What Is RtHDVCpl.exe? Is It Safe and Should You Remove It?

There are a large number of processes running in the background, and you can see all the current processes by opening the Task Manager. If you notice that there is a process called RtHDVCpl.exe and want to know some information about it, then this post is what you need.

What Is RtHDVCpl.exe?

What is RtHDVCpl.exe? RtHDVCpl represents Realtek High Definition Volume Control Panel. If you have installed the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver on your computer, then you could notice the RtHDVCpl.exe file.

Realtek HD Audio Driver is the interface between the Windows operating system and the Realtek HD audio card. RtHDVCpl.exe is used to configure volume settings. It is not a required process for Windows, and it can be disabled if it is known to cause problems.

Is RtHDVCpl.exe Safe?

If you have installed the Realtek High Definition Audio driver on your computer, you may be worried about why the process is running (because there is nothing in the process description box). Actually, there are two situations; either your computer is running a genuine program, or there is malware disguised as the RtHDVCpl.exe file.

The first thing that can help you determine whether the RtHDVCpl.exe file is a legitimate Windows process or a virus is the location of itself. RtHDVCpl.exe should be run from C:\Program Files (x86)\Realtek\Audio\HDA\ and not from another location.

To confirm, open the Task Manager, go to the Details tab, right-click the RtHDVCpl.exe process to choose Open file location.

Related post: Top 8 Ways: Fix Task Manager Not Responding Windows 7/8/10

When RtHDVCpl.exe is located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder, it is likely to be a virus. The viruses that have been detected now include Virus:Win32/Sality.AT (detected by Microsoft), and Virus.Win32.Sality.gen (detected by Kaspersky).

Related post: What Is System 32 Directory and Why You Shouldn’t Delete It?

How to Fix Errors Related to RtHDVCpl.exe?

Sometimes, you could meet the following RtHDVCpl.exe errors during the installation of the program, during the execution of its associated software program, Realtek HDMI Audio Audio for ATI, during the startup or shutdown of Windows, or even during the installation of the Windows operating system.:

• exe Application Error.
• exe failed.
• exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
• exe is not a valid Win32 application.
• exe is not running.
• exe not found.
• Cannot find RtHDVCpl.exe.
• Error starting program: RtHDVCpl.exe.
• Faulting Application Path: RtHDVCpl.exe.

Then how to fix errors related to RtHDVCpl.exe? There are two methods offered for you.

Method 1: Update the Audio Driver

Step 1: Right-click the Start button to choose Device Manager.

Step 2: Expand Sound, video, and game controllers, then right-click Realtek High Definition Audio to choose Update driver.

Step 3: Choose Search automatically for updated driver software, then follow the instructions to update the audio driver.

Step 4: Reboot your computer to check if the error is fixed.

Method 2: Run a Virus Scan

If there is a virus on your computer, then you could also meet errors related to RtHDVCpl.exe. Then running a virus scan may be helpful. Here is how to do that:

Step 1: Press the Win + I keys at the same time to open Settings.

Step 2: Choose Update & Security, go to the Windows Security tab, then click Virus & threat protection.

Step 3: Click Scan options, choose Full scan, and then click Scan now.

Step 4: Wait for the process to complete and then reboot your computer to check if the error still exists.

Bottom Line

To sum up, after reading this post, you should know some basic information about the RtHDVCpl.exe file. And if you meet errors related to RtHDVCpl.exe, try the methods mentioned above to fix them.