What is Vulkan Run Time Libraries & How Do I Deal with It?

This has been a common and recurrent question in many forums and websites recently. Plenty of Windows 10 users might have panicked a little when they saw Vulkan Run Time Libraries 1.0.3.0 running on their computers. Therefore, it’s only sensible to start by reassuring you that there’s absolutely no reason to fret if you have detected this program in your system; it is neither a virus nor a security threat.

If Vulkan Run Time Libraries is not malware, what is it and how did it end up on your PC? For starters, a runtime library is a collection of software programs that provide one or more native program functions or services. It also allows the software programs to be executed with their full functionality by providing add-on program resources vital to the primary program.

Vulkan RunTime Libraries at a Glance

A Vulkan Run Time Libraries, also known as VulkanRT, is a software library that specific games run to display graphics on a screen. In simpler terms, these are Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) utilized for computer graphics: A set of clearly defined methods of communication among different software components. As such, there’s absolutely no need to uninstall it, especially if you play games on your PC.

Vulkan RunTime Libraries is a recent graphics standard, quite similar to OpenGL and DirectX. It’s published by LunarG, Inc, as a 3D graphics API for gaming and better 3D performance. Vulkan RunTime is built to deliver higher performance and a more balanced CPU/GPU usage. It’s also better at distributing performance amongst multiple CPU cores. Essentially, it offers high-efficiency, cross-platform access to modern GPUs. It follows then that we recommend leaving the program on your computer since uninstalling it may lead to various graphics problems.

If you’re running Windows 10, particularly with Nvidia Drivers, Vulkan Run Time Libraries is a standard inclusion. It usually self-installs automatically with your graphics card driver; hence there’s normally no pop-up window to ask for permission. This is targeted towards PC users who play computer games or use programs that require graphics quite often. Users who don’t particularly do either might not even notice Vulkan Run Time Libraries installed in their computer. That being said, if you decide to uninstall it, you must keep in mind it can be quite hellish to reinstall. VulkanRT installs with graphic drivers, which would need to be installed first.

Games Supporting Vulkan Run time Libraries

As we have previously mentioned, Vulkan Run Time Libraries is a relatively recent API. Consequently, there are only a handful of games that support it. These comprise:

QuakeQuake 2Quake 3 ArenaCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveMad MaxDoomDoom3 BFGDoom EternalF1 2017RobloxDota 2VaingloryAshes of the SingularitySerious Sam VR: The First EncounterSerious Sam VR: The Second EncounterSerious Sam VR: The Last HopWar ThunderWolfenstein II: The New ColossusGalaxy on Fire 3: ManticoreBallistic OverkillWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IIIRise of the Tomb Raider

Evidently, this is a decent number of games, both classic and new, that support Vulkan Run Time Libraries. As such, if you would like to or regularly play any of these games, you need to leave it installed on your computer.

How to Uninstall Vulkan RunTime Libraries

We cannot emphasise enough that it would be best not to uninstall Vulkan Run Time Libraries on your computer, mostly because removing it might cause various graphics challenges, particularly when playing games. However, if you are still adamant that you want to uninstall the libraries, there are two ways to go about the process.

Method 1:

Go to Search Bar by pressing the Windows
Key button.Type in Control Panel and click on the corresponding prompt that appears.Under Programs, select Uninstall a Program.Scroll down the program list to Vulkan RunTime Libraries.Select it, then click Uninstall.

Alternatively:

Press Windows Key + R to open a Run WindowIn the run pop-up box, type appwiz.cpl then click Ok.From the list that appears, look for Vulkan Run Time Libraries. Once you find it, right-click on it, then select Uninstall/Change.Follow the corresponding steps to complete the uninstallation process.

As you can see, the uninstallation process is pretty straightforward. In most cases, you’ll read the step, do the step then get the banana. In case it’s not entirely clear, this video should help you to get through.

If for some reason, you would like to reinstall Vulkan RunTime Libraries, you have to uninstall the graphics drivers first:

Type in Device Manager from the search bar, then click on the Device Manager result.Find the graphics hardware device, then expand it.Right-click on Graphics Driver, then select Uninstall Device.You need to check the Delete the Driver Software for this Device checkbox before you uninstall the device.Click Uninstall.

After you have completed this process, restart your PC and Windows automatically reinstalls the missing drivers. If the drivers are not restored:

Return to Device Manager.Right-click on Video Driver under the Video Hardware Device.Select Update Driver.

You will get a prompt asking you how you wish to search for drivers, either Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software or Browse My Computer for Driver Software. Choose your preferred option, then follow the instructions.

This should reinstall Vulkan Run Time Libraries. Once you have finished updating and installing drivers, you have to restart Windows for all the changes you have made to take effect. Therefore, once your PC has booted up, check to see if Vulkan Run Time Libraries has been successfully installed on the system.

There you have it. VulkanRT is not a threat to your PC, and neither does it affect it in any way. Hopefully, this article has given you a deeper understanding of Vulkan RunTime libraries. Furthermore, we hope we have helped you to establish whether you need it or not, as well as how to uninstall or reinstall this API. .