Solution ‘privacyiconclient.exe failed to initialize’ Error

Is privacyiconclient.exe a startup program?

Yes, it is. Startup programs are those that run automatically when you boot Windows. As privacyiconclient.exe, by default, starts automatically every time you start Windows, it is indeed a Windows startup program.

The startup entry of this process can be found in the following location in the Windows registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\RUN

Privacyiconclient.exe error

You may receive the following privacyiconclient.exe error during Windows startup/shutdown or when you start a program:

PrivacyIconClient.exe: Failed to initialize properly (0xc0000135) click OK to continue.

Resolution

You can easily resolve the error by removing the related process from your startup sequence. Please note that removing privacyiconclient.exe from your startup programs does not have any adverse effect on your PC’s or software’s performance.

Perform the following steps to remove the process from your Windows startup sequence:

  1. Click Start, and then click the Run utility.
  2. In the Run dialog box, type msconfig and then press the OK button.
  3. In the System Configuration dialog box, click the Startup tab.
  4. In the list that appears below, locate and unselect Privacyiconclient.exe.
  5. Click Apply to save your preferences.
  6. Click OK to exit the System Configuration dialog box.
  7. Restart Windows for changes to take effect.

Is privcacyiconclient.exe a safe file?

Yes, it is. However, you also need to keep in mind that often files belonging to malicious programs have same name as legitimate processes. So, if you see privacyiconclient.exe running on your Windows computer even when you don’t use the associated software or you see two instances of this process running, then chances are high that your PC is infected. In such a case, using an advanced antivirus program run a thorough virus scan on your computer.