Have you experienced the issue “VAN9001: This build of Vanguard requires TPM 2.0 and secure boot to be enabled in order to play”? If so, you are presumably trying to launch Valorant or another game secured by Riot Games’ security software, Vanguard. In addition, odds are that you are trying to run this game on a Windows 11 PC.
What causes this mistake, and how can you fix it? In this post, we shall cover its causes and solutions.
An Overview of the “This Build of Vanguard Needs TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to Be Enabled” Error
Let’s take a closer look at the terms listed in the error notice to understand it better:
Vanguard: Vanguard is Riot Games’ security software that inhibits gamers from utilizing hacking tools.
TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a microcontroller that helps prove a user’s identity and authenticates their device.
Secure Boot: This UEFI-level security feature safeguards your system by preventing harmful malware from running.
Both characteristics listed above must be enabled on Windows for Vanguard to function. If you’ve encountered the issue under discussion, either certain functionalities are disabled, or your device does not support them.
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It’s straightforward to remedy this problem by enabling both of these options. Nevertheless, before looking into how to enable these capabilities, confirm that your operating system supports both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
Verify Whether Your Device Supports TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
If you have legitimately upgraded to Windows 11 and haven’t evaded the TPM requirement, your device presumably already supports these capabilities. Even so, it’s a good idea to double-check it before moving further.
How to Verify whether Your PC Supports Secure Boot
Take these methods to check if your device supports Secure Boot:
Enter “System Information” in Windows Search and launch the System Information window.
Choose System Summary from the left panel.
If you see UEFI in the Value column next to BIOS Mode and the Secure Boot Status is either On or Off, your device supports this functionality.
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Seeing Unsupported next to Secure Boot State implies your device doesn’t support this functionality.
If this feature is already turned on, you do not need to do anything. If it’s disabled, you’ll need to enable it, which we’ll discuss later.
How to Verify whether Your PC Supports TPM
Testing whether TPM is installed on your System is quite basic. If your device does not have TPM, or it runs an older version than 2.0, you will need to upgrade your system.
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But, if your system supports these functions but either one is currently disabled, you can enable them to get back into the game.
How to Activate TPM and Secure Boot on Windows
You may enable TPM and Secure Boot from the BIOS/UEFI settings menu. There are various ways to access these options. we have covered a general technique to access your BIOS settings.
Once you open the BIOS/UEFI settings menu, find the TPM and Secure Boot settings. Regrettably, the exact location of these settings will differ between manufacturers. As such, it’s a good idea to double-check your computer or motherboard manufacturer’s literature for instructions.
For example, you can check out Dell Help or Lenovo Support for guidance on enabling Secure Boot on those machines. If you’re having a trouble enabling TPM, there is advice on ASUS Support, Dell Support, HP Customer Help, and Lenovo Support if you’re using any of those manufacturer’s devices. Perhaps, enabling these settings will resolve the issue.
TPM could be listed under a different name on some motherboards. For example, it is PTT (Platform Trust Technology) for Intel CPUs and AMD fTPM for AMD processors. Likewise, activating Secure Boot might stop users from dual-booting multiple Linux variants. Thus, if you wish to execute those, disable this functionality first.
What Should You Do if Secure Boot Isn’t Supported or TPM Isn’t Installed?
If Secure Boot isn’t supported or TPM isn’t installed on your device, you aren’t successful in working past these constraints, and you don’t want to upgrade your Computer, you’re left with only one alternative; downgrade to Windows 10.
The Windows 11 version of Vanguard asks for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot because Windows 11 PCs have them enabled by default; it’s part of the system requirements. But, if you used one of the methods to install Windows 11 on an older PC and skirted the requirements, then Vanguard won’t launch until they’re met.
Fortunately, if you do change back to Windows 10, it does mean you can get back into playing Riot Games titles without Vanguard giving an issue. We have a guide on how to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 if you’re not familiar with the process.
What Should You Do if Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 Are Both Enabled?
If both TPM and Secure Boot are already enabled, but you’re still getting this issue, try these fixes:
Verify that your operating system is up-to-date. Our article on how to manage Windows updates covers how to check for recent updates and install them.
If you are using third-party antivirus software, switch it off. If this issue persists, temporarily disable Windows Defender to confirm firewall limitations aren’t causing it.
If nothing seems to fix the problem, we recommend uninstalling the game you’re experiencing trouble with and reinstalling it.
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