Level Up Your Valorant Security: A Comprehensive Guide to Enabling Secure Boot

Valorant, Riot Games’ popular tactical first-person shooter, has stringent anti-cheat measures to ensure a fair and competitive gaming environment. One crucial aspect of this security is the requirement for Secure Boot to be enabled on your system. While it might sound technical, enabling Secure Boot is a straightforward process that can significantly improve your system’s overall security and allow you to play Valorant without encountering errors. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps of understanding and enabling Secure Boot on your Windows PC.

What is Secure Boot and Why Does Valorant Require It?

Secure Boot is a security feature built into modern UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) systems, which is essentially the modern replacement for the traditional BIOS. It works by ensuring that only digitally signed and authorized software can be loaded during the boot process. This prevents malicious software, such as rootkits and bootloaders, from tampering with your operating system. When enabled, Secure Boot verifies the digital signatures of your bootloader, operating system, and drivers, guaranteeing that your system boots with only trusted components.

Valorant’s anti-cheat system, Vanguard, relies heavily on Secure Boot to prevent cheaters from tampering with the game’s client or gaining an unfair advantage. By ensuring the integrity of the system boot process, Vanguard can establish a more secure and reliable environment for all players. If Secure Boot is disabled, Vanguard will often flag it, preventing you from launching the game. Therefore, enabling Secure Boot is a necessary step to enjoy a smooth and competitive Valorant experience.

Checking if Secure Boot is Enabled

Before diving into the process of enabling Secure Boot, let’s first verify if it’s already enabled on your system. Here’s how you can check on Windows:

1. Using System Information:
   • Press the Windows key, type System Information, and press Enter.
   • In the System Information window, locate the entry for “Secure Boot State”.
   • If the value is “Enabled”, Secure Boot is already active. If it says “Disabled”, you’ll need to enable it using the following steps.
2. Using the DirectX Diagnostic Tool:
   • Press Windows key + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter.
   • In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window, go to the “System” tab.
   • Look for the “Secure Boot” entry; a “Yes” indicates Secure Boot is enabled. A “No” means it’s disabled.

If you find that Secure Boot is disabled, proceed to the next section to enable it.

Enabling Secure Boot: Step-by-Step Guide

Enabling Secure Boot requires you to access your system’s UEFI (BIOS) settings. The exact steps can vary slightly depending on your motherboard manufacturer, but the general process is very similar. Here’s a detailed guide:

Step 1: Accessing Your UEFI (BIOS) Settings

The first step is to get into your computer’s UEFI settings. This is typically done during the boot process before Windows loads. Here’s how:

1. Restart Your Computer: Click the Start menu and select Restart.
2. Enter UEFI Setup: As your computer restarts, watch for a message on the screen that indicates which key to press to enter the UEFI setup. This is usually one of the following keys: Delete, F2, F10, F12, or Esc. The specific key depends on your motherboard manufacturer, and it’s often displayed briefly during the initial boot screen. If you are unsure, consult your motherboard manual.
3. Repeatedly Press the Key: Start pressing the appropriate key repeatedly right after your computer begins to restart. It’s crucial to press this key repeatedly because the window of opportunity to enter the UEFI setup is very short.
4. Wait for the UEFI Interface: If successful, you will be taken to the UEFI (BIOS) setup screen, which typically displays a menu with various options.

Note: If you miss the opportunity to enter the UEFI settings during the boot process, simply restart the computer again and attempt to enter the UEFI setup again.

Step 2: Locating Secure Boot Settings

Once you’re in the UEFI setup, you’ll need to locate the Secure Boot settings. Here’s how the process generally goes:

1. Navigate Through Menus: The UEFI interface will vary depending on your motherboard. Look for tabs or menus like Boot, Security, Authentication, or System Configuration. These are the usual places where Secure Boot settings are located.
2. Look for Secure Boot: Inside the relevant menu, carefully search for options labelled Secure Boot, Secure Boot Control, Secure Boot Configuration or something similar. The wording may vary slightly depending on your motherboard manufacturer.

Note: If you are having difficulty finding the Secure Boot option, consult your motherboard’s manual as it contains detailed information about the UEFI settings.

Step 3: Enabling Secure Boot

Once you have found the Secure Boot settings, enabling it is usually just a matter of changing the option to ‘Enabled’. However, you may need to perform additional steps such as specifying the operating system type.

1. Select the Secure Boot Option: Using the keyboard arrow keys, select the Secure Boot or similar option.
2. Change the State to ‘Enabled’: Usually, the option is initially set to Disabled. Change it to Enabled.
3. Check Secure Boot Mode : Some UEFI systems have an option labelled Secure Boot Mode or OS Type. If this exists, set it to Standard, Windows UEFI mode, or something similar. Avoid setting it to Other OS or similar as this may disable Secure Boot.
4. Save Changes: Look for the “Save & Exit” or similar option, which is often located in a main tab of the UEFI interface. Save all the changes you made. The computer will then restart automatically.

Note: You might be prompted to press a key to confirm the changes before saving them. If that is the case, do so according to the prompt.

Step 4: Confirm Secure Boot is Enabled

After your computer restarts, log back into Windows and verify that Secure Boot is now enabled using the instructions in the “Checking if Secure Boot is Enabled” section above. If the process was successful, the System Information tool or DirectX Diagnostic Tool should show “Enabled” or “Yes” for the Secure Boot state.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

While enabling Secure Boot is usually straightforward, you might encounter some issues. Here are some common problems and their solutions:

1. Error Messages During Boot

• Symptom: After enabling Secure Boot, your system might display an error message related to boot failure or unsigned bootloaders.
• Cause: This often happens when your system is attempting to boot an operating system or device that is not compatible with Secure Boot or is using a legacy boot mode.
• Solution:
  • Ensure UEFI Boot Mode: Verify that your boot mode is set to UEFI and not legacy/CSM. You can find and change boot mode options within your UEFI (BIOS).
  • Disable Compatibility Support Module (CSM): If your UEFI has an option for CSM or legacy boot, disable it. CSM is for older systems and conflicts with Secure Boot in modern UEFI environments.
  • Reinstall Windows in UEFI Mode : If the problem persists, you may need to reinstall Windows in UEFI mode. During the installation process, be sure to format your hard drive as GPT instead of MBR (master boot record).

2. Cannot Find Secure Boot Option in UEFI

• Symptom: You cannot find a Secure Boot option in your UEFI settings.
• Cause: This could be due to a very old motherboard that doesn’t support Secure Boot, or Secure Boot might be hidden in a sub-menu.
• Solution:
  • Check Motherboard Compatibility: Consult your motherboard’s documentation to confirm if it supports Secure Boot.
  • Update Your UEFI/BIOS: An outdated UEFI might lack Secure Boot options or have bugs. Visit your motherboard manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest UEFI/BIOS update, following the instructions from the manufacturer.
  • Look Through All Menus: Carefully explore all UEFI menus. Secure Boot settings may be hidden or located under a different name (for example, Authentication or Security).

3. Secure Boot is Enabled, But Valorant Still Has Issues

• Symptom: Secure Boot shows as enabled in Windows, but you still encounter Vanguard errors when launching Valorant.
• Cause: This could be related to other system settings, driver issues, or incorrect UEFI configuration.
• Solution:
  • Check TPM 2.0: Verify that you have TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 enabled as Vanguard also needs that for enhanced security. Refer to your motherboard’s manual for instructions on enabling TPM.
  • Update Graphics Drivers: Install the latest graphics drivers for your GPU. Outdated drivers may cause conflicts.
  • Clean Boot Your PC: Perform a clean boot of Windows to rule out conflicts with other software.
  • Contact Riot Support: If the problem persists, reach out to Riot Games support for further assistance with Vanguard-related issues.

Importance of Secure Boot for Overall Security

Beyond enabling you to play Valorant, enabling Secure Boot is a good practice for enhancing the overall security of your system. It adds a critical layer of protection against malicious software and prevents unauthorized access to your system at the lowest level. This is particularly important in today’s digital landscape, where cyber threats are constantly evolving. Even if you don’t play Valorant, consider enabling Secure Boot to improve your device’s security posture.

Conclusion

Enabling Secure Boot is an essential step to play Valorant smoothly and safely. Although it might seem complicated at first, following the steps outlined in this guide should make the process relatively simple. In addition, enabling Secure Boot is a crucial security practice that should be implemented by every user. By enhancing the security of your system at its core, you are reducing your risk of malware infections and protecting your data from malicious software. Always remember that if you are facing any issues, do consult your motherboard’s manual and reach out to its support team or Riot games support for guidance and assistance.