VAN 128 in VALORANT: a Vanguard trust check failed

Vanguard Error: VAN 128. An unexpected error with Vanguard has occurred and the client will now close.

Riot's VALORANT table and its Vanguard article

Riot's VALORANT code table lists 128 with the reconnect message and a quick answer: reboot, reopen the Riot Client, and if the error keeps coming, remove Vanguard and VALORANT and reinstall the pair. Riot's Vanguard article for VAN 128 goes further and explains why it happens. Vanguard runs trust checks on Windows as it starts, and 128 means one of them didn't pass.

The two Windows settings to look at

That's why the Vanguard list below starts with two settings most players never touch. The first turns test signing and the integrity-check override back off, which matters if you've ever installed unsigned drivers or modding tools. The second sets Windows' debugging information to none. Both are a minute's work in an admin Command Prompt and System Properties, and both need a restart.

Only after those does the list move into the usual Vanguard steps. If you'd normally jump straight to a reinstall, try the two settings first. They're the part of this fix that's specific to 128.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

1. 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

2. Turn off debug memory dumps

   1. Press Win+R, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter.
   2. Open Advanced, then Settings under Startup and Recovery.
   3. Set Write debugging information to (none), click OK and restart.

3. Install every pending Windows update

   Open Settings, then Windows Update, and keep installing and restarting until it says you're up to date. Vanguard's checks lean on security components that ship in those updates, and optional driver updates are worth a look while you're there.

4. 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

5. 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

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. Reinstall the game

   Close the Riot Client first, then uninstall VALORANT from Windows' Installed apps list. For a clean reinstall, Riot's guide has you remove the VALORANT and Riot Client folders inside C:\Riot Games, empty the Recycle Bin, then delete the Riot Games and VALORANT folders under %localappdata%. Restart, then download the installer again from Riot's site.

   Riot's guide: Reinstall the game

Related VALORANT errors

• VAN -81
• VAN 0
• VAN 138

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 128, updated March 14, 2025, and Riot's VALORANT code table, Error Codes and Solutions in VALORANT. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked October 8, 2026.