Valorant Not Opening on Windows 11: Quick Fix

Stuck staring at the Riot Client because Valorant crashes out before it loads? Those VAN 9001, VAN 9003, or VAN 9090 codes popping up? I’ve dealt with this crap myself, and it’s brutal watching your team queue without you.

Vanguard – that anti-cheat beast in Valorant – demands Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 on Windows 11. Flip either one off, and it slams the door shut. No wiggle room; the game flat-out won’t start without them. Don’t freak out yet. Yeah, this means poking around in BIOS, but stick with me – I’ll break it down step by step. Everything’s laid out here; skip the forum rabbit holes.

What the hell happened? If it ran smooth last week and now it’s dead silent, blame a sneaky change. Usual suspects:

• Windows updates wipe out security tweaks (Windows pulls this stunt all the time)
• BIOS updates sneakily disable TPM or Secure Boot again
• Fresh Windows 11 install skipping the security setup
• Hardware swaps like new RAM or a motherboard forcing a fresh scan

Vanguard runs a tight “trust check” on boot security. Fail that, and it locks you out cold – hello, VAN errors. One extra kicker: Windows 11 Pro N or Enterprise editions often trip up Vanguard; grab the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft to patch that.

Skip the BIOS dive until you know the damage – screw it up, and you’re in deeper trouble.

Step 1: Check Secure Boot Status

Hit Windows key, type msinfo32, Enter. System Information fires up.

Scan the right panel for:

• BIOS Mode → UEFI (Legacy means trouble)
• Secure Boot State → On

Off? Fixable. Unsupported? Your gear can’t handle it – hit up your mobo or PC maker (sucks, but true).

Step 2: Check TPM 2.0 Status

Windows key, type tpm.msc, Enter.

Look for:

• Status: The TPM is ready for use
• Specification Version: 2.0

Seeing “Compatible TPM cannot be found”? It’s off, or your hardware skimped on the module (rare on newer setups). Both good? Jump to “Other Fixes.” Still red? BIOS time.

Heads up: BIOS rules boot behavior. Botch it, and your rig might brick on startup. Not your thing? Get a buddy who knows it, or dig into your mobo’s support docs for model-specific tips.

It’s not rocket science, though – just go slow.

TPM lit in BIOS, but Windows ghosts it (VAN9090)? Hit this:

1. tpm.msc open
2. TPM console: Prepare the TPM or Clear TPM
3. Follow prompts; reboot
4. Check tpm.msc – should read “ready”

Still stubborn? BIOS update time. Old firmware bugs TPM hard.

Update via:

• Windows Update → Optional Updates (firmware might lurk)
• Mobo site: Grab latest for your model (msinfo32 spills the deets), flash per their guide

Brands tweak BIOS menus wild. Can’t find it? Quick spots:

Brand support pages pack full walkthroughs – search “[brand] enable TPM 2.0” or Secure Boot.

BIOS squared away, still no dice? Dig here.

Reinstall Vanguard Properly

Updates glitch Vanguard bad. Nuke and rebuild:

1. Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall
2. Hunt Riot Vanguard, axe it
3. Reboot
4. Riot Client right-click → Run as Admin
5. Fire up Valorant – Vanguard respawns
6. Reboot pre-game

BCDEDIT Commands for Hypervisor Conflicts

Debug junk clashes with Vanguard. Elevated Command Prompt:

BCDEDIT /set nx optin
BCDEDIT /set debug off
BCDEDIT /deletevalue hypervisorlaunchtype

All done? Reboot.

Check VGC Service

Vanguard’s VGC service gotta boot early.

Windows + R, msconfig, Enter. Services tab – vgc checked, auto-start. Apply, reboot.

Disable Antivirus/Firewall Blocks

Defender or Avast flags Vanguard sketchy.

Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history. Unblock Vanguard/Valorant stuff.

Third-party? Whitelist ’em.

Update GPU Drivers and DirectX

Stale drivers kill launches post-update.

Snag fresh from:

• NVIDIA site, search your card
• AMD site, auto-detect or manual

Plus Microsoft’s DirectX Runtime web installer.

Run Valorant as Administrator

Permissions snag it. Valorant shortcut → Properties → Compatibility → Run as admin → Apply.

Test Windows 8 mode too – fixes for some.

Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

Path: C:Riot GamesVALORANTliveShooterGameBinariesWin64

Valorant-Win64-Shipping.exe → Properties → Compatibility → Disable fullscreen optimizations → Apply.

Network and DNS Tweaks

Shaky net botches auth. Fixes:

• Google DNS: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 in adapter props
• DNS flush: Admin CMD, ipconfig /flushdns, reboot
• Kill IPv6: Adapter props → uncheck → Apply → reboot

Check Valorant Server Status

Might not be you – servers glitch. Peek Riot’s status page or forums first.

Dead end? Apps interfering. Clean boot narrows it:

1. Windows + R, msconfig, Enter
2. Services → Hide Microsoft services → Disable All
3. But re-check vgc (Vanguard insists)
4. Apply, reboot

Launches clean? Hunt the bad app – enable one by one. Watch it: Sloppy clean boots snowball problems – keep vgc alive.

Verify Windows Edition Compatibility

Pro N/Enterprise miss media bits, blocking Vanguard. Microsoft’s Media Feature Pack sorts it.

Check System Requirements

Valorant baseline:

• CPU: Intel i3-4150 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• RAM: 4GB (8GB’s smarter)
• GPU: GeForce GT 730 / Radeon R7 240

Under? Expect crashes or no-go’s.

Corrupted Game Files

Bad updates trash installs. Total wipe:

1. Uninstall Valorant/Riot Client
2. Nuke C:Riot Games and %localappdata%Riot Games
3. Reboot
4. Reinstall official, Admin run

Contact Riot Support

No luck? Ticket with:

• Error code (VAN 9001/9003/9090)
• msinfo32 snap: BIOS/Secure Boot
• tpm.msc shot
• Steps tried

They spot account or server glitches.

Valorant’s lockout rules piss me off – BIOS tweaks just to play? But Vanguard’s iron fist crushes cheats, so worth the hassle.

Nine times out of ten, it’s Secure Boot or TPM 2.0 slacking from updates or lazy setup. Flip ’em on, and it clicks.

Pin this; full BIOS how-to and fixes in one spot – no forum grind.

Still battling? Safe mode, backup, mobo support for BIOS hand-holding.

Queue up – team’s idling.