Uninstalling most PC games takes ten seconds and one click. Valorant is not most games. Riot Games ships it as two separate pieces of software: the game client and Riot Vanguard, a kernel-level anti-cheat driver that loads before Windows finishes booting. Remove only the game and you can be left with a background service, a locked folder, and registry keys that outlive the app by months. This tutorial walks through every step of a clean removal on Windows, plus the console-specific steps, the commands Riot’s own support team documents, and the fixes for when the standard uninstaller just refuses to finish.
Why Uninstalling Valorant Is Different From Other Games
Valorant will not launch without Vanguard running, and Vanguard is built to survive a normal app removal. It installs a system service (vgc) and a boot-time kernel driver (vgk) that register with the Windows Service Control Manager, not just the Start Menu. That separation is intentional: Riot wants the anti-cheat active before any game process, including cheat-loading malware, gets a chance to run first. Most players never think about any of this until the day they want the game gone and discover a normal uninstall doesn’t fully get them there.
The tradeoff shows up when you try to leave. Uninstalling Valorant through Windows Settings removes the game files, but Vanguard is registered as a separate program and needs its own uninstall step. Skip that step, or skip the reboot afterward, and the vgc/vgk services keep loading at every boot, the Vanguard folder stays locked, and stray registry keys sit under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Riot Vanguard long after the game icon is gone. None of this is a bug. It is how a kernel-level anti-cheat is designed to behave, and it is why “uninstall valorant completely” gets searched thousands of times a month.
What Riot Vanguard Actually Does on Your PC
Riot built Vanguard as its answer to a problem plaguing competitive shooters: cheat software that runs below the level a normal anti-cheat can see. A user-mode anti-cheat only watches the game process itself. A cheat that hides inside a driver, a modified graphics stack, or a hardware peripheral can slip past that kind of monitoring entirely. Vanguard’s kernel-level driver runs at the same privilege level as those threats, which is the whole point, and why Riot has stuck with the approach since it first shipped alongside Valorant’s launch.
That level of system access is also why Vanguard draws scrutiny. A kernel driver can, in principle, read anything else running on your machine, and Riot has published statements addressing player concerns about scope and data collection, framing the driver’s design around competitive integrity rather than general surveillance. On June 24, 2026, Riot rolled out an optional feature called Vanguard On-Demand, which lets the driver launch only when you start a Riot title instead of running at every Windows boot. It requires Windows 11 25H2 and a set of security settings including Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and virtualization-based security, and Riot said roughly 35% of players already met those requirements at launch. None of that changes how you remove Vanguard once you’re done playing, but it explains why the removal process looks nothing like uninstalling a normal application.
Prerequisites: What You Need Before You Start
Gather these before you touch the uninstaller. Missing any one of them is the most common reason people restart the whole process halfway through.
- Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2/24H2. Vanguard supports current Windows 10 and 11 builds. Older, unsupported builds can behave unpredictably during driver removal, so update Windows first if you’re several versions behind.
- An administrator account. Every command in this guide, including
sc deleteand registry edits, requires elevated rights. A standard user account will hit permission errors at almost every step. - PowerShell 5.1 or later, or PowerShell 7. Both ship with modern Windows. Check your version with
$PSVersionTable.PSVersionbefore running the verification and cleanup scripts later in this guide. - 15 to 20 minutes and one restart. Vanguard’s kernel driver only fully unloads after a reboot, so plan for at least one restart mid-process. Don’t try to squeeze this into a five-minute break.
- A backup of your Valorant settings (optional). Crosshair profiles and keybinds live in the Riot Client folder. Note them down or take a screenshot if you plan to reinstall later and want to skip re-configuring everything.
- Local admin access to Regedit. Needed only if you’re doing the full registry cleanup in Step 8, which most players can safely skip.
Step 1: Exit Riot Vanguard and the Riot Client
Before uninstalling anything, close the running processes. Right-click the Riot Client icon in your system tray (the small arrow menu near the clock) and select Exit. Do the same for the Vanguard icon if it appears there, choosing “Exit Vanguard.” This step matters more than it looks: Windows can’t cleanly remove a program while its processes are still running, and Vanguard’s driver will actively resist being unloaded while active.
If neither icon shows in your tray, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Details tab, and end any process named RiotClientServices.exe, VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe, or vgtray.exe. Vanguard’s kernel driver itself won’t appear as a killable process here, which is expected. It’s removed at the service level in Step 5, not through Task Manager.
It’s worth understanding why this order matters instead of just following it blindly. Windows Setup routines, including the ones Riot ships, check for a program’s associated processes before they’ll release file locks. A driver like vgk that’s actively hooked into the kernel resists being touched while it’s doing its job, which is exactly what you want during a match and exactly what gets in your way during removal. Closing the tray apps first tells both the Riot Client and Vanguard to shut down gracefully, which avoids the file-lock errors covered later in the troubleshooting section.
Step 2: Uninstall Valorant Through Windows Settings
Press the Windows key and type “Add or remove programs,” then press Enter. Scroll (or type “Valorant” in the search box) until you find VALORANT in the list. Click it, select Uninstall, and confirm in the dialog that follows. Windows will spend a minute or two removing the game client, match replay cache, and local shader files.
This step removes the game itself but leaves Riot Vanguard and the Riot Client installed, since Windows treats them as separate programs. If you play other Riot titles like League of Legends or 2XKO on the same machine, stop here. Removing Vanguard will block those games from launching as well.
Expect the progress bar to pause once or twice during this step. Valorant’s install directory holds several gigabytes of shader cache and match replay data by the time most players uninstall, and Windows has to walk through all of it before it can release the folder. A slow uninstall here is normal and not a sign anything went wrong. What you’re watching for instead is whether the process actually finishes and disappears from the Add/Remove Programs list, rather than sitting at 99% indefinitely, which is one of the failure modes covered in the troubleshooting table further down.
Step 3: Uninstall Riot Vanguard
Go back to “Add or remove programs” and search for “Riot Vanguard.” Click it, choose Uninstall, and confirm the pop-up. Riot’s own support documentation for this exact process was last updated June 21, 2026, and lists Windows Settings as the officially supported removal path, not a third-party tool.
On some systems this uninstaller finishes instantly and quietly. On others it hangs for a minute while it stops the vgk kernel driver. Let it run. Closing the dialog early is one of the most common causes of a half-removed Vanguard installation, which you’ll then have to finish manually in Step 5.
You’ll notice the Vanguard uninstaller doesn’t ask for confirmation the way some Windows uninstallers do with a license agreement or feature list. That’s by design. Riot keeps the removal path deliberately short since the driver’s core job, blocking kernel-level cheats, means the fewer steps between “click uninstall” and “driver stopped,” the better. If you’re removing Vanguard because you suspect a conflict with another security tool, this is also the moment other software (antivirus suites, VPN clients, virtualization tools) tends to start behaving normally again, since Vanguard’s driver runs at a similar privilege level and can occasionally step on other kernel-mode software.
Step 4: Use Control Panel as an Alternative Uninstall Method
If Valorant or Vanguard doesn’t show up in the modern Settings app, or the Settings uninstaller silently fails, fall back to the classic Control Panel. Press Windows+R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter. This opens Programs and Features directly, bypassing the newer Settings UI entirely.
Find VALORANT or Riot Vanguard in the list, right-click, and choose Uninstall. This older interface is still fully supported on current Windows builds and tends to succeed in cases where Settings gets stuck loading the app list, which is a known annoyance on machines with a lot of installed software.
The two interfaces pull from the same underlying uninstall registry data, so switching between them mid-process is safe. If you started the removal in Settings and it stalled, you don’t need to undo anything before trying Control Panel. Just close the stuck dialog, open appwiz.cpl, and pick up where you left off. Some players find Control Panel simply loads faster on machines with dozens of installed programs, since it skips the Universal Windows Platform rendering layer that the modern Settings app uses.
Step 5: Remove Vanguard Services With sc delete (Command Line Method)
If Steps 2 and 3 completed normally, you can likely skip this step. But if Vanguard’s uninstaller failed, or Add/Remove Programs no longer lists it while the driver is clearly still loaded (check Task Manager’s Startup tab or a slow boot), Riot’s support article documents a direct command-line removal. Open Command Prompt as Administrator, then run these two commands one at a time.
If you’re not sure how to open an elevated prompt, press the Windows key, type cmd, and instead of pressing Enter, use Ctrl+Shift+Enter or right-click the result and choose “Run as administrator.” Windows will show a User Account Control prompt asking for confirmation. Click Yes. The title bar of the Command Prompt window will read “Administrator: Command Prompt” once it’s elevated correctly, which is worth double-checking before you run anything below, since these commands fail silently or return an access-denied error without admin rights.
sc delete vgc
sc delete vgkThese delete the Vanguard system service (vgc) and kernel driver service (vgk) from the Windows Service Control Manager. Riot documents this as the most reliable way to guarantee the driver stops auto-starting, but treat it carefully. sc delete works on any service name you give it, so double-check the spelling before pressing Enter. Deleting the wrong service can disable unrelated software.
Before running the delete commands, you can confirm the services actually exist and are Vanguard-related with:
sc query vgc
sc query vgkIf either command returns “The specified service does not exist,” that service is already gone and you can move to Step 6.
A quick note on what these two service names actually represent, since it explains why both commands are necessary rather than just one. vgc is the Vanguard client service, a user-mode process that talks to Riot’s backend and coordinates with the game. vgk is the kernel driver itself, the piece with deep system access that does the actual anti-cheat monitoring. Deleting only vgc leaves the more privileged vgk driver registered and still capable of loading at boot, which defeats the purpose of running these commands in the first place. Always delete both, in either order, before moving on.
Step 6: Reboot and Confirm the Services Are Gone
Restart your computer now. This is not optional. Vanguard’s driver runs in kernel space, and Windows won’t fully unload a kernel driver, or release the file locks on its folder, until the next boot cycle. Skipping the restart is the single most common reason people report the Vanguard folder “won’t delete” in Step 7.
After Windows comes back up, open an elevated Command Prompt again and re-run the query commands from Step 5 to confirm removal:
sc query vgc
sc query vgk
tasklist | findstr /i vanguardAll three commands should return empty results or a “does not exist” message. If tasklist still shows a Vanguard process, something reinstalled it (often another Riot game you forgot was on the machine), and you’ll need to repeat Steps 2 through 5 for that title too.
This is also a good moment to check Windows startup performance if that was part of your motivation for uninstalling. Open Task Manager’s Startup Apps tab and confirm Vanguard no longer appears in the list of items with startup impact. Players who reported slower boot times or occasional Windows shutdown delays before removal generally see those symptoms disappear once the driver is confirmed gone and the reboot has completed. If boot times are still slow, the cause is almost certainly unrelated to Vanguard at that point.
Step 7: Delete Leftover Riot Folders
With the services gone and the machine rebooted, the folders should now be unlocked. Open File Explorer or PowerShell and check these default paths:
| Folder | Default Path | Safe to Delete After Uninstall? |
|---|---|---|
| Riot Vanguard | C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard | Yes, once services are removed |
| Valorant / Riot game data | C:\Riot Games\VALORANT | Yes |
| Riot Client | C:\Riot Games\Riot Client | Only if uninstalling all Riot titles |
| Local app data cache | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Riot Games | Yes |
| Saved games / replays | Documents\My Games\VALORANT | Back up first if you want replays |
You can delete these manually, or clear the game-specific ones with PowerShell:
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Riot Games\VALORANT" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item -Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Riot Games" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinueLeave C:\Riot Games\Riot Client alone unless you’re removing the Riot Client entirely in Step 9. Deleting it while other Riot titles remain installed will break them.
If PowerShell reports an “in use” or “access denied” error on any of these paths, that’s a sign the reboot in Step 6 didn’t fully release the driver, or that a security tool has the folder open for scanning. Close any open File Explorer windows pointed at the Riot Games folder, wait a few seconds, and try the command again. Persistent lock errors almost always trace back to skipping the restart rather than anything wrong with the delete command itself.
Step 8: Clean Up Registry Entries
This step is optional for most people. Leftover registry keys don’t slow down your PC or pose a security risk on their own, they’re just clutter. If you want a genuinely clean uninstall, open Registry Editor (regedit) as administrator and check these two locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Riot Vanguard
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ (search for "Riot" or "VALORANT")Right-click any Riot-related key found there and select Delete. Back up the registry first (File → Export in Regedit) if you’re not confident editing it by hand, since a bad edit elsewhere in the registry can cause real problems. Several 2025 cleanup guides suggest running a general-purpose tool like CCleaner afterward to sweep any remaining orphaned entries automatically, which is a reasonable middle ground if manual registry editing makes you nervous.
Search rather than browse if you can, since the exact key path can shift slightly between Windows builds. In Regedit, press Ctrl+F, type “Vanguard,” and check “Match whole string only” off so partial matches also surface. Step through each result with F3 and confirm it genuinely belongs to Riot before deleting anything. This is slower than deleting a whole folder branch at once, but it’s the safer approach on a shared or work machine where you can’t afford a mistaken deletion elsewhere in the registry.
Step 9: Uninstall the Riot Client (Optional Full Cleanup)
The Riot Client is the launcher that manages Valorant, League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO. If Valorant was the only Riot game on your machine, you can remove it too: open Add/Remove Programs, search “Riot Client,” and uninstall it the same way you did Vanguard in Step 3.
Do this last, after Vanguard and Valorant are already gone. Removing the Riot Client first, while Vanguard’s services are still registered, tends to leave orphaned service entries that Add/Remove Programs no longer has a matching uninstaller for, forcing you back to the manual sc delete route from Step 5.
Most players actually skip this step entirely. Since the Riot Client itself isn’t a kernel-level driver and doesn’t run at boot, leaving it installed carries essentially no downside if you think you might come back to Valorant, League, or 2XKO later. Only remove it if you’re fully done with the entire Riot ecosystem, or if you’re troubleshooting a Riot Client that’s stuck in a broken state and a clean reinstall is your best path forward.
Step 10: Verify a Complete Removal
Rather than checking each piece by hand, run this verification script in an elevated PowerShell window. It checks the services, the folders, and running processes in one pass and prints a clear pass or fail for each.
Write-Host "=== Valorant / Vanguard Removal Check ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
$services = @("vgc", "vgk")
foreach ($svc in $services) {
$found = Get-Service -Name $svc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($found) {
Write-Host "[FAIL] Service '$svc' still registered" -ForegroundColor Red
} else {
Write-Host "[PASS] Service '$svc' not found" -ForegroundColor Green
}
}
$paths = @(
"C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard",
"C:\Riot Games\VALORANT",
"$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Riot Games"
)
foreach ($p in $paths) {
if (Test-Path $p) {
Write-Host "[FAIL] Folder still exists: $p" -ForegroundColor Red
} else {
Write-Host "[PASS] Folder removed: $p" -ForegroundColor Green
}
}
$procs = Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.ProcessName -match "vanguard|valorant|riotclient" }
if ($procs) {
Write-Host "[FAIL] Related process still running: $($procs.ProcessName -join ', ')" -ForegroundColor Red
} else {
Write-Host "[PASS] No related processes running" -ForegroundColor Green
}A fully clean system prints “[PASS]” for every line. Any “[FAIL]” tells you exactly which earlier step to repeat, saving you from guessing. Here’s what a successful run looks like on a machine where every earlier step completed correctly:
=== Valorant / Vanguard Removal Check ===
[PASS] Service 'vgc' not found
[PASS] Service 'vgk' not found
[PASS] Folder removed: C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard
[PASS] Folder removed: C:\Riot Games\VALORANT
[PASS] Folder removed: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Riot Games
[PASS] No related processes runningSave this script somewhere convenient (a Scripts folder in your Documents works fine) if you expect to reinstall and uninstall Valorant more than once. Running it before a fresh install also catches leftover state that could otherwise cause the “already installed” error covered in the FAQ section.
Uninstalling Valorant on Xbox and PlayStation
Console removal is far simpler since there’s no separate anti-cheat driver to manage. On Xbox, go to My Games and Apps, highlight VALORANT, press the Menu button, and select “Uninstall.” On PS5, go to your Game Library, highlight VALORANT, press the Options button, and choose “Delete.” Both platforms remove the game and its local save cache in one step, with no reboot or command-line cleanup required.
Your Riot account, rank, and cosmetics are stored server-side either way, so uninstalling on any platform, PC included, never affects your progress. Reinstalling later simply re-downloads the client and restores your account state automatically.
Console versions of Valorant also skip Vanguard entirely. Sony and Microsoft’s platform-level security models handle anti-cheat enforcement differently than open Windows PCs do, so there’s no separate kernel driver, no service to delete, and no registry to clean up after the fact. If you switch between playing on PC and console, keep in mind that only the PC install ever needs the multi-step removal process covered in this guide. The console uninstall is always a single menu action.
Common Pitfalls When Removing Valorant and Vanguard
Most support threads about Valorant “not uninstalling properly” trace back to one of the mistakes below rather than an actual bug in Riot’s uninstaller. Knowing them ahead of time saves you a repeat trip through the steps above.
- Skipping the tray exit in Step 1. Uninstalling while Vanguard’s tray process is still active causes the uninstaller to hang or silently fail partway through.
- Deleting the Vanguard folder before removing the services. The kernel driver locks its own folder while loaded, so File Explorer will throw an “in use” error until the services are gone and the PC has rebooted.
- Running
sc deleteon the wrong service name. A typo can disable an unrelated Windows service. Always runsc queryfirst to confirm you’re targeting the right one. - Skipping the reboot after
sc delete. Kernel drivers stay resident in memory until the next restart, no matter what the Service Control Manager shows. - Uninstalling the Riot Client before Vanguard and Valorant. This leaves orphaned service registrations with no matching uninstaller, forcing a manual command-line cleanup.
- Forgetting other Riot titles share Vanguard. Removing it also blocks League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra, and 2XKO from launching on the same machine.
- Trusting unofficial “Vanguard remover” tools. Some third-party utilities that promise a one-click cleanup also delete unrelated registry keys or bundle adware. Stick to Riot’s documented commands or a well-known utility like CCleaner.
Troubleshooting: Valorant or Vanguard Won’t Uninstall
Even following every step in order, edge cases happen. The table below covers the ten issues that show up most often in Riot support threads and PC gaming forums, along with what usually causes each one and the fastest way through it.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Uninstaller does nothing when clicked | Vanguard or Riot Client process still running in background | End all Riot processes in Task Manager, then retry |
| Riot Vanguard missing from Add/Remove Programs | Uninstaller entry was corrupted or partially removed already | Use the sc delete vgc / sc delete vgk commands from Step 5 |
“Access is denied” running sc delete | Command Prompt not running as Administrator | Close it, reopen with “Run as administrator” |
| Vanguard folder won’t delete, “file in use” | Driver still loaded in memory, machine not rebooted | Reboot, then retry the delete before doing anything else |
| Valorant still visible in Task Manager after uninstall | A leftover Riot Client background service relaunched it | Uninstall the Riot Client too, or disable its startup entry |
| Windows won’t shut down or restart cleanly | Vanguard services left in a half-removed state | Confirm removal with the Step 10 verification script, then reboot again |
| Riot Client won’t launch after Vanguard removal | Expected behavior: Valorant and League both require Vanguard to run | Reinstall Vanguard if you plan to play any Riot title again |
Antivirus blocks the sc delete command | Security software flags direct service manipulation | Temporarily allow Command Prompt, or add a one-time exception |
| Registry Editor won’t let you delete a Vanguard key | Insufficient permissions on that registry branch | Right-click the key, Permissions, grant your account Full Control |
| Reinstall fails with “already installed” error | Leftover install ID in the registry from an incomplete uninstall | Run the Step 8 registry cleanup, then reinstall from playvalorant.com |
Advanced Tips: Automating Cleanup and Third-Party Tools
If you uninstall and reinstall Valorant often, for troubleshooting, streaming setup changes, or simply freeing disk space between seasons, doing all ten steps by hand every time gets old fast. Below is a single batch script that combines the safe, documented parts of this guide: exiting processes, deleting the Vanguard services, and removing the leftover folders. Save it as uninstall-valorant-cleanup.bat and run it as Administrator.
@echo off
echo Closing Riot processes...
taskkill /IM RiotClientServices.exe /F >nul 2>&1
taskkill /IM VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe /F >nul 2>&1
taskkill /IM vgtray.exe /F >nul 2>&1
echo Removing Vanguard services...
sc delete vgc
sc delete vgk
echo Deleting leftover folders...
rmdir /S /Q "C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard" 2>nul
rmdir /S /Q "C:\Riot Games\VALORANT" 2>nul
rmdir /S /Q "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Riot Games" 2>nul
echo Done. Restart your computer to finish the cleanup.
pauseTreat this script as a starting point, not a black box. Read it before running it, and edit the paths if your Valorant install lives on a different drive. For occasional cleanup, Riot’s own documented Settings and command-line steps are plenty. Reach for a general Windows cleanup utility like CCleaner only for the registry sweep in Step 8, and avoid niche “anti-cheat remover” tools you find through search ads. Several of these bundle unrelated software or overreach into registry areas that have nothing to do with Vanguard.
Streamers and content creators who record install and uninstall segments for videos will find the batch script useful for a second reason. It runs in under a minute, which keeps footage tight, and because it only touches the four paths documented in Riot’s own support material, there’s no risk of accidentally showing a viewer a command that reaches into unrelated parts of the system. If you’re building a broader “clean install” routine for benchmarking or testing new hardware, this script slots in as one step in a larger PowerShell or batch pipeline without needing modification.
Reinstalling Valorant Later
Reinstalling is far simpler than uninstalling. Download the client from playvalorant.com, run the installer, and Vanguard reinstalls itself automatically as part of the process since Valorant refuses to launch without it. Your rank, skins, and Battle Pass progress are tied to your Riot account, not your local machine, so a clean uninstall and reinstall has zero effect on your in-game progress.
If you followed Step 8’s registry cleanup and still hit an “already installed” error, the fix is usually a second, more thorough pass through that same step, since one leftover install ID is enough to confuse the installer.
Comparing the Uninstall Methods
Not every method suits every situation. If you’re removing Valorant for the first time and nothing has gone wrong, Windows Settings is the right starting point every time. Reach for the command-line or registry options only once you’ve actually hit a problem, rather than running them preemptively. Use this table to match your situation to the right method.
| Method | Time | Admin Rights Needed | Removes Registry Keys | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Settings (Add/Remove Programs) | 2–3 minutes | Yes | No | Standard removal, most users |
| Control Panel (appwiz.cpl) | 2–3 minutes | Yes | No | When Settings fails to load or list apps |
| Command line (sc delete) | 5 minutes + reboot | Yes | No | Fixing a stuck or partial uninstall |
| Manual registry cleanup | 5–10 minutes | Yes | Yes | Users who want zero leftover traces |
| Batch script (this guide) | Under 1 minute | Yes | No | Repeat uninstalls during troubleshooting |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does uninstalling Valorant delete my rank and skins?
No. Your rank, Battle Pass tier, and purchased skins are stored on Riot’s servers against your account, not on your PC. They return the moment you log back in after a reinstall.
Can I uninstall just Vanguard and keep Valorant installed?
Technically yes through Add/Remove Programs, but Valorant will refuse to launch until Vanguard is reinstalled. There’s no supported way to play Valorant without it.
Why does Vanguard need a kernel-level driver at all?
Riot’s stated reasoning is that kernel-level access lets Vanguard detect cheat software that loads before the game itself, including some hardware-level cheat devices, which user-mode anti-cheat can’t see.
Is it safe to run sc delete on vgc and vgk?
Yes, as long as you type the service names exactly as shown and confirm them with sc query first. This is the same command Riot’s own support article documents for a manual removal.
Do I need to reboot after every uninstall step?
No, only after the sc delete commands in Step 5, or after Vanguard’s own uninstaller. The Windows Settings and Control Panel removals in Steps 2 through 4 don’t require an immediate restart.
Will uninstalling Valorant also remove League of Legends?
No, but removing Riot Vanguard will stop League from launching too, since both games share the same anti-cheat installation. Uninstall Vanguard only if you’re done with every Riot title on that PC.
What’s the safest third-party tool for leftover cleanup?
A general-purpose, well-established utility like CCleaner is reasonable for sweeping orphaned registry entries after the manual steps. Avoid niche tools marketed specifically as “Vanguard removers,” since several bundle unrelated software.
Why did my PC have shutdown issues before I removed Vanguard?
Kernel drivers that don’t unload cleanly can delay or block a full shutdown. This is one of the more commonly reported issues tied to a partially removed Vanguard installation, and it typically clears up once the services are fully deleted and the system is rebooted.
Can I use Vanguard On-Demand instead of uninstalling entirely?
Yes, if you plan to keep playing occasionally. Vanguard On-Demand, which Riot rolled out on June 24, 2026, loads the driver only while a Riot game is running rather than at every boot. It requires Windows 11 25H2 plus Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and virtualization-based security enabled, so check those requirements before relying on it instead of a full uninstall.
How much disk space do I get back after a full uninstall?
It depends on how long you’ve played and how much replay and shader cache had built up, but a typical full removal of Valorant, Vanguard, and their local caches frees several gigabytes. The Riot Client itself, if you leave it installed, takes up a comparatively small footprint.
Related Coverage
- How to Climb Valorant Ranks: 25 Tiers, 12 Steps [2026]
- Valorant Ranks vs CS2 Ranks: 25 Tiers vs 18 [2026]
- Valorant Ranks vs Overwatch 2 Ranks: 25 vs 40 Tiers [2026]
- Valorant vs League of Legends Ranks: 25 vs 31 [2026]
- R6 Siege Ranked 3.0 vs Valorant: 40 Ranks vs 25 [2026]
For more esports guides and tier lists, visit the esports section on shattered.io.
Sources: Riot Games Support (Uninstall and Disable Vanguard), Wikipedia (Riot Vanguard), Riot Games (Vanguard On-Demand), Microsoft Learn (sc delete command reference), Microsoft Support (Uninstall or remove apps in Windows), and CCleaner official site.
