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How to fix the VALORANT VAN9003 error

This means Vanguard found Secure Boot is not enabled, or the system is out of compliance with its settings. Enabling Secure Boot fixes it. Jump to your situation below or work through the methods in order.

By Neeraj Singh ~7 min Updated Jun 2026 89% found this helpful
Error message
VAN9003. This build of Vanguard requires Secure Boot to be enabled in order to play.
Summary

VAN9003 means Riot Vanguard requires Secure Boot to be enabled and found it off, or that the build is out of compliance with the current system settings. Vanguard uses Secure Boot to confirm only trusted, signed code ran during boot, which stops cheaters loading malicious drivers before the anti-cheat starts. So if Secure Boot is disabled, in legacy / CSM mode, or in a mismatched Secure Boot key configuration, Vanguard refuses to load. The fix is to enable Secure Boot in UEFI, make sure the PC is in UEFI mode with CSM disabled (converting an MBR disk to GPT if needed), and, where the firmware offers it, reset the Secure Boot keys to the Standard configuration. Confirm the result in msinfo32. If it still fails, ensure the Vanguard service is running, reinstall Vanguard, and update the BIOS.

What this error means

Secure Boot is the part of UEFI that allows only signed, trusted code to run at startup. Vanguard relies on it to be sure no tampered driver loaded before the anti-cheat. VAN9003 means Secure Boot is not active, so Vanguard cannot trust the boot chain and stops.

The out-of-compliance wording covers the related cases: the PC is in legacy mode where Secure Boot is unavailable, or the Secure Boot keys are in a custom or mismatched state. Getting into UEFI mode and enabling Secure Boot with standard keys brings the system back into compliance.

Common causes

Secure Boot is disabled in the firmware.
The PC is in legacy BIOS / CSM mode.
The disk is MBR, blocking UEFI and Secure Boot.
The Secure Boot keys are in a custom or mismatched state.
The Vanguard service or install is in a bad state.
An outdated BIOS mishandles Secure Boot.
Expert insight

“VAN9003 is specifically the Secure Boot one. Vanguard wants proof that only trusted code booted, and Secure Boot is that proof, so if it is off, Vanguard says no. I enable Secure Boot in the UEFI, and the usual catch is a PC still in legacy mode, where Secure Boot is greyed out until you switch to UEFI and convert the disk to GPT. If the board has weird custom Secure Boot keys, resetting them to Standard sorts the out-of-compliance variant. Then confirm it in msinfo32.”

How to fix it

Method 1

Check Secure Boot and TPM status

1Press Win+R, type msinfo32, and confirm Secure Boot State is On and BIOS Mode is UEFI.
2Press Win+R, type tpm.msc, and confirm the TPM is ready and the Specification Version is 2.0.
3This tells you which feature to fix.
Method 2

Enable Secure Boot in UEFI

1Restart into the UEFI firmware (often F2, Del, or via Settings, Recovery, Advanced startup).
2Set Secure Boot to Enabled under the Boot or Security menu.
3Save and reboot, then re-check in msinfo32.
Method 3

Switch to UEFI and disable CSM

1Secure Boot needs UEFI mode with a GPT system disk.
2Disable CSM / Legacy boot in firmware, and convert the disk from MBR to GPT if needed (mbr2gpt).
3Then enable Secure Boot.
Method 4

Reset Secure Boot keys to Standard

1If the firmware shows a Custom Secure Boot mode or mismatched keys, switch it to Standard and reset or restore the default Secure Boot keys.
2This clears an out-of-compliance state.
3Save and reboot.
Method 5

Make sure the Vanguard service is running

1Open services.msc and find vgc (Riot Vanguard).
2Set its Startup type to Automatic and Start it.
3Restart Valorant so Vanguard initialises cleanly.
Method 6

Reinstall Riot Vanguard

1Uninstall Riot Vanguard (right-click its system tray icon, Exit, then uninstall from Installed apps).
2Restart and relaunch Valorant, which reinstalls Vanguard fresh.
3A corrupt Vanguard install can cause these errors even with the features on.

VAN9003 means Vanguard requires Secure Boot, so enable it in UEFI and confirm in msinfo32. The common blocker is legacy / CSM mode, so switch to UEFI and convert the disk to GPT first. For the out-of-compliance variant, reset the Secure Boot keys to Standard, and if it persists, reinstall Vanguard and update the BIOS.

Frequently asked questions

What does VAN9003 mean in VALORANT?
It means Riot Vanguard requires Secure Boot to be enabled and found it off, or that the system is out of compliance with its settings. Vanguard blocks the game until Secure Boot is active.
How do I fix VAN9003?
Enable Secure Boot in your UEFI firmware, make sure the PC is in UEFI mode with CSM disabled, and confirm Secure Boot State is On in msinfo32. Reset the Secure Boot keys to Standard if needed.
Why does Vanguard need Secure Boot?
Secure Boot ensures only signed, trusted code runs at startup, which stops cheaters loading malicious drivers before the anti-cheat. Vanguard requires it to trust the boot chain.
Secure Boot is greyed out, what do I do?
The PC is likely in legacy / CSM mode. Switch the firmware to UEFI and convert the system disk from MBR to GPT (mbr2gpt), after which Secure Boot can be enabled.
What does out of compliance mean?
It usually means legacy mode or a custom or mismatched Secure Boot key state. Move to UEFI mode and reset the Secure Boot keys to Standard to bring the system back into compliance.
It still fails with Secure Boot on
Make sure the Vanguard service (vgc) is running, reinstall Vanguard, and update the BIOS, since a corrupt install or old firmware can cause VAN9003 even with Secure Boot enabled.

Still not working?

If Secure Boot reads as On but VAN9003 continues, an older BIOS handling Secure Boot modes inconsistently is a common cause; updating the BIOS and reinstalling Vanguard usually resolves it. You can also submit your error to us for a tailored fix.

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