VALORANT Secure Boot error
This error means exactly what it says: Riot Vanguard requires Secure Boot, and your machine has it disabled. It's a Windows and BIOS setting rather than anything to do with the game, which is why nothing you change in VALORANT will fix it.
What causes it
Secure Boot is disabled in BIOS
The most common cause. Many prebuilt and self-built machines ship with it off, and most software never notices — Vanguard does.
The drive uses MBR rather than GPT
Secure Boot requires UEFI boot, which requires a GPT disk. If Windows was installed in legacy mode, Secure Boot can't be enabled until that's converted.
TPM 2.0 is disabled
Often sits alongside Secure Boot in the same requirement, and can be off independently.
How to fix it
In order — the earlier steps are both quicker and more likely to work, so there’s no reason to skip ahead.
- 1
Check your current state
Press Windows+R, run 'msinfo32', and look at Secure Boot State and BIOS Mode. That tells you whether Secure Boot is off, and whether you're on UEFI or Legacy.
- 2
If BIOS Mode says UEFI, enable Secure Boot in BIOS
Restart into your BIOS and enable Secure Boot, usually under Boot or Security. The exact location varies by motherboard, so follow your manufacturer's guide rather than a generic one — this is the step where wrong instructions cause real problems.
- 3
If BIOS Mode says Legacy, stop and read first
You'd need to convert the disk from MBR to GPT before Secure Boot can be enabled. Windows includes a tool for this, but it carries real risk to an existing install. Back up first, and don't attempt it from a half-remembered guide.
Common questions
Why does VALORANT need Secure Boot?
Vanguard runs at the kernel level, and Secure Boot is what guarantees the boot process hasn't been tampered with before Vanguard loads. Without it, the anti-cheat can't trust the environment it's running in.
Is it safe to enable Secure Boot?
On a system already booting in UEFI mode, yes — it's a standard security feature and other software won't notice. Converting a Legacy install to UEFI is the part that carries risk and needs a backup.