial Note: Before we begin, it's vital to understand that Riot Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat system designed to ensure fair gameplay in Riot Games' titles like Valorant and now, League of Legends. Skipping or bypassing it in a way that allows you to play the game without it is not possible. Riot Games has made it clear that their games will not run if Vanguard is not active and loaded from startup. This guide will focus on how to manage, disable, and uninstall Vanguard, which are the only real options you have. Attempting to bypass it with third-party tools can lead to permanent hardware bans.
So, are you ready to take back control of your PC and understand the ins and outs of this very strict anti-cheat? Let's get started!
Step 1: Understanding Why Vanguard is So... Stubborn
You might be asking yourself, "Why does this program need to run every time I turn on my PC, even when I'm not playing Valorant?" That's an excellent question, and it's at the core of Vanguard's design.
Kernel-Level Access: Vanguard is a "kernel-mode driver," which means it operates at the deepest level of your operating system. This gives it a comprehensive view of your system's processes, allowing it to detect and prevent cheats from a very fundamental level.
Startup Priority: The reason it runs at startup is to prevent cheaters from loading malicious software before the anti-cheat system even begins. By loading from the moment your PC boots up, Vanguard can monitor for any attempts to inject cheats or tamper with the game's files from the very beginning. It's a proactive, not reactive, approach.
Preventing Tampering: The system is designed to not trust your machine unless the Vanguard driver is loaded from startup. This is a deliberate choice by Riot Games to make cheating significantly more difficult.
Think of it like this: Imagine a bouncer at a club. Instead of just checking your ID at the door, this bouncer stands outside the building all day and night, making sure no one sneaks in through a back window or a fire escape before the club even opens. That's Vanguard.
Step 2: Gracefully Disabling Vanguard (Temporarily)
If you don't want Vanguard running in the background while you're not playing Valorant, the good news is that you can temporarily disable it without uninstalling it completely. This is a great option for when you need to run other software that might be flagged by Vanguard.
Sub-heading: Using the System Tray Icon
This is the easiest and most direct method provided by Riot Games themselves.
Find the Vanguard Icon: Look for the small, red Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray, usually located in the bottom right corner of your taskbar. If you don't see it, you might need to click the small up-arrow to show all the hidden icons.
Right-Click and Exit: Right-click on the Vanguard icon. A menu will pop up.
Select "Exit Vanguard": Click on the "Exit Vanguard" option. You'll be prompted with a confirmation window.
Confirm Your Action: Click "Yes" to confirm that you want to exit Vanguard.
Important: Once you do this, your computer will be placed in an "untrusted mode" by Vanguard. This means you will not be able to launch or play Valorant until you re-enable it. To re-enable it, you simply need to restart your computer.
Step 3: A Step-by-Step Guide to Complete Uninstallation
If you've decided to take a break from Valorant or simply don't want Vanguard on your PC at all, you'll need to uninstall it. It's crucial to understand that uninstalling Valorant does not automatically uninstall Vanguard. They are separate programs.
Sub-heading: Method 1: Using Windows Settings
This is the most common and recommended way to uninstall any program on Windows.
Open "Add or remove programs": Press the Windows key on your keyboard, and start typing "Add or remove programs." Click on the result that appears.
Find Riot Vanguard: In the list of installed applications, scroll down or use the search bar to find "Riot Vanguard." It might be under 'R' for 'Riot'.
Click Uninstall: Click on "Riot Vanguard" and then click the "Uninstall" button. You might be prompted to confirm your choice in a pop-up window.
Follow the Prompts: A prompt will ask for permission to make changes to your device. Click "Yes" or "Allow." You'll then be guided through the uninstallation process.
Sub-heading: Method 2: Manual Uninstallation via Command Prompt (for advanced users)
If the standard method fails, or if you want to ensure a thorough removal, you can use Command Prompt. This method is a bit more technical.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press the Windows key, type
cmd, right-click on "Command Prompt" in the search results, and select "Run as administrator."Enter the Commands: In the Command Prompt window, type the following two commands, pressing Enter after each one:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgkThese commands delete the Vanguard services from your system.
Reboot Your Computer: This step is CRUCIAL. You must reboot your computer before proceeding. This allows the changes to take effect and releases the files from being in use.
Delete the Vanguard Folder: After your computer has rebooted, open File Explorer (Windows key + E) and navigate to the following location:
C:\Program Files\Right-Click and Delete: Find the folder named "Riot Vanguard," right-click on it, and select "Delete."
You have now successfully uninstalled Riot Vanguard.
Step 4: What Happens Next?
Now that you've disabled or uninstalled Vanguard, you'll find that you can't play Valorant. If you try to launch the game, you'll be met with an error message stating that Vanguard is not running.
Reinstalling Vanguard: If you ever decide to play Valorant again, simply launching the game client will prompt you to reinstall Vanguard. You will then be required to reboot your PC to complete the installation and enable the kernel-mode driver.
Impact on other Riot Games: As of recently, Riot is integrating Vanguard into other games like League of Legends. If you uninstall Vanguard, you may find that you are unable to play those games as well.
It's a simple trade-off: The highest level of competitive integrity in a game for the deepest level of anti-cheat on your PC. The choice is yours.
10 Related FAQ Subheadings with Quick Answers
How to uninstall Valorant completely?
To completely uninstall Valorant, you need to first uninstall Riot Vanguard and then uninstall the Valorant game client separately through Windows' "Add or remove programs" settings. Don't forget to delete any leftover Riot Games folders in your Program Files directory.
How to stop Riot Vanguard from running on startup?
The easiest way is to use the System Tray icon to "Exit Vanguard," but this is only temporary. To prevent it from starting up automatically, you would need to use the Command Prompt method to delete the services (sc delete vgc and sc delete vgk) which effectively uninstalls it.
How to fix a "Vanguard has encountered an error" message?
Try restarting your computer first. If the error persists, ensure your Windows is updated, run Valorant and the Riot client as an administrator, and check for any interfering third-party antivirus software. Reinstalling Vanguard is a common fix for persistent errors.
How to re-enable Vanguard after exiting?
Simply restart your computer. Vanguard will automatically load again from startup, and you will be able to launch Valorant.
How to tell if Vanguard is running?
Look for the small, red Riot Vanguard shield icon in your system tray on the taskbar. If you see it, Vanguard is active.
How to check if my PC is compatible with Vanguard?
Vanguard is compatible with most modern Windows operating systems (Windows 10 and 11). For Windows 11, it may require Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled. You can check this in your PC's BIOS settings.
How to bypass a Vanguard HWID ban?
It is not recommended or supported to bypass an HWID ban. HWID spoofers and other tools are often detected by the anti-cheat system and can lead to further, more severe penalties. The only legitimate way to get around an HWID ban is to use a different computer.
How to fix Vanguard blocking my other programs?
If Vanguard is blocking other software, you can temporarily disable it by exiting it from the system tray. If the issue is persistent and a program is critical, you may need to uninstall Vanguard and reinstall it when you want to play Valorant.
How to run Valorant without Vanguard?
It is not possible to run Valorant without Vanguard. The game client will not launch if the anti-cheat is not active.
How to reinstall Vanguard if it's corrupted?
The easiest way to reinstall Vanguard is to uninstall it completely using the steps outlined in this guide and then launch the Valorant client. The client will automatically detect that Vanguard is missing and prompt you to reinstall it.