Why Does Valorant Keep Crashing Because of Vanguard?

Valorant’s anti-cheat system, Vanguard, is often the culprit behind game crashes. While designed to prevent cheating, its invasive nature can sometimes lead to conflicts with other software or hardware on your system, resulting in frustrating crashes. This article will delve into the common reasons why Vanguard might be causing Valorant to crash and provide troubleshooting steps to resolve these issues.

Understanding the Vanguard Anti-Cheat System

Vanguard operates at the kernel level, giving it deep access to your system. This allows it to effectively detect and prevent cheating. However, this level of access also means it can interfere with other programs and drivers, leading to instability and crashes. Think of it like a very strict security guard who sometimes gets a little too aggressive and accidentally trips someone.

Common Reasons for Valorant Crashes Due to Vanguard

Several factors can contribute to Valorant crashing because of Vanguard:

  • Driver Conflicts: Incompatible or outdated drivers, especially graphics card drivers, are a frequent cause of crashes. Vanguard might clash with these drivers, leading to system instability.
  • Software Conflicts: Certain programs, such as overclocking software, performance monitoring tools, or other anti-cheat systems, can conflict with Vanguard.
  • Vanguard Not Properly Installed or Updated: An incomplete or outdated Vanguard installation can also cause crashes. The system relies on a complete and up-to-date install to function correctly.
  • Hardware Incompatibility: In rare cases, Vanguard may be incompatible with certain hardware configurations.
  • Administrator Privileges: Vanguard and Valorant both need the appropriate administrator rights to run effectively.
  • TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and Secure Boot Issues: Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to be enabled on Windows 11 systems. If these are disabled or misconfigured, it can cause crashes or prevent the game from launching.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Valorant Crashes

Here are several troubleshooting steps you can take to address Valorant crashes caused by Vanguard:

1. Update Your Graphics Drivers

  • Nvidia: Go to the Nvidia website or use the GeForce Experience application to download and install the latest drivers.
  • AMD: Visit the AMD website or use the AMD Radeon Software to update your drivers.
  • Intel: Use the Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

After updating, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.

2. Close Conflicting Programs

Identify and close any programs that might conflict with Vanguard. This includes:

  • Overclocking software (e.g., MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision X1)
  • Performance monitoring tools (e.g., HWMonitor, CPU-Z)
  • Other anti-cheat systems
  • Virtualization software (e.g. VMWare, VirtualBox)

Try running Valorant after closing these programs to see if the crashes persist.

3. Reinstall Vanguard

A clean reinstall of Vanguard can often resolve issues caused by corrupted or incomplete installations. Here’s how:

  1. Uninstall Vanguard: Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, find Riot Vanguard, and uninstall it.
  2. Restart Your Computer: This is crucial to remove any remaining Vanguard files.
  3. Launch Valorant: Valorant will prompt you to reinstall Vanguard. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  4. Restart Your Computer Again: This ensures Vanguard is properly installed and running.

4. Run Valorant and Vanguard as Administrator

Granting administrator privileges can prevent permission-related issues. To do this:

  1. Right-click on the Valorant shortcut on your desktop.
  2. Select Properties.
  3. Go to the Compatibility tab.
  4. Check the box labeled Run this program as an administrator.
  5. Click Apply and then OK.
  6. Repeat these steps for the Vanguard tray icon (if present) or the Vanguard executable file located in the Riot Games folder.

5. Check TPM and Secure Boot (Windows 11)

If you’re running Windows 11, ensure that TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are enabled in your BIOS/UEFI settings. The steps to access BIOS/UEFI vary depending on your motherboard manufacturer, but generally involve pressing a key (e.g., Delete, F2, F12) during startup.

  • TPM 2.0: Look for TPM settings under Security or Advanced options.
  • Secure Boot: Find Secure Boot settings under Boot or Security options.

Enable both features if they are disabled and save the changes. Your computer will restart.

6. Perform a Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This can help identify if a background program is causing the crashes.

  1. Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
  2. Go to the Services tab.
  3. Check the box labeled Hide all Microsoft services.
  4. Click Disable all.
  5. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
  6. Disable all startup items in Task Manager.
  7. Close Task Manager and click Apply and OK in System Configuration.
  8. Restart your computer.

After the clean boot, launch Valorant to see if the crashes are resolved. If the game runs without crashing, you can re-enable services and startup items one by one to identify the culprit.

7. Check System Files for Corruption

Corrupted system files can sometimes lead to instability. Use the System File Checker (SFC) tool to scan and repair corrupted files.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (search for “cmd”, right-click, and select “Run as administrator”).
  2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
  3. Wait for the scan to complete. This may take some time.
  4. If any corrupted files are found, follow the on-screen instructions to repair them.

8. Check for Hardware Issues

While less likely, hardware problems such as faulty RAM or a failing graphics card can also cause crashes. Run memory diagnostics or test your graphics card to rule out hardware issues.

Conclusion

Valorant crashes caused by Vanguard can be frustrating, but by systematically troubleshooting the potential causes, you can often resolve these issues. Remember to keep your drivers updated, close conflicting programs, and ensure Vanguard is properly installed and configured. If the problem persists, consider more advanced troubleshooting steps or contact Riot Games support for assistance.