Valorant Vanguard Error (van -1 / 1067 / 9001): Definitive Fix
Independent guide — no official affiliation with the platforms mentioned.
Short answer
Valorant Vanguard errors happen when the kernel-level Vanguard anti-cheat service (vgc/vgk) fails to start. The fix follows three axes: starting the Vanguard service manually, meeting TPM/Secure Boot requirements, and reinstalling Vanguard from scratch with Riot's official uninstaller. van 9001 specifically appears with Secure Boot off; van 1067 signals a corrupted installation.
Official source
support-valorant.riotgames.com
Vanguard hata kodları için resmî destek merkezi; van -1, van 1067 ve van 9001 başlıkları burada listelenir.
01 — Step-by-step fix
Step-by-step fix
STEP 01
Start the Vanguard service manually
In an admin Command Prompt run: sc config vgc start= system, sc config vgk start= system, then net start vgc. If it says 'service already running', the issue is permissions — move to step 3.
STEP 02
Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
van 9001 appears when Secure Boot is off. Enter UEFI/BIOS, enable Secure Boot and TPM (Intel PTT or AMD fTPM). You can check the 'Secure Boot state' under Windows Security > Device security.
STEP 03
Clean Vanguard with the official uninstaller
Remove Vanguard using Riot's official uninstaller (linked on the support page). Restart, then launch Valorant — Vanguard reinstalls. Corrupted vgk.sys files are reset by this step.
Do not download third-party 'vanguard fix' tools; tools that tamper with kernel security modules can compromise your account.
STEP 04
Allow the service and folder
Add the C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard folder to your antivirus quarantine/exclusion list. In Windows Defender: Settings > Virus & threat protection > Exclusions.
STEP 05
Verify and final check
Restart; the red Vanguard tray icon turns blue and Valorant opens. If the error persists, type the exact code (e.g. VAN 1067) into the official support page's error search for code-specific steps.
Tips
- On Windows Home, enabling Secure Boot is enough; Windows 11 already requires TPM 2.0.
- If the Vanguard tray icon is red, right-click > Restart the service; a blue icon means it is ready.
- Do not ignore the 'restart pc' prompt inside the VAN 9001 window — if the TPM setting came from BIOS, a simple restart suffices.
02 — Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Can Vanguard be removed — is it a security risk?
Vanguard is Riot's official anti-cheat running at kernel level. You can remove it with Riot's uninstaller, but it must be installed to play Valorant. Third-party removal tools carry security risks.
What does van -1 mean?
van -1 is a generic Vanguard connection/startup error. Restart + the sc config commands solve it. If it keeps repeating, Riot servers may be under maintenance — check status.riotgames.com/valorant.
Windows won't boot after enabling Secure Boot — what now?
An MBR/GPT conversion may be required. Enter BIOS and turn Secure Boot off again to boot, then in Windows run mbr2gpt /validate /allowFullOS, convert the disk to GPT and re-enable Secure Boot.
Did this guide solve it?
Your feedback improves our guides — it takes 10 seconds.
Links in this guide point to official platform pages. Steps may change with platform updates; check the page date.
03 — Related guides