Of course! Here is a very detailed, step-by-step guide on how to update Riot Vanguard.
A Comprehensive Guide to Updating Riot Vanguard
Hey there, Valorant and League of Legends players! Ever gotten that frustrating error message telling you that your Riot Vanguard is out of date? Don't worry, you're not alone. Riot Vanguard is the kernel-level anti-cheat software that's essential for playing your favorite Riot Games titles. It's designed to keep the playing field fair and free of cheaters. Because of its nature, it requires regular updates to stay ahead of new cheating methods.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the proper steps to ensure your Riot Vanguard is always up-to-date, so you can get back to your game without any interruptions. Let's dive right in!
Step 1: The First Thing You Should Do - The Simple Reboot
Let's start with the easiest and most common solution. Before you do anything drastic, have you tried simply restarting your computer? Seriously, it works more often than you'd think!
Why does this work? Riot Vanguard is an on-boot application, meaning it starts up with your computer. When a new update is released, the Riot client often downloads it and flags your system for a restart to install it properly. A simple reboot can trigger this installation process and resolve the issue.
Action: Close all Riot-related applications (Valorant, League of Legends, Riot Client) and restart your computer. After your PC has fully booted up, try launching the game again. If the issue is resolved, congratulations! You're good to go. If not, don't fret; we have more steps for you.
Step 2: The Automatic Update via the Riot Client
The Riot Client is designed to handle the updates for all Riot Games and their dependencies, including Riot Vanguard. This is the primary and most reliable method for updating.
Sub-heading: Using the Valorant Game Client
QuickTip: Reread tricky spots right away.
Most of the time, the game client will automatically prompt you to update if a new version of Vanguard is required.
Action:
Launch the Riot Client and open the Valorant game client.
If an update is available for Vanguard, you will usually see a notification in the client. The client will often require you to close the game and/or the client itself to apply the update.
Follow the on-screen prompts to download and install the update.
Once the update is complete, the client will likely ask you to restart your computer. It's crucial that you do this. Restarting your PC is a necessary step for the kernel-level driver to update correctly.
After the restart, launch Valorant again and check if the error is gone.
Step 3: The Manual "Force Update" Method (Reinstallation)
If the automatic update fails or you're stuck in a loop of errors, a clean reinstallation is the next best step. This is a bit more involved, but it's very effective.
Sub-heading: Deleting Vanguard Files and Triggering Re-download
This method involves manually removing the Riot Vanguard files and then letting the Riot Client re-download and reinstall them.
Action:
Close all Riot applications and the Riot Client completely. Double-check your Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to ensure no Riot-related processes are running in the background, including
vgc.exeandvgtray.exe.Open Command Prompt as an administrator. You can do this by searching for "cmd" in the Windows search bar, right-clicking on "Command Prompt," and selecting "Run as administrator."
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
sc delete vgcsc delete vgkThese commands stop and delete the Vanguard services from your system.
Navigate to the Riot Vanguard installation folder. By default, this is located at
C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard.Delete the entire "Riot Vanguard" folder.
Restart your computer. This is an essential step to ensure the services are fully removed and your system is clean for the new installation.
After the restart, launch the Riot Client and then your game (e.g., Valorant) again. The client will now detect that Riot Vanguard is missing and will automatically prompt you to download and install the latest version. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Step 4: Checking System Requirements and Compatibility
Sometimes, a Vanguard update requires specific system settings to be enabled. If you're getting error codes like VAN 9001 or VAN 9006, you might need to check these settings.
Sub-heading: Enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
For newer versions of Vanguard, especially with Windows 11, Riot Games has introduced requirements for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and UEFI with Secure Boot.
Tip: Pause whenever something stands out.
Action:
Check your system compatibility.
You can check if TPM 2.0 is enabled by pressing
Windows key + R, typingtpm.msc, and pressing Enter. A window will pop up showing the status.To check if Secure Boot is enabled, open your System Information (search for
msinfo32in the Windows search bar) and look for the "Secure Boot State" and "BIOS Mode." It should say "On" and "UEFI", respectively.
Enable these settings in your BIOS. This step can be complex and varies depending on your motherboard manufacturer (e.g., ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, etc.).
Restart your computer and enter your BIOS/UEFI settings. The key to do this is usually DEL, F2, F10, or F12 during the boot process.
Look for a section related to "Security", "Boot", or "Advanced" settings.
Find the options for "Secure Boot" and "TPM State" or "Trusted Computing."
Enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. You may need to change your "Boot Mode" from "Legacy" or "CSM" to "UEFI" first.
Save the changes and exit the BIOS. Your computer will restart.
After enabling these settings, launch the Riot Client and Valorant again. The Vanguard update should now proceed without issues.
Sub-heading: Updating your Operating System
An outdated Windows OS can also cause compatibility issues with Riot Vanguard.
Action:
Go to Windows Settings (Windows key + I).
Click on "Update & Security" (or "Windows Update" on Windows 11).
Click on "Check for updates" and install any available updates.
Restart your computer after the updates are installed.
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| How To Update Riot Vanguard |
10 Frequently Asked Questions about Updating Riot Vanguard
1. How to know if Riot Vanguard is running?
You will see a small red shield icon in your system tray (next to the clock on your taskbar). You can also check the Task Manager to see if the vgc and vgk services are running.
2. How to uninstall Riot Vanguard completely?
You can uninstall Riot Vanguard from the "Add or remove programs" section in Windows Settings. However, it's recommended to use the Command Prompt method mentioned in Step 3 for a cleaner uninstall: sc delete vgc and sc delete vgk followed by deleting the folder.
QuickTip: Look for repeated words — they signal importance.
3. How to fix a "Vanguard has crashed" error?
First, try restarting your computer. If that doesn't work, try running the Riot Client as an administrator. If the issue persists, a full reinstallation of Vanguard is the best solution (refer to Step 3).
4. How to fix the "Vanguard not initialized" error (Error Code 44)?
This error often means Vanguard isn't running correctly. Restart your computer. If the problem continues, uninstall and reinstall Vanguard.
5. How to check if my Secure Boot is enabled?
Press Windows Key + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. In the System Information window, look for the "Secure Boot State" entry. It should say "On."
6. How to enable TPM 2.0 on my PC?
You need to do this in your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings. The location of the setting varies by motherboard, but it's often under "Security" or "Advanced" settings. Look for "TPM Device" or "PTT" (Intel).
Tip: Don’t just glance — focus.
7. How to fix "This Vanguard build doesn't meet requirements" error?
This error is almost always caused by an outdated Vanguard or system. Follow the steps in this guide, especially Step 2 and Step 4, to ensure everything is updated and compatible.
8. How to prevent Vanguard from blocking other programs?
Vanguard can sometimes conflict with other software, especially security programs or overlays. You can try adding exceptions for Valorant and Vanguard to your antivirus and firewall. You can also temporarily disable any overlays or background applications to see if that resolves the issue.
9. How to update Vanguard if I'm on a virtual machine?
You can't. Riot Vanguard does not support virtual machines due to security risks and will not allow you to play. You must install Riot Games titles on a regular Windows instance.
10. How to contact Riot Games support for Vanguard issues?
If none of the above steps work, it's time to submit a ticket to Riot Games support. Provide them with as much detail as possible, including any error codes you're seeing, what steps you've already tried, and a screenshot of the error message.
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