While the anti-cheat client only launches alongside Valorant, there's a kernel-mode anti-cheat driver that loads as soon as your operating system boots.

However, there is a kernel-mode driver for the system that loads when you boot into Windows. Riot claims that it needs this since some cheating software uses kernel-mode drivers to evade detection.

KDP works by taking the kernel memory mark as read-only and moving it inside a VBS "virtual secure mode," where it can't be tampered with, even by the operating system itself.

Live dumps don't require a system reboot. Learn how to create a live kernel memory dump file using Task Manager in Windows 11.

See how to fix the UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP Stop Error. This indicated that the Intel CPU generated a trap and the kernel failed to catch this trap.