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League of Legends error

VAN INCOMPATIBLE SOFTWARE: Vanguard named a file it won't run alongside

Riot VanguardLeague + VALORANT

The message

VAN: INCOMPATIBLE SOFTWARE - Incompatible software component detected.

What it means

Something installed on your PC, usually a driver, doesn't meet Vanguard's security requirements. The error shows the exact file.

What to try first

Screenshot the file path in the message, then uninstall the program that driver belongs to and restart.

Is it you or Riot? If lots of players are hitting this at once, it's probably the servers. Check League server status before you start reinstalling things.

The message already tells you the culprit

Few Vanguard errors are this specific. Along with the message you get a full file path, something like C:\Windows\System32\SomeDriver.sys, and that file is what Vanguard objects to. Get a screenshot before you close the window. You'll need the path for the next two steps, and if it comes to a support ticket, Riot will want it too.

Uninstall before you delete

Riot's order matters here. Removing the program that installed the driver comes first, through Settings, Apps, Installed apps (or Programs and Features in Control Panel). Deleting the .sys file by hand is only for when there's no program to uninstall. Either way, restart afterwards before you test again.

The later steps are about the connection

Once the file is gone, Riot's list moves on to setting a public DNS, dropping any VPN or proxy, and reinstalling Vanguard. Those only matter if the error survives the removal. Riot doesn't explain why DNS would affect a file check; it's simply next on the list, so work through it in order.

How it differs from INCOMPATIBLE OEM DRIVER

Its sibling, VAN: INCOMPATIBLE OEM DRIVER, is about drivers that came with the PC's hardware: Intel storage, a few NVMe and SATA drivers, one MediaTek Wi-Fi card. Riot's fix there is swapping or updating the driver. This one covers any other flagged software, and removal is the fix. Riot's article for this code dates from January 27, 2026, making it the oldest page in the named Vanguard errors.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

  1. Remove the driver the error names

    The error prints a file path ending in .sys. Screenshot it. Uninstall the program that driver belongs to from Settings, Apps, then restart. If there's no program to uninstall, delete the .sys file at that path and restart.

  2. Switch to a public DNS

    Point your network adapter at a public DNS server instead of your ISP's, then restart. Riot's DNS guide walks through the adapter settings.

    Riot's guide: Switch to a public DNS

  3. Turn off VPNs and proxies

    Disconnect any VPN or proxy before launching. Riot is blunt that connection problems through one often can't be fixed.

  4. 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

Other wordings of the same error

  • VAN INCOMPATIBLE SOFTWARE
  • Incompatible software component detected
  • VAN: Incompatible Software

Source: Riot Games Player Support, VAN: Incompatible Software, updated January 27, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked September 25, 2026.