VAN 193: Vanguard couldn't start or reach the Riot Client

Vanguard Error: VAN 193. An unexpected error with Vanguard has occurred and the client will now close.

What sets VAN 193 apart

The on-screen text is the same generic line you get with VAN 57 and several other codes, so the number is the only thing that tells you which one you've got. Riot's reading of 193 is a startup and handshake problem between Vanguard and the Riot Client. Compare VAN 185, which Riot ties to the session between the game, the client and Vanguard dropping, and which ends its list with a network checklist. VAN 193's list has no connection step at all.

It also opens differently. Of every VAN article Riot publishes, this is the only one whose first step is closing duplicate Riot Client instances, which makes it the cheapest thing to rule out. Two later steps are rare too: deleting the Vanguard boot status file appears on just one other code (VAN 9007, the corrupted-install error), and putting Windows security back to normal is shared only with VAN 128 and VAN 25.

Test in a game that can't cost you

Riot suggests launching after each step and checking it in the Practice Tool or a custom game rather than queueing up. If 193 comes back in the middle of a matchmade game, the client closes and you risk a penalty for leaving, which is why Riot suggests it. A custom game tells you just as much.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

1. Close any extra Riot Client instances

   Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc and end every RiotClientServices.exe you find, then start one client from scratch. Two sessions fighting over one login is enough to trip this.

2. Restart your PC

   A full restart, not a sign-out. Vanguard's driver loads when Windows boots, so a restart is the only thing that gives it a clean start.

3. Set the vgc service to Automatic

   Vanguard has two parts: a driver that loads at boot and a Windows service called vgc. If the service isn't running when you press Play, the game closes.

   1. Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter.
   2. Find vgc in the list and double-click it.
   3. Set Startup type to Automatic. If the status says Stopped, click Start.
   4. Apply, OK, then restart the PC.

   The exception is Vanguard Pre-Check, Riot's opt-in mode where Vanguard only runs while a game is open. It needs Windows 11 25H2 or newer plus Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, IOMMU, VBS and HVCI, and if you're on it you shouldn't force the service to Automatic.

   Riot's guide: Set the vgc service to Automatic

4. Turn test signing and integrity checks back to normal

   Windows lets you switch off driver signature checks, usually for modding tools or unsigned drivers. Vanguard won't run on a PC set up that way. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run both lines:

   bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING off
   bcdedit /set nointegritychecks OFF

   If Windows refuses the second line because Secure Boot policy locks that setting, you can ignore it: Secure Boot is already doing the job. Restart afterwards.

   Riot's guide: Turn test signing and integrity checks back to normal

5. Delete vgkbootstatus.dat

   Vanguard writes this small file at boot to record whether it started properly. If it's stuck in a bad state, the same error comes back every restart. Close the game and client, open C:\Windows in File Explorer, search for vgkbootstatus.dat, delete it and restart. Vanguard makes a fresh one.

   Riot's guide: Delete vgkbootstatus.dat

6. Do a clean boot

   This switches off every non-Microsoft service for one boot, so you can tell whether something in the background is the problem.

   1. Press Win+R, type msconfig and press Enter.
   2. On the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services first (skip it and you'll switch off parts of Windows).
   3. Click Disable all, then tick vgc again so Vanguard still starts.
   4. Apply, OK, restart, and test.

   Some programs ignore a clean boot anyway, third-party antivirus and networking tools most of all. If the error goes away, turn services back on a few at a time until it returns, and you've found it.

   Riot's guide: Do a clean boot

7. Uninstall Vanguard, restart, and let the game reinstall it

   1. Close the game and exit the Riot Client from the system tray.
   2. Right-click the red Vanguard icon in the tray, choose Advanced, then Uninstall Vanguard. If the icon isn't there, search Windows for Add or remove programs and uninstall Riot Vanguard from the list.
   3. Restart the PC. Vanguard is gone if its tray icon doesn't come back.
   4. Open the Riot Client and launch the game. It reinstalls Vanguard and will ask for one more restart before Play unlocks.

   Riot's guide: Uninstall Vanguard, restart, and let the game reinstall it

8. Reinstall the game

   Uninstall from Windows' Installed apps list with the Riot Client closed. For a clean reinstall of League, Riot also has you delete the Riot Client folder under C:\Riot Games, the Riot Games folders under %localappdata% and %programdata%, and the League of Legends folder in Documents. That last one holds your replays, so copy them out first if you want them.

   Riot's guide: Reinstall the game

Related errors

• VAN 57
• VAN 185
• VAN 9007
• VAN 128
• VAN 25

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 193, updated July 16, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked September 25, 2026.