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If you upgraded your PC and Valorant now shows an error, check the exact code before changing anything else. VAN 152 means Riot identifies an active hardware ID (HWID) ban. VAN: RESTRICTION generally points to a Windows update or security setting Vanguard requires—not the same kind of ban. Replacing parts or reinstalling the game is not Riot’s remedy for an HWID ban; a player who believes the penalty is mistaken can ask Riot Player Support to re-evaluate it, but an appeal is not guaranteed.

First, identify the exact Valorant error

Read the whole message on screen, including any number after “VAN: RESTRICTION.” Riot uses these errors for different problems, so treating every VAN message as a hardware ban can lead you to change settings that have nothing to do with the cause.

What appears What Riot says it means Appropriate next step
VAN 152 An attempted login while an HWID ban is active. Do not test other accounts on the PC. If you believe the penalty warrants review, request re-evaluation from Player Support. Riot’s HWID-ban guidance.
VAN: RESTRICTION, without a number Vanguard requires a Windows update or a security-setting change before the game can launch. Follow the complete error message and Riot’s general restriction guide; send logs to Support if it remains unresolved. Riot’s general restriction guide.
VAN: RESTRICTION: 1 Secure Boot verification failed. Check Secure Boot and UEFI; if needed, use Riot’s BIOS guidance. Riot’s instructions for VAN: RESTRICTION: 1.
VAN: RESTRICTION: 3 Vanguard could not verify the game from its install drive. Install Valorant on the same internal drive as Windows. Riot’s restriction guidance.
VAN: RESTRICTION: 5 Memory Integrity (HVCI/VBS) could not be verified. Follow Riot’s Windows, virtualization, and BIOS/UEFI checks. Riot’s restriction guidance.

Riot’s general guide also lists TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, Memory Integrity/HVCI/VBS, and IOMMU among features Vanguard may require, depending on system configuration. Check the named error and VGTray rather than changing unrelated BIOS settings.

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If Valorant shows VAN 152

Riot identifies VAN 152 with an active hardware ID ban. Riot describes an HWID ban as a serious penalty involving a computer’s physical components; its guidance says such penalties commonly follow repeated severe in-game behavior, verifiable threats, or detected third-party tools. The available guidance does not establish that upgrading or replacing a component caused a ban.

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Request a review if you believe the penalty is wrong

  1. Open Riot’s Understanding Hardware ID (HWID) Bans page and use its Player Support contact option to submit a request for re-evaluation.
  2. Explain what happened and why you believe the penalty should be reviewed. Provide any relevant details requested by Support.
  3. Wait for Riot’s review. Riot may lift or extend the ban; the outcome is not guaranteed.

Riot explicitly says, “Reinstalling a game or deleting the responsible account won’t remove an HWID ban.” Replacing a motherboard or other PC part is not a documented remedy either. Do not use another account to test the computer: Riot says another account used on a hardware-banned device can also be restricted there and may receive a temporary ban.

If the message says VAN: RESTRICTION

This is a separate class of launch issue. Riot says the general VAN: RESTRICTION error means Vanguard currently requires a Windows update or a security-setting change before the game can launch. The full message, especially its numbered variant, identifies the check to address.

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Riot’s current general article includes Windows build requirements of 19045 or newer in one case, and 26100 or newer in another case that applies only to Windows 11. These are version-specific requirements in Riot’s guidance, not universal specifications for every PC; check the live article for the requirement tied to your error before updating or changing settings.

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VAN: RESTRICTION: 1 — Secure Boot verification

Riot says this error can mean Secure Boot is disabled, Windows is not running in UEFI mode, or the motherboard BIOS needs an update. Check whether Secure Boot is enabled and confirm the system’s boot mode. If the restriction persists, follow Riot’s BIOS update guidance and the manufacturer’s instructions for your exact motherboard. Contact Riot Support with logs if the prescribed correction does not resolve it.

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VAN: RESTRICTION: 3 — Game and Windows are on different drives

Riot says Vanguard could not verify Valorant from its install drive and requires the game to be on the same internal drive as Windows. If you moved the game or reinstalled Windows onto a different drive, check both locations and reinstall or move the game as Riot directs. This addresses the drive-verification restriction; it does not clear an HWID ban.

VAN: RESTRICTION: 5 — Memory Integrity verification

Riot says this error means Memory Integrity, also called HVCI/VBS, could not be verified. Its instructions cover Windows, virtualization, and BIOS/UEFI checks. Follow those steps and use the device or motherboard manufacturer’s official instructions for model-specific firmware settings; avoid changing unrelated options.

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Other restriction messages

For an unnumbered restriction or another numbered variant, follow the full on-screen message and the corresponding section of Riot’s live guide. Vanguard may require security features such as TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, Memory Integrity/HVCI/VBS, or IOMMU depending on the system. If the required correction does not clear the error, Riot’s general guide recommends submitting a Support ticket with logs.

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What to do after a PC upgrade

  • Record the exact code and text. VAN 152 points to an active HWID ban; restriction codes name configuration checks.
  • Do not assume the newest part is the cause. Riot’s cited guidance does not say that replacing a motherboard or another component triggers an HWID ban.
  • Use only the remedy for the displayed error. For a restriction, make the specific Windows, drive, or security correction Riot names. For VAN 152, request a penalty review if warranted.
  • Avoid bypass attempts. Reinstalling, deleting an account, swapping hardware, using spoofing or firmware tools, or testing another account is not an approved way to remove an HWID ban.

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