How to Fix Valorant VAN Errors and Vanguard Won't Start

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Valorant VAN errors and “Vanguard Anti-Cheat has encountered an error” almost always come down to a few causes: Secure Boot/TPM not enabled, the Vanguard service not running, or a driver conflict. This guide walks through the fixes in the order most likely to work.

How to Fix Valorant VAN Errors and Vanguard Won't Start

Most VAN codes that block launch entirely (like VAN9003) are Secure Boot / TPM problems. If you’re on Windows 11 and Valorant won’t open at all, start with Step 2.

Step 1 – Restart Vanguard the easy way

Many one-off VAN errors clear with a clean restart of the anti-cheat.

  1. Fully close Valorant and the Riot Client.
  2. In the system tray, right-click the Vanguard (Riot) icon and choose Exit / Quit.
  3. Reboot your PC. Vanguard must load at boot — a reboot is more reliable than just relaunching.
  4. Launch Valorant again.

Step 2 – Enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (fixes VAN9003)

On Windows 11, Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. If either is off, Valorant won’t launch.

  1. Press Win + R, type msinfo32, press Enter.
  2. Confirm Secure Boot State: On and BIOS Mode: UEFI.
  3. Press Win + R, type tpm.msc, press Enter — it should say TPM 2.0, ready for use.

If either is missing, enable it in BIOS using your board’s guide:

Step 3 – Make sure the Vanguard service is running

If Vanguard’s service isn’t started, you’ll see “Vanguard not initialized” or a VAN error.

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
  2. Find vgc.
  3. Right-click → Properties → set Startup type to Automatic.
  4. Click Start, then OK, and reboot.

Step 4 – Restart the vgk driver from Command Prompt

If a reboot didn’t help, reset Vanguard’s kernel driver.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (here’s how).
  2. Run these one at a time: 
    sc stop vgc
sc stop vgk
sc start vgk
sc start vgc
  3. Launch Valorant again.

Step 5 – Reinstall Vanguard cleanly

For persistent VAN errors, a clean reinstall usually clears them.

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
  2. Uninstall Riot Vanguard.
  3. Reboot.
  4. Launch Valorant — it will reinstall Vanguard and prompt for a restart. Allow it.

Step 6 – Rule out driver and overlay conflicts

  • Update your GPU drivers to the latest stable version.
  • Disable risky overlays/tools (MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner, aggressive RGB software) while testing.
  • Make sure Windows is fully updated — Vanguard checks for current security patches.

Common VAN codes at a glance

  • VAN9003 / VAN9001 – Secure Boot or TPM 2.0 not enabled → Step 2.
  • VAN -81 / VAN -84 – Vanguard service or connection issue → Steps 1, 3, 4.
  • VAN 152 – hardware ban appeal needed (not a settings fix).
  • VAN 1067 – Vanguard not running at launch → reboot, then Step 3.

Most VAN errors are Secure Boot, TPM, or service problems. Work through these steps in order and the large majority of Vanguard startup failures clear without a support ticket.