A Comprehensive Guide on How to Turn Off and Uninstall Riot Vanguard
Ever noticed that little red shield icon in your system tray? That's Riot Vanguard, the anti-cheat software that comes bundled with games like VALORANT and League of Legends. While it's crucial for maintaining competitive integrity in these games, it's also a kernel-level anti-cheat that runs from the moment you boot your PC, which has led to concerns about its intrusiveness and potential for system resource usage.
Perhaps you're not playing VALORANT for a while, or you're experiencing compatibility issues with other software. Whatever your reason, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of disabling and even completely removing Riot Vanguard from your computer.
 |
| How To Turn Off Vanguard Anti Cheat |
Step 1: Engage with the Vanguard!
Before we begin, a crucial question for you: What's your primary reason for wanting to turn off Vanguard? Is it for a short break from VALORANT, or are you looking to remove it permanently? Answering this will help you decide whether to simply disable it temporarily or go through the full uninstallation process.
If you just want to take a break and might play again soon, you can simply disable it from the system tray. If you're done with VALORANT for good and want to reclaim your system resources, then a full uninstall is the way to go.
Step 2: The Temporary Fix - Disabling Vanguard
This is the easiest and most common method if you just want to turn off Vanguard for a bit without completely removing it. It will prevent Vanguard from running in the background, but remember, you will have to restart your computer to re-enable it and play any Riot game that requires it.
Sub-step 2.1: Find the Vanguard Icon
First, you need to locate the Riot Vanguard icon. It's a small, red shield icon that sits in your system tray, which is the area on the right side of your taskbar, near the clock. If you don't see it, you might need to click the small upward-pointing arrow (caret) to show hidden icons.
Tip: Summarize the post in one sentence.
Sub-step 2.2: Right-click and Exit
Once you've found the icon, right-click on it. A small menu will pop up with a few options. Look for the option that says "Exit Vanguard" and click on it. A confirmation prompt will appear, asking if you are sure you want to turn it off. Click "Yes" to confirm.
Pro-Tip: If you are unable to find the icon or the 'Exit' option is not available, it might be due to a bug or an update. In that case, you will have to proceed with the uninstallation method.
Step 3: The Permanent Solution - Uninstalling Vanguard
If you've decided to part ways with Vanguard for good, this is the step-by-step process for a complete removal. Keep in mind that you will not be able to play VALORANT, League of Legends, or any other Riot game that requires Vanguard until you reinstall it.
Sub-step 3.1: Uninstall through Windows Settings
This is the standard and recommended way to uninstall any application on Windows.
Open Windows Settings: Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app.
Navigate to Apps: Click on "Apps", and then select "Installed apps" (or "Apps & features" depending on your Windows version).
Find and Uninstall: Scroll down the list of installed applications until you find "Riot Vanguard". Click on it and then click the "Uninstall" button. You may be asked to confirm your choice in a pop-up window.
Allow Changes: A User Account Control (UAC) window may pop up asking for your permission. Click "Yes" to allow the uninstaller to make changes to your device.
Restart Your PC: After the uninstallation is complete, it is absolutely crucial to restart your computer. This ensures that the kernel-level driver associated with Vanguard is fully removed from your system.
Sub-step 3.2: The Manual Method - Using Command Prompt
If for some reason the standard uninstall process fails or gets stuck, you can use Command Prompt to manually delete the Vanguard services. This is a more advanced method, so proceed with caution.
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 commands one by one, pressing Enter after each one:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgk
Reboot Your System: Just like before, you must restart your computer to complete the process.
Delete the Vanguard Folder: After the reboot, open File Explorer and navigate to
C:\Program Files. Look for the folder named "Riot Vanguard" and delete it. You may also want to empty your Recycle Bin to permanently remove the files.
Note: You can uninstall VALORANT separately from Riot Vanguard. Uninstalling the game does not automatically uninstall Vanguard.
QuickTip: Note key words you want to remember.
Step 4: A Clean Sweep - Removing Leftover Files (Optional)
Even after uninstalling, some residual files might be left behind. This step is optional but recommended if you want to ensure a complete removal.
Open the Run Dialog: Press Windows key + R to open the "Run" dialog box.
Delete AppData Folders: In the Run dialog, type the following locations one by one and press Enter, deleting any "Riot Games" folder you find in each location:
%appdata%%localappdata%%programdata%
Check the Main Installation Folder: Navigate to your main drive (
C:\) and look for a folder named "Riot Games" and delete it if it exists.
Step 5: Ready to Reclaim Your PC!
Congratulations! You have successfully turned off or uninstalled Riot Vanguard. You can now use your computer without the anti-cheat running in the background.
10 Related FAQs
Here are some quick answers to common questions about Riot Vanguard.
How to know if Riot Vanguard is running?
You can tell if Riot Vanguard is running by looking for the red shield icon in your system tray in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar.
Tip: Absorb, don’t just glance.
How to fix Vanguard high CPU usage?
First, try restarting the Vanguard service from the Services app (search for 'Services' in the Windows search bar, find 'vgc', right-click and restart it). If that doesn't work, you can try setting its process priority to "Low" in the Task Manager's "Details" tab.
How to uninstall Riot Vanguard without uninstalling VALORANT?
You can follow the uninstallation steps in this guide for Riot Vanguard alone. It is a separate program from the game client, so you can remove it without deleting VALORANT.
How to play VALORANT without Vanguard?
You cannot. Riot Vanguard is a mandatory anti-cheat and must be running to launch and play VALORANT or other Riot games that require it.
How to fix Riot Vanguard uninstall stuck?
If the uninstallation gets stuck, try using the Command Prompt method described in this guide to manually delete the services.
How to disable Riot Vanguard from system startup?
QuickTip: If you skimmed, go back for detail.
The easiest way is to exit it from the system tray. It will not start up again until you restart your computer. If you want a more permanent solution, you would need to uninstall it.
How to reinstall Riot Vanguard after uninstalling?
Simply launch VALORANT (or the Riot client) again. It will detect that Vanguard is missing and prompt you to download and install it.
How to completely remove Riot Vanguard from my PC?
Follow the full uninstallation guide above, including deleting leftover files from the AppData, LocalAppData, and ProgramData folders for a complete cleanup.
How to stop Vanguard from starting on boot?
Exiting Vanguard from the system tray is the most straightforward way to stop it from running until the next system reboot. For a permanent solution, you must uninstall it.
How to check if Vanguard is causing system issues?
You can use Task Manager to monitor CPU and memory usage when Vanguard is running. If you experience performance issues, it's worth checking if Vanguard's resource consumption is unusually high. You can also temporarily disable it to see if the issues go away.
 |
