How To Stop Vanguard From Running On Startup

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Is your computer feeling sluggish on startup, and you suspect Riot Vanguard is the culprit? You're not alone! Many users find that while Vanguard is essential for playing games like Valorant, its persistent background presence can impact system performance. But don't worry, you've come to the right place! This comprehensive guide will walk you through, step-by-step, how to manage Vanguard's startup behavior, so you can have a snappier boot-up without completely sacrificing your gaming experience.

Understanding Riot Vanguard's Role

Before we dive into the solutions, it's important to understand what Riot Vanguard is and why it runs on startup. Riot Vanguard is Riot Games' custom-built anti-cheat software, designed to detect and prevent cheating in their games, most notably Valorant. It operates at a kernel-level, meaning it has deep access to your system to monitor for suspicious activities. This deep integration is why it often runs from the moment your computer boots up – to ensure a cheat-free environment from the get-go.

While this is crucial for maintaining fair play, it can also lead to:

Increased boot times
Higher CPU usage in the background
Potential conflicts with other software

Our goal here isn't to remove Vanguard entirely (unless you no longer play Riot Games!), but rather to show you how to manage its startup behavior for a smoother computing experience.

Step 1: Assess the Current Situation – Is Vanguard Really the Culprit?

Before making any changes, let's confirm if Vanguard is indeed impacting your startup. This will help you understand the before-and-after effects of our adjustments.

Sub-heading 1.1: Checking Startup Impact via Task Manager

Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard, or right-click on the Taskbar and select "Task Manager."
Navigate to the "Startup" Tab: In the Task Manager window, you'll see several tabs at the top. Click on the one labeled "Startup".
Identify Vanguard: Look for entries related to "Riot Vanguard" or "Vanguard Tray Notification."
Observe "Startup Impact": For each entry, you'll see a "Startup impact" column. This will typically show "High," "Medium," or "Low." If Vanguard's impact is "High," then it's definitely contributing to slower startups. You might also see a "Status" column, indicating if it's "Enabled" or "Disabled."

Take a mental note (or even a screenshot!) of what you see here. This will be your baseline.

Step 2: The Easiest Method – Disabling Vanguard's Tray Notification

This is the most straightforward approach and often the first step to take. While it doesn't stop the core Vanguard service from running, it prevents its graphical user interface (the tray icon) from launching with Windows. This can sometimes reduce perceived startup clutter.

Sub-heading 2.1: Disabling via Task Manager's Startup Tab

Open Task Manager (if you closed it).
Go to the "Startup" tab.
Locate "Vanguard Tray Notification" or "Riot Vanguard": Find the entry associated with the Vanguard icon in your system tray.
Right-click and Disable: Right-click on the Vanguard entry and select "Disable."

Voila! This prevents the tray icon from appearing on startup. However, the core anti-cheat service might still be running in the background. If you want to stop that too, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Deeper Control – Managing Vanguard Services

This step involves interacting with Windows Services, where the core components of Vanguard (the kernel-level drivers) reside. There are two main services associated with Vanguard:

vgc: This is the Vanguard user-mode service, which typically runs when a Riot game is active.
vgk: This is the kernel-mode driver, the most intrusive part, which often starts with Windows.

We'll focus on setting the startup type for these services to "Manual" so they don't automatically launch with your PC. The game client will then trigger them when needed.

Sub-heading 3.1: Accessing Windows Services

Open the Services Manager:
- Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type services.msc and press Enter.
- Alternatively, type "Services" in the Windows search bar and select the "Services" app.

Sub-heading 3.2: Modifying Vanguard Service Startup Types

Locate the "vgc" service: Scroll down the list of services until you find "vgc" (Vanguard Game Client).
Access Properties: Right-click on "vgc" and select "Properties."
Change Startup Type: In the "General" tab, find the "Startup type" dropdown menu. Change it from "Automatic" to "Manual."
Apply and OK: Click "Apply" then "OK."
Locate the "vgk" service (if visible): Sometimes, the "vgk" service is hidden because it's a system service. If you can find "vgk" (Vanguard Kernel Service), repeat steps 2-4 for it, setting its startup type to "Manual" as well.

Important Note: While setting these to "Manual" will prevent them from launching automatically, they will still start when you launch a Riot game that requires Vanguard. This is by design, as the anti-cheat needs to be active for fair play.

Step 4: The More Aggressive Approach – Temporarily Stopping Vanguard Services

If you're experiencing immediate performance issues and want to stop Vanguard right now without restarting, you can temporarily stop its services. Remember, this will prevent you from playing Valorant (or other Vanguard-protected games) until you restart your computer or manually re-enable the services.

Sub-heading 4.1: Stopping Services via Services Manager

Open the Services Manager (as described in Step 3.1).
Locate "vgc" and "vgk" (if visible).
Stop the Services:
- Right-click on "vgc" and select "Stop."
- If "vgk" is visible, right-click on it and select "Stop."

Sub-heading 4.2: Stopping Services via Command Prompt (Admin)

This method is for those comfortable with command-line tools.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
- Type cmd in the Windows search bar.
- Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator."
- Click "Yes" if prompted by User Account Control.
Stop Vanguard Services: Type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
- net stop vgc
- net stop vgk (This might return an error if the service isn't running or isn't visible this way, which is fine)
Close Vanguard Tray Icon (Optional but Recommended):
- taskkill /IM vgtray.exe /F (This forcibly closes the tray application).

Caution: Using taskkill /F forces the application to close. Only use this if the regular "End Task" or "Exit Vanguard" option isn't working.

Step 5: Complete Uninstallation – When You're Done with Vanguard

If you've decided you no longer play Valorant or any other Riot game that requires Vanguard, a complete uninstallation is the best way to remove it from your system and prevent it from running at all.

Sub-heading 5.1: Closing Vanguard Before Uninstallation

Exit Vanguard from System Tray:
- Look for the red Riot Vanguard icon (often a shield) in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your taskbar). You might need to click the ^ arrow to show hidden icons.
- Right-click on the Vanguard icon.
- Select "Exit Vanguard."
- Confirm by clicking "Yes" in the pop-up.

Sub-heading 5.2: Uninstalling Riot Vanguard via Windows Settings

Open Windows Settings: Press Windows Key + I.
Go to "Apps" then "Installed apps" (or "Apps & features" on older Windows versions).
Find "Riot Vanguard": Scroll down or use the search bar to locate "Riot Vanguard."
Uninstall: Click on "Riot Vanguard" and then click the "Uninstall" button.
Follow Prompts: Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation. You'll likely be asked to confirm, and then it will proceed.
Restart Your PC: It is absolutely crucial to restart your computer after uninstalling Vanguard to ensure all components are removed.

Sub-heading 5.3: Manually Deleting Leftover Files (Optional, for thoroughness)

After uninstalling, some residual files might remain. This step is for advanced users who want to be extra thorough.

Open File Explorer: Press Windows Key + E.
Navigate to the Program Files directory: Go to C:\Program Files\.
Delete the "Riot Vanguard" folder: If it still exists, right-click on the "Riot Vanguard" folder and select "Delete."
Empty Recycle Bin: Empty your Recycle Bin to permanently remove the files.

Step 6: Verify Your Changes

After performing any of the above steps, it's a good idea to verify that the changes have taken effect.

Restart your computer. This is crucial for changes related to startup services.
Check Task Manager "Startup" tab: Observe if "Riot Vanguard" or "Vanguard Tray Notification" is still listed and what its status is. It should now be "Disabled" if you followed Step 2.
Check Services Manager: Verify that the "vgc" and "vgk" services (if found) are set to "Manual" startup type.
Monitor System Performance: Pay attention to your computer's boot time and overall responsiveness. You should notice an improvement if Vanguard was indeed a significant factor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to check if Vanguard is currently running?

You can check if Vanguard is running by opening Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), going to the "Processes" tab, and looking for "Riot Vanguard" or "vgc.exe" and "vgtray.exe." You can also look for the red shield icon in your system tray.

How to make Vanguard start only when I launch a game?

By setting the "vgc" and "vgk" services to "Manual" startup type in the Windows Services Manager (as detailed in Step 3), Vanguard will only launch when you start a Riot game that requires it.

How to stop Vanguard from using too much CPU?

If Vanguard is causing high CPU usage, you can try:

Temporarily stopping its services (Step 4).
Ensuring your system and drivers are up to date.
Closing unnecessary background applications.
Checking for conflicts with other software or antivirus programs.
As a last resort, reinstalling Vanguard and your Riot game.

How to fix "Vanguard Not Initialized" error?

This error usually means Vanguard isn't running correctly. Try these quick fixes:

Restart your PC.
Uninstall Riot Vanguard, then launch your Riot game (like Valorant) to trigger an automatic reinstallation.
Ensure Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 are enabled in your BIOS (especially for Windows 11).

How to completely uninstall Vanguard from my PC?

Follow Step 5 of this guide, which involves exiting Vanguard from the system tray, then uninstalling it via Windows Settings, and finally, manually deleting any leftover files.

How to re-enable Vanguard after disabling it?

If you disabled it from the Task Manager's Startup tab, simply right-click on "Riot Vanguard" and select "Enable." If you set its services to "Manual," they will automatically start when you launch a Riot game. If you stopped the services manually, you can restart them from the Services Manager by right-clicking and selecting "Start."

How to ensure Vanguard doesn't interfere with other programs?

Vanguard's kernel-level access can sometimes cause conflicts. Ensure all your drivers and Windows are up to date. You might also temporarily disable other security software (like antivirus or firewalls) to see if they are conflicting, but do so with caution and re-enable them quickly.

How to know if my Vanguard is updated to the latest version?

Riot Vanguard usually updates automatically with your Riot Games client and games. Keeping your game updated is generally sufficient. If there's a specific Vanguard update, the game client will often prompt you or handle it in the background.

How to resolve Vanguard errors related to secure boot or TPM?

For errors like VAN 9001 or VAN 9003, you need to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 in your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings. The process varies by motherboard, so consult your motherboard manual or search online for instructions specific to your PC model.

How to improve my PC's overall startup speed beyond Vanguard?

Beyond Vanguard, you can improve startup speed by:

Disabling other unnecessary startup programs in Task Manager.
Ensuring your Windows operating system is up to date.
Having your OS installed on an SSD (Solid State Drive).
Running disk cleanup and defragmentation regularly.
Scanning for malware.

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