If you are staring at your monitor wondering why your game won't launch, encountering the HVCI enabled error in Valorant is likely the culprit behind your sudden downtime.
This technical hurdle has become increasingly common as Riot Games tightens the security around Vanguard to ensure a fair competitive environment.
While it might seem like a complex system failure, it is actually a security requirement that Windows and Riot now use to protect the integrity of your operating system's kernel.
What is the HVCI enabled error in Valorant?
It is a notification from Riot Vanguard indicating that your system lacks a specific hardware security feature called Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity.
In simpler terms, HVCI is a Windows feature often referred to as Memory Integrity. It uses hardware virtualization to create an isolated environment that prevents malicious code or unauthorized drivers from injecting themselves into the most sensitive parts of your operating system.
When Vanguard detects that HVCI is disabled or that your system settings do not meet the new security threshold, it will prevent Valorant from launching.
This is part of a broader push by Riot to move players toward modern security standards like TPM 2.0 and UEFI, which are standard on Windows 11 but can be tricky to configure on Windows 10.
What are the steps to fix the HVCI enabled error via Windows settings?
Once virtualization is active in the BIOS, you can return to the Windows interface to finalize the fix. This is usually the part where the error message disappears for most players.
- Open the Start menu and type Core Isolation.
- Open the Core isolation settings page.
- Toggle the Memory Integrity switch to On.
- Windows will perform a quick scan of your drivers to ensure compatibility.
- If no errors are found, it will ask you to restart your computer.
- After the reboot, launch the Riot Client and try opening Valorant.
In many cases, this straightforward toggle is the only thing standing between you and your next match. However, some users might find that the switch won't stay on or throws a driver conflict error.
Why does Valorant require HVCI to be turned on?
The answer lies in the ongoing battle against sophisticated cheats that operate at the kernel level.
Cheaters often use vulnerable or unsigned drivers to bypass traditional anti-cheat measures. By requiring HVCI, Riot ensures that every driver running on your machine has been verified and hasn't been tampered with.
If your kernel is protected by HVCI, it becomes significantly harder for cheat developers to hide their software within the operating system.
This move is not meant to be an inconvenience, but rather a necessary step to keep the tactical shooter experience as pure as possible.
How do I check if HVCI is currently active on my PC?
Checking your current status is the first logical step before diving into BIOS settings or registry edits. You can find this information directly within your Windows Security settings without needing any third party tools.
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Type Windows Security and press Enter.
- Navigate to the Device Security tab on the left sidebar.
- Look for the Core Isolation section and click on Core isolation details.
- Check the toggle for Memory Integrity. If it is off, that is exactly why you are seeing the error.
If you see a message saying this setting is managed by your administrator or if the toggle is greyed out, you likely need to enable Virtualization in your BIOS first.
How do I enable Virtualization in my BIOS settings?
Enabling Virtualization is the foundational requirement for HVCI to function, as the security feature relies on a hypervisor to create its protected space.
The process varies depending on whether you have an Intel or AMD processor and which motherboard manufacturer you use.
First, you need to enter your BIOS. You can do this by restarting your computer and repeatedly pressing the Delete, F2, F10, or F12 key (depending on your brand) before the Windows logo appears.
For Intel Users (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock)
- Look for a tab labeled Advanced or CPU Configuration.
- Find the setting named Intel Virtualization Technology or VT-x.
- Ensure it is set to Enabled.
- Also look for VT-d and enable it if available.
- Save and Exit (usually F10).
For AMD Users (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock)
- Navigate to the Advanced menu or MIT settings.
- Look for SVM Mode (Secure Virtual Machine) or AMD-V.
- Set it to Enabled.
- If you see a setting for IOMMU, it is often beneficial to enable that as well for better stability.
- Save and Exit.
Once your PC restarts, Windows will have the hardware access it needs to run Memory Integrity.
What should I do if I have incompatible drivers preventing HVCI?
Incompatible drivers are the most frequent headache when trying to enable HVCI.
If Windows finds a driver that does not support the security features of Memory Integrity, it will block you from enabling the setting until that driver is removed or updated.
When this happens, Windows usually provides a list of the problematic files. These often belong to old peripherals, outdated RGB lighting software, or legacy hardware monitoring tools.
- Click on Review incompatible drivers in the Core Isolation menu.
- Note the published names of the drivers (usually ending in .sys).
- Try to update the software associated with that driver.
- If the hardware is no longer in use, you can uninstall it via Device Manager.
- For stubborn drivers, you may need to use the Command Prompt.
- Open CMD as an administrator and type: pnputil /delete-driver oem#.inf /uninstall /force (replace oem#.inf with the specific name provided by the Windows list).
Cleaning up these old files is essential for system health, even beyond just fixing a Valorant error.
Does enabling HVCI impact my gaming performance or ping?
There is a common concern in the gaming community that security features like HVCI or VBS (Virtualization-Based Security) can lead to a drop in FPS.
While it is true that these features use a small amount of system resources to maintain the secure environment, the impact on modern CPUs is negligible.
Most players will not notice a difference in frame rates. Regarding your ping and connection stability, HVCI has no direct impact.
However, if your system is struggling with background processes or security conflicts, it can occasionally cause micro-stutters that feel like lag.
If you want to ensure your connection is as optimized as your system settings, using NoPing can help stabilize your route to the game servers.
While we handle the software side of security here, NoPing handles the network side, ensuring that once you fix the HVCI error, you don't have to deal with packet loss or high latency.
Here’s how to use NoPing to fix lag in Valorant:
- Sign-up through the website and download NoPing (you can try it for free)
- Open NoPing and search for Valorant inside the software
- Once you find Valorant, click on it and, on the next screen, select “Choose automatic” or “Choose manual” and click “Continue”. We recommend choosing automatic, as NoPing’s technology analyzes all routes on a global scale and automatically selects the best option for you.
- On the next screen, click on “Optimize Game”.
- And that’s it, you can start playing Valorant with optimized ping!
You can test different servers within NoPing to see which gives you the lowest latency.
How to fix the VAN 9005 error on Windows 10?
The VAN 9005 error is the specific code that often accompanies the HVCI requirement on Windows 10.
Because Windows 11 requires these features by default, Windows 10 users are the ones most frequently caught off guard by these updates.
To resolve VAN 9005, you must ensure two things: your BIOS is in UEFI mode (not Legacy/CSM) and TPM 2.0 is enabled.
- Open System Information (msinfo32) and check BIOS Mode. It must say UEFI.
- If it says Legacy, you will need to convert your drive from MBR to GPT and change the BIOS setting, which is a more advanced task.
- Ensure Secure Boot is enabled in your BIOS.
- Follow the previous steps to enable Memory Integrity.
Riot has made these features mandatory for many accounts to prevent the use of specialized hardware cheats that were previously bypassing the standard Vanguard detection on older OS configurations.
Is it possible to bypass the HVCI requirement?
As of the latest updates in 2026, there is no reliable way to bypass the HVCI requirement if Riot Vanguard has flagged your system or account for it.
Attempting to use registry hacks or third party "fixers" to disable these checks is highly discouraged.
Using such workarounds can lead to a permanent account ban because Vanguard may interpret the attempt to disable security features as an intentional act to hide cheating software. It is always better to follow the official security protocols to keep your account safe.
If you have followed all the steps and the error persists, reaching out to Riot Support with your logs is the best course of action.
They can identify if there is a specific account-based restriction or a hardware incompatibility that needs unique attention.
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