Ever fired up your favorite Riot Games title, like VALORANT or League of Legends, only to be met with that dreaded "Riot Vanguard requires a system restart" message? It's frustrating, isn't it? You've just turned on your PC, you're ready to jump into a game, and suddenly you're forced to wait for another reboot. While a full restart is often the most reliable solution, there are some specific steps you can try to coax Riot Vanguard into action without having to go through the entire reboot process. Let's dive in!
The Challenge of Riot Vanguard
Before we get into the steps, it's important to understand why Vanguard often demands a restart. Riot Vanguard is a kernel-mode anti-cheat system. This means it operates at a very deep level within your operating system, even before many other programs load. This deep integration allows it to detect and prevent cheating effectively, but it also means it needs to be initialized early in the boot process to function correctly. If it doesn't start properly or is somehow stopped, it often triggers that restart requirement.
However, sometimes it's simply a matter of the service not being active, and we can try to kick-start it.
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| How To Turn On Riot Vanguard Without Restarting |
Step 1: Check the Riot Vanguard System Tray Icon - Is it Even Running?
First things first, let's see if Vanguard is even attempting to run. This is the quickest check and often overlooked.
Sub-heading: Locating the Icon
Look for the Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray. This is usually in the bottom-right corner of your screen, near the clock. You might need to click the small upward arrow (Show hidden icons) to reveal it.
Tip: Read actively — ask yourself questions as you go.
- If you see the red Riot Vanguard icon (it often looks like a stylized 'V' or shield), it indicates that the client part of Vanguard is at least present.
- If you don't see it, it's a strong indicator that Vanguard isn't running at all, or has crashed.
Sub-heading: Attempting a Quick Restart from the Tray
If you do see the icon:
- Right-click on the Riot Vanguard icon in the system tray.
- You should see an option like "Exit Vanguard" or "Exit". Click it.
- Confirm that you want to exit if prompted.
- Wait a few moments.
- Now, try to re-launch your Riot game (e.g., VALORANT or League of Legends). Sometimes, simply exiting and relaunching the game will prompt Vanguard to restart itself correctly.
Step 2: Manually Starting the Vanguard Service via Services.msc - The Direct Approach
This is the most common and often successful method for getting Vanguard to run without a full system reboot, provided the underlying issue isn't more severe.
Sub-heading: Accessing the Services Manager
- Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the "Run" dialog box.
- In the Run box, type
services.mscand press Enter, or click "OK". This will open the Windows Services management console.
Sub-heading: Locating and Managing the Vanguard Service
- In the Services window, scroll down the list and look for a service named "vgc". This is the core Riot Vanguard service. It's usually listed alphabetically, so it should be near the bottom.
- Once you find "vgc", right-click on it.
- From the context menu, select "Properties".
Sub-heading: Configuring and Starting the Service
- In the "vgc Properties" window, go to the "General" tab.
- Find the "Startup type" dropdown menu. Ensure it is set to "Automatic". If it's already "Automatic", that's good. If not, change it.
- Now, look at the "Service status". If it says "Stopped", click the "Start" button. If it says "Running", you can try clicking "Stop" first, waiting a few seconds, and then clicking "Start" again. This is essentially a manual restart of the service.
- Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save your changes.
- Close the Services window.
Sub-heading: Testing the Fix
- Now, attempt to launch your Riot game again. With any luck, Vanguard should now initialize correctly, and you won't be prompted for a restart.
Step 3: Running the Game as Administrator - Giving it Permission
Sometimes, permissions issues can prevent Vanguard from launching correctly. Running the game as an administrator can bypass these.
Sub-heading: Locating the Game Executable
- Find the shortcut for your Riot game (e.g., VALORANT or League of Legends) on your desktop or in your Start Menu.
- Right-click on the game shortcut.
- Select "Open file location". This will take you to where the game's executable file is stored.
Sub-heading: Setting Administrator Privileges
- In the opened folder, locate the main game executable (e.g.,
VALORANT.exeorLeagueClient.exe). - Right-click on the executable and select "Properties".
- Go to the "Compatibility" tab.
- Under "Settings", check the box next to "Run this program as an administrator".
- Click "Apply" and then "OK".
- Now, try launching the game from this shortcut.
Step 4: Briefly Disabling and Re-enabling in Task Manager (Advanced) - A Last-Ditch Effort
This method is less commonly successful for "no restart" situations, as Vanguard is a kernel-mode driver, but it might help if a user-mode component is stuck. Proceed with caution.
QuickTip: Re-reading helps retention.
Sub-heading: Opening Task Manager
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager directly.
Sub-heading: Ending Related Processes
- In the Task Manager, go to the "Processes" tab.
- Look for any processes related to Riot Games or Vanguard. This might include:
Riot ClientVALORANTorLeague of LegendsRiot Vanguardvgc(though this is a service, its process might appear here)vgtray.exe
- Right-click on each of these processes and select "End task". Be careful not to end essential Windows processes.
- Once all related processes are ended, try to re-launch your Riot game.
Important Considerations and When to Consider a Restart
While these steps aim to bypass a restart, it's crucial to understand that Riot Vanguard is designed for deep system integration for security reasons.
- Persistent Issues: If you find yourself consistently needing to perform these steps, or if they stop working, a full system restart is the recommended solution. It ensures that Vanguard loads correctly from boot.
- System Integrity: Vanguard's primary function is to maintain game integrity. Forcing it to start without a proper initialization from boot can, in rare cases, lead to further issues or even prevent you from playing if it detects an "untrusted" state.
- Updates: After any Riot game update, especially significant ones, a restart is often necessary for Vanguard to properly integrate with the new game files.
- Third-Party Software Conflicts: Sometimes other software, especially security programs or overlays, can interfere with Vanguard. If these quick fixes don't work, consider temporarily disabling other software and then trying again.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Riot Vanguard and its startup behavior:
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How to check if Riot Vanguard is running?
You can check for the Riot Vanguard icon in your system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen, possibly hidden behind the upward arrow). Alternatively, open services.msc (Windows Key + R, type services.msc) and look for the "vgc" service; its status should be "Running".
How to set Riot Vanguard to start automatically with Windows?
Open services.msc (Windows Key + R, type services.msc), find the "vgc" service, right-click it and go to "Properties". Set the "Startup type" to "Automatic" and click "Apply" and "OK".
QuickTip: Read actively, not passively.
How to uninstall Riot Vanguard? You can uninstall Riot Vanguard through "Add or remove programs" in Windows Settings or "Programs and Features" in Control Panel. Search for "Riot Vanguard" and select "Uninstall". Keep in mind that uninstalling VALORANT or League of Legends does not automatically uninstall Vanguard; you must do it separately.
How to fix "Vanguard Not Initialized" error?
Often, this error can be fixed by manually starting the "vgc" service in services.msc as described in Step 2 of this guide. If that doesn't work, a full system restart, or even a complete reinstallation of both VALORANT/League of Legends and Riot Vanguard, might be necessary.
How to fix "Vanguard requires a system restart" constantly? If you consistently get this message, ensure the "vgc" service is set to "Automatic" startup. Also, check for conflicting software (antiviruses, VPNs, other anti-cheats) and ensure your Windows is up to date. As a last resort, reinstalling both the game and Vanguard can resolve persistent issues.
How to ensure VALORANT runs with administrator privileges?
Locate your VALORANT game executable (usually in C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live\VALORANT.exe), right-click it, go to "Properties", then the "Compatibility" tab, and check "Run this program as an administrator".
QuickTip: Compare this post with what you already know.
How to troubleshoot connection errors related to Vanguard? Connection errors (like VAN -1, 0, 1, 6, 68, -81, 128, 1067) often require restarting the Riot Client and your PC. If problems persist, consider checking your network connection, temporarily disabling your firewall/antivirus, or reinstalling Vanguard and the game.
How to deal with Vanguard issues after a game update? After a game update, it's highly recommended to perform a full system restart, as Vanguard might require a fresh boot to integrate with the new game files properly. If issues persist, check the "vgc" service status.
How to know if my PC meets Vanguard's requirements (TPM 2.0, UEFI)?
For TPM 2.0, press Windows Key + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter. For UEFI mode, press Windows Key + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. Look for "BIOS Mode" and "Secure Boot State" in the System Summary. Vanguard may require these for certain security features.
How to prevent Vanguard from slowing down my PC? Vanguard is designed to be lightweight, but if you experience slowdowns, ensure your drivers are up-to-date and no other background applications are consuming excessive resources. While it runs at a kernel level, it should only be actively scanning when a Riot game is running. If you're not playing a Riot game, you can exit Vanguard from the system tray icon, but you will likely need to restart your PC before playing again.
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