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VALORANT startup failures have different causes, so the right fix depends on what happens: a silent launch failure usually points to the Riot Client, cache, permissions, or background software; a VAN error points to Vanguard and Windows security; a blue screen or reboot requires deeper driver and kernel-level troubleshooting. Work through the least-destructive steps below before reinstalling the game or changing BIOS settings.
Start here: identify your symptom
| What happens | Likely area | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Riot Client does not open | Windows, cache, firewall, or client files | Restart Windows, then check updates and security software |
| Riot Client opens but Play does nothing | Vanguard, cache, or a background conflict | Clear cache and check Vanguard |
| VALORANT opens and immediately closes | Driver, overlay, corrupted files, or Vanguard | Update or roll back the graphics driver and try a clean boot |
| Black screen before returning to the desktop | Graphics driver or overlay | Remove overlays and update or roll back the driver |
| A message contains “VAN” | Vanguard or Windows security | Follow the branch for the exact VAN code |
| The game repeatedly asks for a restart | Vanguard initialization | Restart once, then reinstall Vanguard if necessary |
| Windows freezes, reboots, or shows a blue screen | Kernel driver, hardware utility, or system incompatibility | Stop repeated launch attempts and collect crash details |
| You see VAN:Restriction | Secure Boot, TPM, firmware, VBS, or related boot-integrity checks | Read the restriction message and check the manufacturer’s firmware guidance |
Before changing anything, record the complete error message, any VAN number, when the problem began, and whether it followed a Windows, graphics-driver, BIOS, or VALORANT update.
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1. Check Riot’s service status
Open Riot Games Service Status, select your region, and check both active and recently closed VALORANT incidents. If there is an outage, wait rather than reinstalling Vanguard or changing firmware.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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2. Restart Windows and clear stuck processes
- Exit VALORANT and the Riot Client.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- End clearly related Riot Client or VALORANT processes only if they remain stuck. Do not terminate unknown Windows processes.
- Restart Windows and launch the Riot Client normally.
A restart is especially important after Vanguard is installed, removed, or updated. If VALORANT works after a restart but fails after sleep or Fast Startup, that points more toward service initialization or a background conflict than damaged game files.
3. Clear the Riot and VALORANT cache
- Press Win + R.
- Enter
%localappdata%and press Enter. - Remove the VALORANT-related local cache folder.
- Open the Riot Games folder and remove the relevant game-related cache folders.
- Restart Windows and try the game again.
Folder names can vary with the Riot Client version and installation. Delete only Riot/VALORANT cache or configuration data; do not remove unrelated folders from AppData. Riot’s current support guidance includes clearing local AppData as part of its startup-crash workflow: Riot VALORANT support.
4. Update Windows
- Open Settings and select Windows Update.
- Choose Check for updates.
- Install pending updates and restart Windows.
- Test VALORANT before making more invasive changes.
Out-of-date Windows components can interfere with Vanguard dependencies. However, note whether the failure began immediately after a Windows update; a new build can also introduce compatibility problems.
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For a black screen, driver timeout, or crash after the game window appears, install the current driver from the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel website. Restart afterward.
If the problem began directly after a driver update, use the manufacturer’s rollback option or reinstall the previous stable driver. Avoid third-party driver-download sites and automatic driver-updater utilities. A graphics-driver change is less likely to fix a clear VAN 9002 or “Vanguard not initialized” message.
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6. Repair Vanguard-specific launch failures
Vanguard is not initialized or asks for a restart repeatedly
- Restart Windows once.
- Check whether Riot Vanguard is installed and running.
- If Vanguard is missing or damaged, use Riot’s official uninstall and disable Vanguard instructions.
- Restart after uninstalling it.
- Launch VALORANT so the Riot Client can reinstall Vanguard.
- Restart again if prompted, then test the game.
Uninstalling Vanguard and disabling Vanguard are not the same. Disabling it prevents VALORANT from launching until Windows is restarted and Vanguard is active again. Do not download replacement vgk.sys files, modified Vanguard packages, or registry cleaners.
VAN errors
| Error or symptom | What to investigate |
|---|---|
| Any error containing VAN | Treat it as a Vanguard/security problem first |
| VAN 9002 | Windows Exploit Protection |
| Repeated restart request | Vanguard initialization and installation |
| VAN:Restriction | Security baseline, firmware, or hardware-integrity checks |
| Blue screen mentioning vgk.sys | Kernel-driver conflict or Vanguard/Windows incompatibility |
7. Fix VAN 9002 without disabling security
Riot says VAN 9002 requires Exploit Protection to be enabled. Open Windows Security and review the Exploit protection settings, restoring required protections if they have been disabled. Follow Riot’s current guidance at Riot’s VAN 9002 support page.
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Do not disable Exploit Protection as a generic workaround. If the setting is controlled by an employer, school, or endpoint-security product, contact that administrator instead.
8. Check TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
Riot’s current guidance identifies TPM 2.0 as required on Windows 11 and potentially required on some Windows 10 configurations. Check TPM with:
Win + R → tpm.msc
The window should report that TPM is present and ready. To inspect Secure Boot and firmware mode, run:
Win + R → msinfo32
Check BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State. A system using Legacy BIOS or CSM may need UEFI before Secure Boot can be enabled.
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9. Update motherboard firmware for VAN:Restriction
Riot’s December 18, 2025 Vanguard security update describes stricter boot-security enforcement affecting some modern motherboards. A VAN:Restriction message can mean that security features, firmware, or boot-integrity checks are not trusted—not necessarily that Riot suspects cheating.
- Read the exact restriction dialog.
- Identify the precise motherboard or laptop model.
- Visit the manufacturer’s official support page.
- Check whether a BIOS/UEFI update is listed for the restriction or your model.
- Follow the manufacturer’s power, backup, and recovery instructions.
- Never flash firmware intended for a similar-looking model.
Riot identifies Secure Boot, VBS, IOMMU, and related checks as part of this security model. If you are unsure about firmware or UEFI changes, stop and contact the manufacturer or Riot Support rather than experimenting.
10. Use a clean boot to find background conflicts
This test is useful when VALORANT works immediately after restarting but fails once other applications load.
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- Press Win + R, enter
msconfig, and press Enter. - On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services.
- Disable the remaining non-Microsoft services.
- Open the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager.
- Disable nonessential startup applications.
- Restart and test only Riot Client and VALORANT.
- If the game works, re-enable services and startup items in groups until you identify the conflict.
- Restore normal startup settings when finished.
Possible conflicts include third-party antivirus, hardware-monitoring or overclocking tools, RGB utilities, overlays, recording software, VPNs, traffic filters, peripheral software, virtualization tools, and other anti-cheat systems. A clean boot is diagnostic; do not leave the PC in that state permanently.
11. Check firewall and antivirus interference
Use narrow allowlist or firewall exceptions for the official Riot, VALORANT, and Vanguard components installed on your PC. Exact executable paths vary, so do not blindly copy paths from an old guide.
As a short diagnostic test, you may temporarily pause third-party antivirus protection and retry the game, but restore protection immediately afterward. If VALORANT launches only while protection is paused, contact the security vendor or Riot Support and create a narrowly scoped exception. Never leave antivirus disabled permanently.
12. Do not force administrator mode
Launch Riot Client normally first. Do not permanently set every Riot executable to Run this program as an administrator; mixing elevated and non-elevated components can create permission inconsistencies. Riot’s Windows access-error guidance specifically advises checking that this compatibility setting is not selected in the relevant scenario. Use elevated launching only when Riot Support explicitly requests a temporary test.
13. Reinstall Vanguard, then VALORANT
Reinstalling is an escalation step, not the first fix. It can repair corrupted installation files, but it will not correct TPM, Secure Boot, Exploit Protection, motherboard firmware, driver, or Riot-service problems.
- Restart Windows.
- Uninstall and reinstall Vanguard using Riot’s official process.
- Restart when prompted and test VALORANT.
- If the problem remains and the installation appears corrupted, reinstall VALORANT from Riot’s official installer.
- Test the fresh installation before restoring overlays, tuning utilities, and other background software.
A VALORANT reinstall does not automatically solve every Vanguard or firmware issue. Avoid unofficial mirrors, DLL downloads, modified anti-cheat files, registry edits, and destructive service commands.
If VALORANT crashes the whole PC
A normal desktop crash is different from a freeze, reboot, blue screen, or boot loop. If Windows crashes—especially with a reference to vgk.sys—stop repeatedly launching the game. Record the stop code, crash time, recent driver or BIOS changes, and any related Windows Event Viewer information. Temporarily remove overclocking, hardware-monitoring, overlay, and RGB utilities from the test environment, then contact Riot Support if the failure continues.
Do not assume that every blue screen is caused by Vanguard. Kernel-level crashes can involve Windows, graphics drivers, hardware instability, or conflicts with other software.
When to stop troubleshooting
- Changing BIOS or UEFI settings is required and you are not certain of the consequences.
- The computer blue-screens, repeatedly reboots, or cannot boot normally.
- A VAN:Restriction remains after following the official security and firmware requirements.
- The game still fails after current drivers, a clean boot, and Vanguard reinstall.
- The issue began after a patch and appears to affect multiple players.
Submit a ticket through Riot Support. Include your Riot ID and region, exact error and screenshot, Windows edition/build, VALORANT version, GPU and driver version, CPU, motherboard or laptop model, TPM and Secure Boot status, the time the problem began, and the results of cache clearing, clean boot, driver testing, and Vanguard reinstall. Include logs or crash dumps when Riot requests them.
Quick Recap
What not to do
- Do not download unofficial DLLs or replacement Vanguard files.
- Do not use registry cleaners or random service-deletion commands.
- Do not disable Secure Boot, TPM, or Exploit Protection without understanding the requirement and consequences.
- Do not permanently disable antivirus or firewall protection.
- Do not flash BIOS firmware intended for another model.
- Do not leave Windows in a clean-boot configuration after testing.
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