Many users of computers and laptops, looking at the process tree displayed in, often encounter the incomprehensible RTHDCPL service in startup. Unfortunately, few people imagine what this is. Let's look at the description of the process and find out what this service is needed for and what it is responsible for. By the way, many users of desktop computers and laptops will find it very familiar. It’s just that no one tried to look at where the abbreviation denoting this process came from. However, first things first.

RTHDCPL in startup: what is it?

In fact, you shouldn’t be afraid of the presence of such a process in startup. The service itself is not critical, although sometimes it can cause some errors or malfunctions in the system (this does not happen often, but it does happen).

In fact, there shouldn’t be anything unclear here. What is RTHDCPL in startup? This is one of the components of a special sound panel (Realtek HD Audio Control Panel), which is installed as accompanying software along with Realtek sound card drivers. Let's take a closer look at the rthdcpl.exe service. What kind of process we have in this case will become clear after describing some of the capabilities of the software components themselves.

Why does the process boot along with the system?

If we approach the issue of the operation of the service itself, it is in the startup menu only because of the default settings. After installation, many applications behave this way, including their own client processes in the system startup process.

RTHDCPL is also in startup for the reason that initially the Realtek software developers decided that this would be the most convenient way for the user to call components for controlling sound circuits and effects without calling the application manually. The soundbar icon is located in the system tray. Please note that it is highlighted separately and does not replace the standard volume icon.

Understanding Realtek Sound Manager

If we consider the topic: “RTHDCPL: what kind of process is this,” we cannot ignore the panel itself, which is very often associated with the concept of Realtek Sound Manager, which literally translates as “Realtek sound manager.” What is he like?

The panel itself is a very convenient means of controlling almost all sound characteristics and capabilities of the sound card. First of all, you should pay attention to the ability to configure the speakers. There are several options here. Depending on the type of speakers, their number and modification of the sound card, you can easily change stereo sound to surround sound. In some cases, if you have only two speakers, you can set up so-called emulated virtual surround sound, which refers to the concept of “pseudo”.

On the panel you can find advanced settings for inputs and outputs of the front and rear panels, not to mention general volume or balance adjustments. The built-in standard sound equalizer circuits deserve special attention. So, for example, from the list you can select the sound “pop”, “rock”, etc. In this case, you can build the equalizer yourself and save the settings under a custom name. In principle, the capabilities are standard.

How advisable is it to use the panel?

Of course, having quick access to control your computer's audio performance is good. But the question of how justified the use of this panel has a twofold answer. If you are a music lover who cannot imagine living without listening to music, please enjoy it to your health.

On the other hand, if you use heavy applications and programs on your computer very often, in some cases this service may even cause hardware conflicts, especially when sharing the same device or when installing or updating drivers. Here it’s better to turn off the panel.

Is it possible to disable RTHDCPL.exe in startup?

The simplest answer to this question is “yes.” However, if we approach the topic of the question “RTHDCPL in startup: what is it?” more broadly, it should be borne in mind that simply disabling this particular component of the soundbar will not solve the problem.

In principle, the service itself can be disabled in the same task manager by simply unchecking the corresponding Startup menu item. But here you need to remember that this is just one of many components of sound control. Therefore, it is advisable to sort all processes or services by manufacturer name, and then disable all other related components as needed.

Although, as mentioned above, the RTHDCPL process itself in startup is not critical and does not use too many system resources. However, in the case when the maximum reduction in the load on the system is required or errors occur that even lead to the disappearance of sound, it is recommended to disable this service (at least the main component). This will not affect the stability of the system in any way.

Could rthdcpl.exe be a virus and how can I tell?

So, RTHDCPL in startup - what is it? Safe process or virus? Indeed, there is a possibility that this service may turn out to be a threat, since some types of viruses masquerade as it.

Determining whether this process is a virus or some kind of malicious code can be fairly easy, even by looking at the process tree in the task manager. The fact is that the real original service has a very clear indication in the description and manufacturer line that it is a product of Realtek. In most cases, a virus or malware simply does not have such a signature, and the system writes that the manufacturer is unknown. If such a situation arises, you can be sure that you are facing a threat.

On the other hand, you can use the search system to look at the location of the executable file rthdcpl.exe, which in the original should be located in the System32 system folder of the Windows directory. If such a file is present in another location, it is clearly a virus. As is already clear, in this case you will have to use a standard antivirus scan, or better yet, some independent tool in the form of a portable version, say, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.

Conclusion

To summarize, the service itself for managing sound and sound card capabilities is harmless. Of course, to improve the sound of music or when watching movies or clips, this tool is simply irreplaceable. But if there is no such need, then the constant presence of the process in RAM is simply not necessary. So there will be no harm in disabling the service and using the standard Windows scheme and settings instead. However, everyone decides for themselves. Therefore, it is possible to advise something specific only depending on the preferences and needs of the user himself.

Good day!

Somehow, having already ceased to be afraid of the computer, when the fear of “pressing something wrong” had disappeared, I began to use it more confidently. But not yet, that's a fact))). And still some things put me in a state of slight stupor, on the verge of panic. I bought a new computer some time ago and I couldn’t be happier. The speed of work has increased, everything literally “flies”. And one day, having finished using the computer, I clicked “shut down” and went to pour some tea. Imagine my surprise when I returned! The computer was still not turned off, or rather, it tried, but for some reason it took a long time. I quickly figured it out, it turned out that while sitting at the computer, I opened a lot of tabs: music, a video player, a couple of programs for editing text and inserting pictures on the blog. As a result, the computer’s operating system was forced to first close all this for me, then turn off the PC. It’s good that I quickly realized something))), I had to close all tabs and programs, after which the computer turned off normally, as usual, without freezing.

Advice from the same “boobies” like me :) - before clicking “shut down”, close all open tabs, quit working in open programs and only then turn off your computer!

There was another case, I closed all the tabs, but the computer still turned off for a long time. However, it did not load quickly)). By that time, I already had someone to turn to, and I knew for sure that the person would help. I blew to Volodya Belev, and they began to find out. It turned out that a lot of garbage had accumulated in the computer, plus, when turning it on and off, unnecessary programs that were in startup were dragged along with the operating system. Because many programs installed on a computer try to place themselves in startup (and many are unnecessary), there are more and more icons in the system tray (next to the clock), and accordingly the startup and shutdown times increase. In many cases, there is no need to autoload many programs, because many are unnecessary.

Advice: you need to clean the system and disable unnecessary programs from startup (those that we don’t need when we turn on the computer)!

Let's look at how to disable unnecessary programs from startup...

This is done simply. You need to open the task manager (keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+Shift+Esc” or type “Task Manager” directly in the Windows search). Having opened the task manager, go to the “Startup” tab:

This is where we can find unnecessary programs in startup. You see the programs. Those that load automatically are marked as “Enabled” in the “Status” column. Disable unnecessary programs from startup, to do this, select the program in the list and click “Disable” at the bottom:

You will see the result the next time you turn it on (the unwanted program will not start), or restart your PC and you're done!

But you shouldn’t disable probably necessary programs in startup!

You should not disable antivirus programs (for example, Avast), driver programs (for example, NVIDIA video driver) and their auxiliary programs, Realtek Manager (sound settings program), HD Audio (also sound), ETD Control Center (for controlling the touchpad) from startup. But the programs that are in startup can differ on almost every computer, depending on what programs are installed on them and what drivers are installed. You also cannot disable system programs from startup, without which Windows may not function properly (for example, “Windows Host Process”).

But here you can do the following. Disable one by one from startup programs that you think are unnecessary and, after rebooting the computer, check to see if you see anything strange or unusual in the operation of the system? If everything is in order and no consequences are visible, then disable the following program from startup. And in this experimental way, gradually disable all programs unnecessary for startup. If something goes wrong, you can always include the last disabled program in startup or all at once.

That is, nothing bad will happen to the system; you can boot Windows anyway and turn the program back into startup. Therefore, it is difficult to give a specific list or specific recommendations; only approximate categories are given that do not need to be disabled, but the names may differ in each individual case.

It might come in handy.

Today we will look at a process that most users do not have problems with. It is he who is responsible for all sound add-ons on the computer and is located in the tray, from where it can be called with one click of the mouse. The name is complicated, but everything is on the surface. Let's look at what RTHDCPL.exe is and why it loads the processor.

What is RTHDCPL.exe?

RTHDCPL.exe is the executable file for the Realtek HD Audio Control Panel. The application is installed along with the driver package for the sound card and serves as a utility for adding sound effects and customizing audio recording. The absence or removal of the program does not affect the system or sound quality in any way: the software does not implement system functions.

Based on the information above, disabling or deleting RTHDCPL.exe will not affect the performance of the system or the quality of the sound played in any way.

In normal operating condition, the RTHDCPL.exe file is 13,179,660 bytes in size in any version of the software and has a technical severity rating of 11%, which is a very small indicator. Therefore, if the actual amount of data differs from the nominal amount, you should check your PC for viruses and other malware.

How to disable the service?

If RTHDCPL.exe loads the processor or causes errors, you can remove the application from startup.

For this:

After completing the above steps, the load on the hardware should decrease.

Attention! In Windows 7, 8, 8.1 operating systems, the startup tab is located in a different location. To call it, press Win+R and enter regedit in the text field. In the window that appears, go to the “Startup” tab.

How to remove the virus hiding under the soundbar?

If symptoms of computer infection appear (slow operation, display of advertising, etc.), you need to check your PC for malware.

For this:

1. Stop the RTHDCPL.exe process (if it is active).
2. Install three applications: AdwCleaner, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool and CCleaner.
3. Launch AdwCleaner, click "Scan". After completing the procedure, click “Cleaning”.
   
4. Open Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. Follow your antivirus software's instructions and remove any threats found.
5. Reset your browser settings.
   
   
6. Remove outdated registry entries using CCleaner.

To significantly relieve the system of automatically launched applications, you need to disable everything unnecessary and unnecessary at the moment. Easier said than done. Therefore, for many it is a big problem to find those very unnecessary elements in the list of automatically launched programs. To simplify the task, I present to your attention 8 programs that you can safely disable in startup to speed up your system.

1. iTunes Helper

Surely, this program will be on the list of those who use iTunes to listen to music and/or synchronize their Apple gadgets. This program sits permanently in the computer’s memory and waits for the iDevice to be connected. Once this happens, it launches iTunes. Actually, that's all it's needed for.

The trick is that you can launch iTunes manually when you connect the device. If there is no device, then this program is not needed at all. In both cases it can be disabled.

2.QuickTime

This is a media player module that may be needed to play some video formats. But why is it in autoload? Can be disabled.

3. Apple Push

The product also belongs to the Apple company and is used to send notifications to launch other Apple programs that are installed on the system. Essentially, it allows interaction between your device and apps like iCloud on your computer. But experience shows that if you disable this entry, the data is still synchronized. So you can turn it off.

4. Adobe Reader

Of course, everyone knows the most popular PDF reader. If this program is not used, then there is absolutely no need to keep it running at startup, wasting resources. Can be disabled.

5. Skype

Many people simply cannot live without communicating on Skype. Some people do this all the time and communicate with work colleagues throughout the day. And some communicate at home with distant relatives once every few days. But the truth is that during installation, Skype is automatically registered in startup and is turned on every time along with the system, which also slows down other startup processes that occur in parallel, since Skype itself is far from a “light” application. You can run it manually as needed and after the system starts.

6. Google Chrome

The most popular browser also likes to sit in startup, adding update checking modules there. Modules such as Google Update and Google Installer can be disabled. However, the Chrome browser will still update itself.

7. Evernote Clipper

Being a big fan of Evernote, I still turned off Clipper. And at the same time, I have not experienced any inconvenience in working with him for many years.

8.Microsoft Office

Microsoft's office suite is quite good and is the standard almost everywhere. But what's the point of autoloading? After all, even without automatic launch, you can open any file in any office program. Turn it off.

In most cases, the reason for a slow PC is that it is cluttered with various applications that we use from time to time, but which run every time we turn on the computer and eat up PC resources while waiting for it to be used. Often this is simply not necessary and such applications can be launched manually as needed, without taking resources from the computer only to have some program waiting for you in memory.

The best way to disable startup for programs is in their settings. But if there are none, then you can use the utility msconfig in Windows XP-7 or Task Manager in Windows 8-10.