Riot Vanguard VAN Error Codes: Every Code and Its Fix

By LK Wood IV · Published 2026-10-02 · ~14 min read · St. Louis County, MO

Riot’s own list of Vanguard errors is 47 links with no meaning written beside any of them. The list is dated May 22, 2026. Of the 47 articles it links, 37 carry a later date, 35 of them from July. It also leaves out five codes Riot has written articles for, and one of them, VAN 216, was eighth in Bing’s suggestions for “vanguard error” on 2026-10-02.

This page does the part the index skips. One table holds all 52 codes with what Riot says each one means, written short, plus a fix family, a verdict on whether you can fix it at all, and the date on Riot’s article so you can judge how fresh the advice is. Below the table, each family’s steps appear once. Riot repeats them per code.

Riot Vanguard is the anti-cheat for both VALORANT and League of Legends, and the old League-only error list now redirects to the same shared index — one list, two games. If your game uses Easy Anti-Cheat instead, the Easy Anti-Cheat fix guide is the page you want, and BattlEye has its own.

Rule out one mix-up first. Riot’s index warns that VAL errors are a different family, so VAL 59 is not VAN 59. Check the letters.

Every VAN code, what it means and the fix

The “Riot’s date” column is the date shown on Riot’s article. “Game named” records only where Riot’s article names a game, usually in its sample error message. Every one of these articles sits in Riot’s shared support section rather than under one game, so a blank there does not mean the code is limited to one title. Rows marked off-index are Riot articles that the index does not link.

Read across the date column and two things stand out. VAN 25 and VAN 128 are the oldest advice Riot has here. Both date from March 14, 2025. Both open with a change to Windows boot settings. And four of the five off-index articles are newer than anything on the index, so the codes Riot published most recently are the ones its list does not show.

Vanguard is not running or its install is damaged

Codes in this family: VAN 57, -1, -117, 9051, 9007.

Five codes, one problem. Vanguard’s service did not start, or it started and broke. VAN 57’s article sets the full order, and the other four are subsets of it.

1. Set the vgc service to Automatic, unless you use Vanguard Pre-Check. Press Windows + R, run services.msc, open vgc, set Startup type to Automatic, click Start if it shows Stopped, then Apply and restart.
2. Restart if vgc was already Automatic.
3. Reinstall Vanguard. Right-click the Vanguard tray icon, choose Advanced, then Uninstall Vanguard. Restart, then launch the game, and it reinstalls Vanguard.
4. Clean boot, using Riot’s clean boot guide.
5. Reinstall the game.

VAN -117 skips the service step. VAN -1 is just the reinstall plus the service. VAN 9051 is a restart, then a reinstall. VAN 9007’s in-game message says the install is corrupted. Riot’s article hedges. It says the installation “may be corrupted or isn’t working correctly”. Either way, go straight to a reinstall, then delete vgkbootstatus.dat from C:\Windows (Riot has you search that folder for it) and restart.

Pre-Check matters for step 1. It is Riot’s optional on-demand mode, where Vanguard starts with a Riot game instead of with Windows, and Riot limits it to PCs running Windows 11 25H2 or newer with Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, IOMMU, VBS and HVCI all on. Never turned it on? Then vgc has to be Automatic.

When the tray uninstall fails, Riot’s manual route removes both of Vanguard’s services. Close every Riot program, open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

sc delete vgc
sc delete vgk

Restart, delete any leftover Riot Vanguard folder under C:\Program Files, then open the Riot Client and it reinstalls Vanguard.

“Couldn’t verify that your PC is ready”

Codes in this family: VAN 0, 6, 84, 133, 135, 2266.

Six codes, one text. Riot’s article for each says Vanguard couldn’t verify the PC is ready to run the game or hit an issue while initializing, word for word, and the steps match too. So a fix posted for VAN 84 is the fix for VAN 133.

1. Install every Windows update and restart.
2. Set vgc to Automatic (step 1 above).
3. Reinstall Vanguard.
4. Clean boot.
5. Reinstall the game.
6. Work through Riot’s PC connection troubleshooting guide.

Trouble starting or staying connected

Codes in this family: VAN -72, -79, -81, -83, -92, -102, -104, 293, 68.

The seven negative codes share one sentence: Vanguard is having trouble starting, staying connected or confirming everything is ready. Same steps, too. Search engines drop the minus sign. Riot has no article at the positive address for any of the seven, so VAN 81 on a forum is VAN -81.

1. Restart the PC.
2. Check the Windows date, time and time zone. Riot says a wrong clock can make services and secure connections fail before the game launches.
3. Set vgc to Automatic.
4. Reinstall Vanguard.
5. Clean boot.
6. Reinstall the game.
7. Work through Riot’s PC connection guide.

VAN 293 is off the index. Its heading says VAN 293 while its first line says VAN -293, so treat either form as this family. Its steps skip the clock check. VAN 68 adds one step, disabling Killer Network Service, because Riot says Killer’s traffic prioritization can interfere with the connection.

Riot Client conflicts

Codes in this family: VAN 59, 140, 148, 185, 193, 1067.

Here Riot’s lists differ. The step unique to each code is the one I would try first.

• VAN 59: fully close the Riot Client and reopen it, then reinstall Vanguard, then the game.
• VAN 185: check the game’s minimum requirements, unplug controllers, restart the Riot Client and sign out of it on any other PC, since Riot says a second signed-in PC can cause session conflicts.
• VAN 193: make sure only one Riot Client is running, restart, and set vgc to Automatic. Riot’s next steps are restoring Windows security (trust checks), then deleting vgkbootstatus.dat. Riot suggests testing in Practice Tool or a custom game so a repeat crash cannot cost you a matchmade game.
• VAN 140: on the game shortcut and on RiotClientServices.exe, open Properties, then Compatibility. Tick Disable fullscreen optimizations and Run this program as an administrator. Then, under Change high DPI settings, override scaling and set it to Application.
• VAN 148 and VAN 1067: same meaning. Update Windows and run the Riot Client as administrator. VAN 1067 adds disconnecting controllers and a malware scan.

Riot’s VAN 1067 article has no Secure Boot or TPM step in it. Leave the BIOS alone for this one.

System trust checks

Codes in this family: VAN 25, 128, 9101.

VAN 25 and VAN 128 share their text. Vanguard couldn’t complete a startup or system trust check. Both start with Riot’s “restore Windows security to a normal state”, which turns test signing off and driver integrity checks back on. These are boot settings, so have your BitLocker recovery key written down before you run them. In an administrator Command Prompt:

bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING off
bcdedit /set nointegritychecks OFF

If Windows answers that the value is protected by Secure Boot policy, skip that line, because Riot says Secure Boot is already enforcing it. Restart.

VAN 128 adds a second step. Press Windows, run sysdm.cpl, go to Advanced, open the Start-up and Recovery settings, and set Write debugging information to (None). That stops Windows writing a memory dump after a crash, so if you are also chasing blue screens, you lose the evidence. Fix the Vanguard error first. Then decide. After those steps both codes fall back to Windows Update, vgc Automatic, a Vanguard reinstall, a clean boot and a game reinstall.

VAN 9101 is the in-game “attestation failure”. Riot’s order is to update graphics, chipset and storage drivers with your PC or hardware maker’s own software, unplug every non-essential USB device, clean boot, then make sure Windows has not been modified and every security feature Vanguard needs is on.

Software or a driver in Vanguard’s way

Codes in this family: Incompatible Software, Incompatible OEM Driver, STATUS_VMD_9001, VAN 289, VAN 302.

Incompatible Software names the file in the error, usually a .sys driver path. Uninstall the program that installed it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps, and restart. Riot’s fallback is to delete the flagged file itself. I would only do that when the file belongs to software already removed, because deleting a driver a device still uses breaks that device. Riot’s remaining steps are DNS settings, no VPN or proxy, and a Vanguard reinstall.

Incompatible OEM Driver also names a file, and Riot’s article maps each one to a fix.

The storage swap goes through Device Manager, under Storage controllers or IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, where you open the device’s Driver tab, choose Update Driver, then Browse my computer, then Let me pick from a list. Riot says the Provider field reads Microsoft Corporation once it is done. This changes the driver for the controller your drive sits on, which is often the drive Windows boots from. Make a restore point and back up first, and pick only the Microsoft driver Riot names for your drive type.

STATUS_VMD_9001 is the other Intel storage code — and the one that contradicts it. Riot says it is a fault talking to the Intel VMD controller, most common on Intel Rapid Storage Technology systems. On a prebuilt, install the RST driver from the PC maker’s support site; on a self-built PC, or a prebuilt the maker no longer updates, Riot points you to Intel’s generic one. STATUS_VMD_9001 says install the current RST driver, while the OEM-driver article, dated the same day, says the compatible iastorvd.sys was still to come from Intel. The file name in your error decides which one applies.

VAN 289 and VAN 302 are both off the index and both say software is interfering. For 289, Riot’s steps are a restart, a clean boot, closing anything that survives it (Riot names overlays and capture tools), then temporarily uninstalling any antivirus added on top of Windows Security. For 302, disable the antivirus and restart. If the error stays, temporarily uninstall it and close anything that modifies the game.

Windows security features: Secure Boot, TPM and Memory Integrity

Codes in this family: VAN 9001, 9002, 9003, 9005, 9090, the four RESTRICTION codes other than 3, and STATUS_SB_POLICY.

Most of this family is fixed in the PC’s firmware, and a firmware change made in the wrong order can stop Windows from booting. Two warnings come before any of it. Riot’s Secure Boot guide says that if msinfo32 shows BIOS Mode as Legacy, switching to UEFI before converting the drive from MBR to GPT leaves Windows unbootable. And Microsoft lists clearing or disabling the TPM, a BIOS or UEFI firmware update, and boot manager changes among the events that put a BitLocker-protected PC into recovery. Find your BitLocker recovery key before you start. The Secure Boot fix walks the safe order step by step, so this section only maps each code to the feature it wants.

Read before you change anything. Riot’s guides all start from msinfo32. BIOS Mode should read UEFI and Secure Boot State On. Virtualization-based security should read Running. Kernel DMA Protection reading On means IOMMU is active. All four right? Then the firmware is not your problem.

Three details are specific to Vanguard and easy to miss.

• A VAN: RESTRICTION wants firmware TPM. Riot’s TPM guide says a discrete TPM 2.0 module satisfies VAN 9001, but a RESTRICTION needs Intel PTT or AMD fTPM. A plug-in module alone will not clear it.
• One RESTRICTION cannot be met on Windows 10. When the message asks for Windows build 26100 or newer, Riot says that is only supported on Windows 11. A build 19045 requirement is reachable with Windows updates. Microsoft’s Settings, System, About page shows which version you run.
• The numberless RESTRICTION can ask for IOMMU. Riot’s article lists it beside TPM, Secure Boot and Memory Integrity, and its IOMMU guide covers it.

VAN 9002 never touches firmware. The in-game message names Control Flow Guard. Search Start for exploit protection and open it. Under System settings, set Control flow guard, Data Execution Prevention, Force randomization for images, Randomized memory allocation, High-entropy ASLR, Validate exception chains and Validate heap integrity to Use default. Then, under Program settings, remove every entry for Riot Games, Riot Vanguard or a Riot game, and restart.

Platform limits: virtual machines, old Windows and the install drive

Codes in this family: VAN 138, 9100, 9004, 9006, -101, RESTRICTION 3.

These are about where the game runs and what it runs on.

• VAN 138 and 9100: Vanguard does not run in a virtual machine or an unsupported virtualized environment, and Riot’s first step is a regular Windows install. That rules out a Windows guest on Proxmox even with a passed-through GPU, so the GPU passthrough guide is a setup for other games. VAN 138’s article also has you check the firewall.
• VAN 9004 and 9006: Vanguard needs Windows 10 20H1 or newer. Install every Windows update and restart.
• VAN -101: League’s system requirements are not met. Riot’s answer is a supported computer or operating system, or a ticket if you are sure the PC meets them.
• RESTRICTION 3: Vanguard validates the game only from the internal drive Windows is installed on. A game on a USB drive or a second internal drive trips it. Reinstall the game to the Windows drive, usually C:, and restart.

VAN 216: a 30-minute cooldown

VAN 216 is not on Riot’s index. Riot’s article, dated July 17, 2026, says it can appear when too many launch attempts happen in a short period. Wait at least 30 minutes without pressing Play. Pressing Play early restarts the clock.

VAN 152: a hardware ban

Nothing on the PC fixes VAN 152. Riot says the device has a hardware ID (HWID) ban, and that reinstalling Vanguard or the game, changing the connection or restarting will not remove it. Two more facts matter. Reinstalling the game or deleting the banned account does not lift the ban. And another account, a friend’s or a family member’s, that logs in on the banned PC is restricted there and banned for a set period. So do not log in there at all.

Riot’s process is the only route back. The HWID ban article explains which bans Player Support will re-evaluate. This page does not cover anything else.

When the vgc service will not start

A vgc service that is stopped, or keeps stopping, belongs to the not-running family. Riot’s service article covers setting vgc to Automatic and clicking Start. Neither that article nor Riot’s uninstall article mentions Windows service errors such as 1053 or “Incorrect function”, so the documented route past a service that refuses to start is the manual reinstall. That means sc delete vgc, sc delete vgk, a restart, then a fresh install from the Riot Client.

Before you file a ticket

Riot’s index says to submit a ticket with logs when your exact code is not listed, and most per-code articles end the same way. Riot’s Riot Repair Tool gathers them. Download it, run it as administrator on Windows, pick the game, and attach the .zip it creates. Write down the full error text first. For Incompatible OEM Driver, Riot asks for the driver name from the message.

How this table was built

I opened Riot’s index and all 47 articles it links on 2026-10-02, along with every Riot guide cited above, and wrote each meaning in short form from Riot’s own text. The date column is the date each article displays, which matches the article’s own update stamp.

The off-index codes came from a URL sweep. On 2026-10-02, between 10:49 and 10:55 UTC, a script requested Riot’s article address for every VAN code from -300 to 1,100, 2,200 to 2,300 and 9,000 to 9,120, under all three paths Riot files these articles under, plus RESTRICTION 2 to 12. That is 4,880 addresses. 45 answered 200. One answered 301, a second address for VAN 152 that redirects to its article. The rest were 404. Every 200 is either on the index or one of the five off-index rows.

The sweep has a blind spot. Named errors like STATUS_SB_POLICY cannot be guessed by number, so a named code Riot has not linked would not show up here. No fix on this page was run on a TechFuelHQ machine. The steps are Riot’s, and the grouping, the fixability column and the alias notes are mine.