Guides
What Is HWID? Hardware ID Meaning & How to Check It
HWID is the set of hardware serial numbers software reads to tell your PC apart. See what makes it up, how to check yours in Windows and what changes it.
AdminSeptember 27, 2026
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HWID is the set of hardware serial numbers software reads to tell your PC apart. See what makes it up, how to check yours in Windows and what changes it.
Valorant HWID bans usually last four months and hit every account on the PC with VAN 152. How to confirm one, what won't lift it, and how to play again.
A Valorant shadow ban is one of the most frustrating experiences in competitive gaming because Riot never tells you it's happening. There's no popup, no email, no notification in your client. You're just quietly moved into a different matchmaking pool where the game becomes borderline unplayable. And the worst part? Most players don't even realize what's going on until they've suffered through days or even weeks of miserable games.
You just got hit with a VAL 5 error in Valorant and you're staring at your screen wondering if you've been banned. Let's cut straight to it.
A League of Legends HWID ban locks your PC out of every Riot game with error VAN 152. It usually lasts four months. What won't lift it, and how to appeal.
VAN 152 is a Riot Vanguard hardware ID ban on your PC, not a bug. Reinstalling will not clear it. What it means, how long it lasts, and your two options.
I've spent years deep in this ecosystem, scouring official Riot support pages, Reddit threads, Discord communities, and player forums. What I've compiled here is the most comprehensive tier list of every known reason Vanguard bans players, ranked by severity and likelihood.
A Valorant false ban can come from Vanguard or Riot's new Anti-Boost system. See which ban you have, what Riot counts as boosting, and how to get it reviewed.
You just got banned. You make a new account, log in, and within minutes you're banned again. Sound familiar? If that's happening to you, you're not dealing with a simple account ban. You're dealing with a hardware ID ban, and it's an entirely different beast. Let's break this down so you actually understand what's going on under the hood.