VALORANT Vanguard 128 Error: Cause & Fixes

Like most multiplayer games released recently, Valorant has its fair share of bugs. In fact, players keep running into a bunch of new error codes that aren't even acknowledged on the official website. If you've run into the VALORANT Vanguard 128 error code or the Vanguard failed to start error, let's take a look at the fixes.

What Causes the VALORANT Vanguard 128 Error Code

The full error message reads "VANGUARD FAILED TO START." If you're playing the game for the first time, you'll need to restart your computer to continue. If you keep seeing this message often, you may need to update your drivers. As the error message makes clear, the problem lies with Vanguard, the game's anti-cheat program. Riot's standalone anti-cheat software has caused plenty of issues since the day it launched. Here are some fixes you can try.

Fixes for the VALORANT Vanguard Failed to Start Error

Perform a Clean Boot

In this step, end all running services except essential Microsoft services and disable startup tasks. Then follow the steps below.

• Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter
• Go to the Services tab and check the option to hide all Microsoft services.
• Click Disable all
• Go to the Startup tab and click the Open Task Manager link
• Disable every startup task one by one.
• Restart the system and try to play the game.

Set an Exclusion in Windows Virus & Threat Protection

If the method above doesn't fix the error, try setting an exclusion for Vanguard in Windows Virus & Threat Protection. If Windows security software detects Vanguard as a malicious program, it may terminate some of its functions, causing the error. Here are the steps to set up an exclusion.

• Press Windows Key + I and select Update & Security
• Click Windows Security, then select Virus & Threat Protection
• Under Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings
• Scroll down to find Exclusions, click Add or remove exclusions
• Click Add an exclusion and select Folder
• If you're using a third-party antivirus program, you'll need to do the same in that software as well.

Manually Restart Vanguard's Services

To do this step, we first need to open Command Prompt with administrator permissions, or in administrator mode. Once you're in Command Prompt, run the command "sc query vgc." This basically checks whether Vanguard's services exist. If the command returns an error, that means Vanguard isn't on your system, and you'll need to reinstall both Valorant and Vanguard. However, if it returns vgc, enter the command "net start vgc." Launch the game after completing these steps.

Change the Boot Configuration Data Settings

BCD (Boot Configuration Data) defines boot applications and boot application settings. You can change some configurations to fix Valorant error code 128. To do this, you'll need to open Command Prompt in administrator mode. Follow the steps.

• Press Windows Key + R and type "cmd," do not press Shift + Ctrl + Enter at the same time!
• Type bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx OptIn and press enter
• Type bcdedit.exe /set testsigning off and press enter
• Type bcdedit.exe /set nointegritychecks off and press enter

If you get the message "The value is protected by Secure Boot policy and cannot be modified or deleted," you'll need to turn off the secure boot option in your BIOS before trying the fix above. Once you're done, restart the system and launch Valorant.

Uninstall and Reinstall Valorant and Vanguard

If none of the fixes above worked, the only remaining option is to reinstall everything from scratch. Since Vanguard is a separate piece of software, you'll need to uninstall Valorant and Vanguard separately.