Highguard has a strict security requirement built right into it — TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot must both be active for the game to launch. For a lot of players, this is where things get frustrating. Your BIOS might say Secure Boot is “Enabled,” but Windows reports it as “Disabled,” and the game flat out refuses to start.
This isn’t a bug in the traditional sense. The developers intentionally built this in to block bootkit-style cheats, similar to how Valorant handles its anti-cheat. The actual bug here is a BIOS reporting issue — your system thinks Secure Boot is on, but it’s stuck in “Setup Mode” instead of “User Mode.” Once you understand what’s actually happening, the fix is straightforward.
This guide walks you through everything step by step — from checking your partition style, to forcing Secure Boot into the correct state, to verifying it all works before you even try launching the game.
Step 1: Check Your Partition Style (GPT vs MBR)
This is the first thing you need to confirm, and a lot of players skip it entirely. Secure Boot simply will not work if your drive is using MBR (Master Boot Record). It needs GPT (GUID Partition Table).
- Right-click the Start Button and open Disk Management.
- Right-click on Disk 0 (the drive Windows is installed on) and hit Properties.
- Go to the Volumes tab and look at Partition Style. It must say GUID Partition Table (GPT).
If it says MBR, you’ll need to convert it before anything else in this guide will stick. Don’t skip this — it’s the foundation everything else builds on.
Note: On some motherboards (especially Gigabyte/Aorus), the BIOS will force CSM Support to stay active if it detects any MBR drive in your system — not just the boot drive. If you’re stuck later, use the diskpart command to check all your disks and convert any that need it.
Step 2: Fix the “Disabled” Status in BIOS
This is the step that actually solves the problem for most players. Your BIOS says Secure Boot is “Enabled,” but Windows is reporting it as “Disabled.” What’s happening is that your BIOS is stuck in Setup Mode instead of User Mode. The fix is to refresh your Secure Boot keys.
- Restart your PC and enter the BIOS — tap the Delete key during boot.
- Go to the Boot tab and make sure CSM Support is set to Disabled.
- Open the Secure Boot menu. Change the mode from Standard to Custom, then switch it right back to Standard.
- When the prompt “Install Factory Default Keys” shows up, select YES.
- Press F10 to save and exit.
That toggle from Standard to Custom and back is the key move here. It forces the BIOS to re-initialize the Secure Boot keys and push the state from Setup Mode to User Mode.
Step 3: Verify Everything in Windows
Don’t just assume it worked — confirm it before you launch the game. This takes about 10 seconds and saves you a headache.
- Press Win + R, type msinfo32, and hit Enter.
- Find Secure Boot State — it should say On.
- Also check that BIOS Mode says UEFI.
If both of those are showing correctly, you’re good to go. Launch Highguard and it should get past the security check without any issues.
FAQ – Common Questions
Why does Highguard require all this in the first place?
The developers deliberately built TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements into the game to fight bootkit cheats — these are cheats that run at the kernel level before Windows even fully loads. It’s the same approach Valorant uses. It’s not a bug, it’s a design choice.
My BIOS says Secure Boot is “Enabled” but the game still won’t launch. What now?
Your BIOS is in Setup Mode instead of User Mode. Follow Step 2 above to reinstall the factory keys — that’s what pulls it into the correct state.
Can I turn Secure Boot off after the game starts running?
No. The anti-cheat checks for this continuously while you’re playing. If you disable it, the game will either refuse to launch or kick you out mid-session.
Will switching to UEFI/GPT break my other games?
No. Most modern games and apps don’t care whether you’re running UEFI or Legacy BIOS. A lot of newer titles already require it. You might even see a slight FPS improvement in some cases.
My PC won’t boot after I switched to UEFI. What do I do?
This only happens if Windows was originally installed on an MBR partition. Go back into BIOS, re-enable CSM Support, then convert your disk to GPT first using the steps in Step 1. After that, you can safely disable CSM again.
I dual-boot Linux — is there a way to do this without messing up my setup?
Yes, two options. First, you can put Windows on a separate SSD and only enable Secure Boot when you boot into that drive. Second, if your motherboard supports multiple UEFI profiles, set one profile to Legacy/CSM for Linux and another to UEFI with Secure Boot enabled for Highguard. Most modern boards support this.
Is this anti-cheat too invasive?
Highguard uses kernel-level protection, same as Valorant. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, that’s a fair call — but it’s not going anywhere.
Final Thoughts
The whole process looks more complicated than it actually is. Most of the time, Step 2 alone fixes the problem — the BIOS reporting bug is by far the most common issue players run into. If you’re still stuck after going through all three steps, double-check that every drive in your system is GPT, not just the boot drive.
For more Highguard guides and PC gaming fixes, keep checking back on BRGeeks.
