Requirements
- Windows 10 or 11, builds 2004-23H2
- An Intel or AMD processor with AVX2
- Window mode: borderless or windowed — otherwise the Discord overlay will not come up
- Discord with the game overlay and hardware acceleration enabled
- A working USB flash drive: the loader only runs from it
System requirements
Preparation
Remove third-party antivirus and anti-cheats Kaspersky, Avast, ESET and the like, plus FaceIT and Riot Vanguard, conflict with the loader. They must be uninstalled, not just paused.
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Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps (or Control Panel → Programs and Features).
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Uninstall any third-party antivirus (Kaspersky, Avast, AVG, ESET, 360, Malwarebytes, etc.). Pausing or disabling is not enough — the antivirus driver stays resident.
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Uninstall the FaceIT AC and Riot Vanguard anti-cheats if present — they block third-party software at the kernel level.
- FaceIT is the CS2 anti-cheat, Vanguard is the Valorant one. If you don't play those games, they are safe to remove.
After removing an antivirus, restart the PC — some of its services only unload after a reboot.
Fully disable Windows Defender The #1 cause of "it won't launch". Disable it for real: manually first, then remove it from startup, reboot, and finish it off with Defender Control.
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Step 1. Turn protection off by hand. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings and switch every toggle off:
- Real-time protection — Off.
- Cloud-delivered protection — Off.
- Automatic sample submission — Off.
- Tamper Protection — Off. Turn this one off first, otherwise the others switch themselves back on.
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Step 2. Disable reputation-based protection. In Windows Security → App & browser control → Reputation-based protection → Settings, turn everything off (SmartScreen, potentially-unwanted-app blocking).
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Step 3. Remove Defender from startup. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) → Startup apps tab, find Windows Security notification icon and click Disable.
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Step 4. Restart your computer. This is mandatory — some Defender services only unload after a reboot.
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Step 5. Finish with Defender Control. Download Defender Control (archive password: r1xon), run it as administrator and click Disable Windows Defender — the tile turns red.
- If your antivirus deletes the utility itself, protection is still active — go back to step 1. The file ships zipped on purpose so Defender can't wipe it before it's disabled.
Don't skip steps 3–4. "I turned the toggles off but it didn't help" almost always means Defender came back after restart because it was left in startup.
Disable Core Isolation Memory Integrity blocks the driver from loading. Takes a minute to switch off.
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Open Windows Security → Device security → Core isolation details.
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Turn off Memory Integrity and restart the PC.
Launch
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Uninstall Faceit AC and Riot Vanguard, disable Windows Defender, antivirus software and Core Isolation.
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In Rust graphics settings pick Borderless or Windowed — the Discord overlay does not work in exclusive fullscreen.
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In Discord enable the Game Overlay, turn the legacy overlay off and switch hardware acceleration on.
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Move the loader to a USB flash drive, delete the copies from the PC, close Rust and Steam.
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Run the loader from the flash drive as administrator, enter the key and wait for injected. Remove the flash drive.
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Start Discord, then Rust. A minute after the game loads press Insert to open the cheat menu.
Problems & fixes
The loader does not start or closes immediately
The loader must be run as administrator. If that does not help, disable Windows Defender completely, uninstall any third-party antivirus and the Faceit AC and Riot Vanguard anti-cheats. Make sure Visual C++ 2015-2022, .NET Framework 4.8 and DirectX are installed.
The menu does not open on Insert
Wait up to a minute after entering the game — the menu does not come up instantly. The game must run borderless or windowed. On keyboards without Insert use the on-screen one: Win + R → osk → Enter.
After entering the key the loader asks to synchronise time
Open Settings → Time and language and press "Sync now". The loader checks the time against the license server, and a few minutes of drift is already enough to break it.
A Connection error appears after entering the key
The license server is unreachable from your network. Run the loader with a VPN on — that is enough; the VPN does not affect the game itself.
A No VMX, TPM, Legacy BIOS or Secure Boot error
The loader checks the BIOS. Enable virtualization (VT-x on Intel, SVM on AMD), turn TPM and Secure Boot off and switch the BIOS to UEFI mode.
A Bad HWID error
A copy of the loader is still on the PC — it may only run from the flash drive. Delete the file from Downloads, from the desktop and the unpacked archive, then empty the Recycle Bin. If there are no copies left, the key is bound to different hardware — support resets that.
The cheat started but there is no menu and no ESP
That is the Discord overlay failing — the whole picture is drawn through it. In Discord settings open Game Overlay: the overlay is on, the legacy overlay is off, hardware acceleration is on. The Discord icon must appear when you enter Rust.
The ESP is offset or shaking
Open Config / Visuals in the menu and press Test Get Camera. Set the display scale to 100% in Windows settings and use the same resolution in game and on the desktop.
FAQ
The menu does not open on Insert
Check three things: Rust runs borderless or windowed, the Discord game overlay is on, and a minute has passed since the game loaded. On keyboards without Insert use the on-screen one: Win + R → osk.
Why is Discord required?
The menu and the visuals are drawn over the game through the Discord game overlay — without it there is neither menu nor ESP. The legacy overlay in Discord settings must be off.
Still stuck?
Run R1XON Checker first — it pinpoints most launch problems in 30 seconds. If it still fails, attach the checker report to your support ticket and we’ll sort it out fast.