If you’ve ever seen Vanguard Error VAN 57 in League of Legends, you know how frustrating it can be when you’re ready to play but can’t even launch the game. This error pops up when Riot Vanguard—the game’s required anti-cheat system—fails to start properly. The good news is that this is usually fixable with a few straightforward steps.
Why Does VAN 57 Happen?
Error VAN 57 means Vanguard isn’t running when the game tries to launch. Since Vanguard is mandatory for playing League of Legends, the client blocks you from starting a match until the anti-cheat service is active. Here’s what typically causes it:
- Vanguard service disabled or stopped: The background service (called VGC) isn’t set to start automatically or got turned off
- Corrupted Vanguard files: Incomplete updates or file corruption prevent proper initialization
- Registry conflicts: Windows registry settings interfering with Vanguard’s startup
- PC hasn’t been restarted: Vanguard sometimes needs a fresh boot to load correctly
Most of the time, you can solve this in just a few minutes. Let’s walk through the fixes.
Fixes You Can Try
1. Restart Your PC and the Riot Client
Start with the simplest solution—restart both your computer and the Riot Client. This forces Vanguard to reload from scratch and clears any temporary conflicts. After rebooting, open the Riot Client and try launching League of Legends again.
If that doesn’t work, move on to the next fix.
2. Enable and Start the VGC Service
The VGC service is Vanguard’s background process. If it’s disabled or stopped, the game won’t launch. Here’s how to fix it:
- Press Win + R, type
services.msc, and press Enter - Scroll down and find vgc in the list
- Right-click it and select Properties
- Change Startup type to Automatic
- Click the Start button under Service status
- Press Apply, then OK
- Restart your PC so Vanguard starts automatically
This ensures Vanguard runs every time you boot up. Launch the game again to see if VAN 57 is gone.
3. Fix the DevOverrideEnable Registry Entry (Advanced)
If the VGC service fix didn’t work, a Windows registry setting might be blocking Vanguard. The DevOverrideEnable entry controls security overrides—if it’s set to 1, it can prevent Vanguard from initializing. Here’s how to fix it:
- Press Win + R, type
regedit, and press Enter - Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy - On the right side, find DevOverrideEnable
- Double-click it and change the Value data to 0
- Click OK and close the Registry Editor
- Restart your PC
Try launching League of Legends again. If the error still appears, move to the final fix.
4. Uninstall and Reinstall Vanguard
If none of the above worked, Riot Vanguard itself might be corrupted. A clean reinstall removes broken files and resets everything. Here’s how to do it:
- Press Win + R, type
appwiz.cpl, and press Enter - Find Riot Vanguard in the list, right-click it, and select Uninstall
- Restart your PC
- Open the Riot Client and launch League of Legends (Vanguard will reinstall automatically)
- If prompted, allow Vanguard to install and restart your PC again
After the reinstall completes, the game should launch without issues.
What NOT to Do
When troubleshooting VAN 57, avoid these common mistakes:
- Don’t disable Vanguard permanently—the game requires it to run, and you’ll just see the error again
- Don’t skip the PC restart—Vanguard often needs a fresh boot to load correctly
- Don’t manually delete Vanguard files—always use the proper uninstall process through Windows
When to Contact Riot Support
If you’ve tried all the fixes above and still see VAN 57 after 24-48 hours, it’s time to reach out to Riot Support. When you submit a ticket, include:
- The exact error message (VAN 57)
- What fixes you’ve already tried
- Your Windows version and any recent system changes
Riot’s support team can investigate deeper issues like hardware compatibility or account-specific problems.
Conclusion
Vanguard Error VAN 57 is frustrating, but it’s almost always fixable. Start by restarting your PC, then enable the VGC service, and if needed, fix the registry setting or reinstall Vanguard. Most players find that one of these steps clears the error and gets them back in the game. If nothing works after a couple of days, contact Riot Support for help.
