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What to Do if Valorant Vanguard Flags Your PC After a Hardware Upgrade

A Vanguard warning after a PC upgrade does not prove the new hardware caused it. Find the exact VAN code, check only the security feature it names, and use model-specific firmware guidance when needed.
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If Vanguard flags your PC after a hardware upgrade, start with the exact VAN code and follow the Riot support instructions for that code. The warning may point to a security setting or firmware issue, but it does not prove the new component caused the problem—and a restriction is not automatically an accusation of cheating.

First, identify the exact Vanguard message

  1. Copy or photograph the full error text and code. A VAN:Restriction message can name a code that determines which security requirement Vanguard wants checked.
  2. Check VGTray for its troubleshooting link. Riot says Vanguard may request one or more security features depending on your system configuration; you do not necessarily need to change every security setting.
  3. Open the Riot support guide for that exact code. Restriction codes do not all have the same requirements. For example, Riot’s VAN: RESTRICTION: 5 guide directs users with other codes to their matching support articles.

A VAN:Restriction and a VAN 9005 error are not interchangeable. Riot’s VAN 9005 instructions call for checks of TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and Memory Integrity; use the separate guide for a restriction code.

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Check the security feature named in your code

Use Windows Security > Device security to review the security processor, Secure Boot, and Core isolation status. The precise requirement is the one named in your matching Riot guide—not a universal checklist for every Vanguard warning.

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  • TPM 2.0: Check the security processor information in Device security if your code or Riot’s guide names TPM.
  • Secure Boot: Review its status in Device security if requested. Secure Boot is configured in your PC’s UEFI/BIOS firmware, not by a universal Windows toggle.
  • Memory Integrity / HVCI / VBS: Check Core isolation in Windows Security. Memory Integrity depends on hardware virtualization being enabled in UEFI/BIOS; Microsoft notes that incompatible drivers can prevent it from turning on.
  • IOMMU: If the restriction or Riot guidance identifies IOMMU or pre-boot DMA protection, consult the system or motherboard maker’s firmware guidance for your exact model.

Microsoft’s Device security guidance explains where to find these Windows security controls and what they report.

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If the error points to firmware, use model-specific instructions

A motherboard change or firmware update can be relevant, but neither proves the upgrade caused the restriction. Riot described a specific issue in which some motherboard firmware reported pre-boot DMA protection as active even though IOMMU had not initialized correctly during early boot. Riot said hardware partners produced BIOS updates addressing that issue. This is evidence of one possible firmware pathway, not a diagnosis for every upgraded PC. See Riot’s December 18, 2025 Vanguard security post.

If Riot’s code-specific guide calls for a firmware change or update:

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  • Find support information for the exact PC or motherboard model and follow the maker’s instructions.
  • Do not follow a generic BIOS recipe: firmware menus and available options vary by model.
  • For Secure Boot, Microsoft’s guidance notes that a PC may need to switch from Legacy/CSM boot mode to UEFI. Changing boot mode without checking the system’s configuration can prevent Windows from starting, so consult the PC maker if you are unsure.
  • Do not assume you need a replacement motherboard, a discrete TPM, or a generic BIOS utility. Riot’s guidance is to meet the requirement listed for your code using official, model-specific instructions.

See Microsoft’s Secure Boot instructions for the firmware and boot-mode context.

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Restart, retry, and escalate if the code remains

  1. After changing a requested Windows or firmware setting, restart Windows.
  2. Retry VALORANT and note whether the code or message has changed.
  3. If the warning remains despite meeting the listed requirements, submit a ticket to Riot Player Support and include the logs requested by the applicable guide. Riot’s VAN 9005 guide specifically advises checking TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and Memory Integrity in sequence and submitting a support ticket with logs if that error persists.
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What a restriction does—and does not—mean

Riot says a restriction means the current system configuration is too similar to configurations used to bypass security features; it does not necessarily mean Riot suspects the player of cheating. That distinction is in Riot’s December 18, 2025 Vanguard security post. Treat the message as a configuration check: use its code to find the requested feature, verify that feature, and follow the matching official instructions.

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