svchost.exe taking 100% CPU time

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G

Guest

Hi

I am using Windows XP Professional. Whenever my computer starts I find that
svchost.exe is taking huge amount of memory (some 100MB) and a lot of CPU
time (close to 98%). I identify the process to be associated with audio
services. I have to end process and start the Windows Audio Services again.
The problem does not repeat until I restart my computer.

I suspect this is a malware activity but Windows Defender, Trend Micro
Office Scan and ZoneAlarm Pro are clueless about it. I also tried using
AV-CLS in safe mode but they (it uses four different antivirus utilties) also
report no problems (so much for security in Windows).

Can anyone suggest me some solutions? Thanks for any help in advance.
 
If you use Task Manager you can watch svchost spawn wuauclt either when
the system first starts up or when the system comes back from
Hibernation or Standby and see how much of CPU cycles are being taken
up. If svchost/wuauclt are hogging the CPU .....

Open the Services console and Stop, then Disable the Automatic Updates
service from loading at startup.
Restart the system.
Suggest you leave the AU service disabled for now and delete the
contents of WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download and
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs along with the DataStor.ebd
located in DataStore
NOTE: Deleting DataStor.ebd and the logs will erase the update history
one sees on the Microsoft/Windows Update sites.

Then restart the AU service. This will temporarily cure the 100% CPU
useage ***IF*** the culprit is AU

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============
 
Hi MowGreen

If I delete my update history does that mean I will have to download and
install all the updates all over again?

MowGreen said:
If you use Task Manager you can watch svchost spawn wuauclt either when
the system first starts up or when the system comes back from
Hibernation or Standby and see how much of CPU cycles are being taken
up. If svchost/wuauclt are hogging the CPU .....

Open the Services console and Stop, then Disable the Automatic Updates
service from loading at startup.
Restart the system.
Suggest you leave the AU service disabled for now and delete the
contents of WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download and
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs along with the DataStor.ebd
located in DataStore
NOTE: Deleting DataStor.ebd and the logs will erase the update history
one sees on the Microsoft/Windows Update sites.

Then restart the AU service. This will temporarily cure the 100% CPU
useage ***IF*** the culprit is AU

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Apoorv said:
Hi

I am using Windows XP Professional. Whenever my computer starts I find that
svchost.exe is taking huge amount of memory (some 100MB) and a lot of CPU
time (close to 98%). I identify the process to be associated with audio
services. I have to end process and start the Windows Audio Services again.
The problem does not repeat until I restart my computer.

I suspect this is a malware activity but Windows Defender, Trend Micro
Office Scan and ZoneAlarm Pro are clueless about it. I also tried using
AV-CLS in safe mode but they (it uses four different antivirus utilties) also
report no problems (so much for security in Windows).

Can anyone suggest me some solutions? Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Absolutely NOT. It's the history, which update was installed on what
date, that's being deleted, not the actual updates themselves.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Apoorv said:
Hi MowGreen

If I delete my update history does that mean I will have to download and
install all the updates all over again?

MowGreen said:
If you use Task Manager you can watch svchost spawn wuauclt either when
the system first starts up or when the system comes back from
Hibernation or Standby and see how much of CPU cycles are being taken
up. If svchost/wuauclt are hogging the CPU .....

Open the Services console and Stop, then Disable the Automatic Updates
service from loading at startup.
Restart the system.
Suggest you leave the AU service disabled for now and delete the
contents of WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download and
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs along with the DataStor.ebd
located in DataStore
NOTE: Deleting DataStor.ebd and the logs will erase the update history
one sees on the Microsoft/Windows Update sites.

Then restart the AU service. This will temporarily cure the 100% CPU
useage ***IF*** the culprit is AU

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Apoorv said:
Hi

I am using Windows XP Professional. Whenever my computer starts I find that
svchost.exe is taking huge amount of memory (some 100MB) and a lot of CPU
time (close to 98%). I identify the process to be associated with audio
services. I have to end process and start the Windows Audio Services again.
The problem does not repeat until I restart my computer.

I suspect this is a malware activity but Windows Defender, Trend Micro
Office Scan and ZoneAlarm Pro are clueless about it. I also tried using
AV-CLS in safe mode but they (it uses four different antivirus utilties) also
report no problems (so much for security in Windows).

Can anyone suggest me some solutions? Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks a lot!!! That did the trick. Disabled AU, deleted the update history
and restarted the service. Now my computer boots faster and loads faster.

Thanks a lot once again.

MowGreen said:
Absolutely NOT. It's the history, which update was installed on what
date, that's being deleted, not the actual updates themselves.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Apoorv said:
Hi MowGreen

If I delete my update history does that mean I will have to download and
install all the updates all over again?

MowGreen said:
If you use Task Manager you can watch svchost spawn wuauclt either when
the system first starts up or when the system comes back from
Hibernation or Standby and see how much of CPU cycles are being taken
up. If svchost/wuauclt are hogging the CPU .....

Open the Services console and Stop, then Disable the Automatic Updates
service from loading at startup.
Restart the system.
Suggest you leave the AU service disabled for now and delete the
contents of WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download and
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs along with the DataStor.ebd
located in DataStore
NOTE: Deleting DataStor.ebd and the logs will erase the update history
one sees on the Microsoft/Windows Update sites.

Then restart the AU service. This will temporarily cure the 100% CPU
useage ***IF*** the culprit is AU

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Apoorv Khurasia wrote:

Hi

I am using Windows XP Professional. Whenever my computer starts I find that
svchost.exe is taking huge amount of memory (some 100MB) and a lot of CPU
time (close to 98%). I identify the process to be associated with audio
services. I have to end process and start the Windows Audio Services again.
The problem does not repeat until I restart my computer.

I suspect this is a malware activity but Windows Defender, Trend Micro
Office Scan and ZoneAlarm Pro are clueless about it. I also tried using
AV-CLS in safe mode but they (it uses four different antivirus utilties) also
report no problems (so much for security in Windows).

Can anyone suggest me some solutions? Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
You're mowst welcome Apoorv. Glad to hear that the issue is gone for
now. If it reappears before MS releases a fix, just do the same steps. <w>


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Apoorv said:
Thanks a lot!!! That did the trick. Disabled AU, deleted the update history
and restarted the service. Now my computer boots faster and loads faster.

Thanks a lot once again.

:

Absolutely NOT. It's the history, which update was installed on what
date, that's being deleted, not the actual updates themselves.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Apoorv said:
Hi MowGreen

If I delete my update history does that mean I will have to download and
install all the updates all over again?

:


If you use Task Manager you can watch svchost spawn wuauclt either when
the system first starts up or when the system comes back from
Hibernation or Standby and see how much of CPU cycles are being taken
up. If svchost/wuauclt are hogging the CPU .....

Open the Services console and Stop, then Disable the Automatic Updates
service from loading at startup.
Restart the system.
Suggest you leave the AU service disabled for now and delete the
contents of WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download and
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs along with the DataStor.ebd
located in DataStore
NOTE: Deleting DataStor.ebd and the logs will erase the update history
one sees on the Microsoft/Windows Update sites.

Then restart the AU service. This will temporarily cure the 100% CPU
useage ***IF*** the culprit is AU

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Apoorv Khurasia wrote:


Hi

I am using Windows XP Professional. Whenever my computer starts I find that
svchost.exe is taking huge amount of memory (some 100MB) and a lot of CPU
time (close to 98%). I identify the process to be associated with audio
services. I have to end process and start the Windows Audio Services again.
The problem does not repeat until I restart my computer.

I suspect this is a malware activity but Windows Defender, Trend Micro
Office Scan and ZoneAlarm Pro are clueless about it. I also tried using
AV-CLS in safe mode but they (it uses four different antivirus utilties) also
report no problems (so much for security in Windows).

Can anyone suggest me some solutions? Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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