VALORANT VAN 9003: Check Secure Boot Before Changing BIOS Settings
VAN 9003 says Riot Vanguard cannot confirm that Secure Boot is enabled. Start with Windows System Information, not a random motherboard tutorial.
Riot identifies VAN 9003 as a Secure Boot requirement. Press Windows + R, enter msinfo32, and read BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State. If they show UEFI and On, do not change firmware blindly; check the exact error and seek Riot Support. If they show UEFI and Off, use the official guide for your specific PC or motherboard. If BIOS Mode is Legacy, stop before changing boot settings: switching modes without preparing the Windows installation can stop it booting.
What VAN 9003 is telling you
Vanguard checks security conditions needed to launch VALORANT. Riot’s Error VAN 9003 page identifies the code specifically with Secure Boot not being enabled or accepted. A related code, VAN 9001, points to TPM 2.0; do not confuse the two. Windows 11 VALORANT systems have Secure Boot and TPM requirements, but the error on your screen determines what to investigate first.
Secure Boot is a computer startup-security feature controlled by UEFI firmware. It is not a switch inside VALORANT and it cannot be safely turned on using one set of identical BIOS steps for every model.
Step 1: perform the Windows-only checks
- Press Windows + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. In System Summary, read BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State.
- If BIOS Mode says UEFI and Secure Boot State says On, capture the exact error and restart Windows once. If VAN 9003 remains, use Riot’s Secure Boot and VAN: RESTRICTION guidance or contact Support rather than toggling settings at random.
- If BIOS Mode says UEFI and Secure Boot State says Off, note your PC or motherboard model. Only then look up the matching manufacturer Secure Boot procedure.
- If BIOS Mode says Legacy or Secure Boot is Unsupported, stop. This may require boot-mode or drive-partition planning and is not a simple checkbox change.
If a message also names TPM, press Windows + R and open tpm.msc. Verify that Windows shows the TPM ready for use and Specification Version 2.0. This is a diagnostic check, not permission to clear or reset the TPM.
Step 2: protect the computer before considering firmware changes
- Save a backup of important files and identify the exact PC or motherboard model and its official support page.
- Check whether BitLocker or Windows device encryption is active and ensure you can retrieve its recovery key. Firmware or security-key changes can cause Windows to request it.
- On a shared, school-managed, or work-managed PC, ask the administrator before any firmware change. If you are unsure about disk layout, firmware settings, or encryption, get help from the manufacturer or a qualified technician.
Do not blindly turn off CSM/Legacy boot, convert an MBR disk to GPT, reset Secure Boot keys, clear TPM data, or flash a BIOS update just to silence VAN 9003. Those actions can create boot or data-access problems when the setup is not understood.
Step 3: follow the correct branch
UEFI + Secure Boot On: recheck the error code and consult Riot Support; the Windows setting alone may not explain the Vanguard result. → UEFI + Secure Boot Off: follow your exact manufacturer’s Secure Boot instructions, keeping recovery information available, then verify that Windows still starts correctly. → Legacy/Unsupported: consult your manufacturer or a technician about compatibility and installation layout before any boot-mode or disk-partition changes.
After any manufacturer-guided adjustment, reopen msinfo32 and confirm UEFI and Secure Boot On. If TPM was specifically reported, recheck tpm.msc. Stop and seek assistance if your system behaves differently from the manufacturer’s instructions.
What if the error remains?
Write down your Windows version, device/motherboard model, exact VAN text, and the current msinfo32 values. Include the TPM result only if the message references it. Riot’s Secure Boot guide covers cases where Windows and firmware reports differ; these need device-specific diagnosis.
Do not treat firmware edits as risk-free or guaranteed. The goal is to verify the security requirement without jeopardizing access to Windows or your files.