svchst.exe

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robert J. Lafayette
  • Start date Start date
R

Robert J. Lafayette

XP Home sp2.


too much CPU going to one of the svchost.exe commands.

A large svchost.exe, 14,212 k sometimes goes as high as 22,000 k.

Often, too often, pushes CPU to 100% virtually stopping everything else.

What can be done? Do I have too many SYSTEM svchost.exe's? Five (5) are
displayed.

Please advise,
This important system function is hogging my CPU. Please help.

Thanks in advance,
Robert
 
Robert said:
XP Home sp2.


too much CPU going to one of the svchost.exe commands.

A large svchost.exe, 14,212 k sometimes goes as high as 22,000 k.

Often, too often, pushes CPU to 100% virtually stopping everything else.

What can be done? Do I have too many SYSTEM svchost.exe's? Five (5) are
Click to expand...


The First Question Of Troubleshooting: what changed between the time
things worked and the time they didn't?

The Second Question of Windows Troubleshooting: what is the
malware/virus status of the machine? If you think it is clean, what
programs (and versions) did you use to determine this?

Be sure the computer is clean:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

In your case, I would answer the Second Question first. If the machine
is clean, we can then narrow down the troubleshooting with the answer to
the First Question.


Malke
 
Malke, thank you.

Excellent suggestions.

I use Comodo firewall and Avast free anti virus;
approximately once a week I run Compu Rx with all its components,
including defrag,

CC Cleaner as a pre registry cleaner and Free Registry cleaner

as well as having Adaware.

It seems that when Avast updates (daily and as sent by Avast during the day)
it takes lots of CPU via svchost and this may be the problem.

I hope Avast update is all the problem is!?!

Robert
 
Robert said:
Malke, thank you.

Excellent suggestions.

I use Comodo firewall and Avast free anti virus;
approximately once a week I run Compu Rx with all its components,
including defrag,

CC Cleaner as a pre registry cleaner and Free Registry cleaner

as well as having Adaware.

It seems that when Avast updates (daily and as sent by Avast during the day)
it takes lots of CPU via svchost and this may be the problem.

I hope Avast update is all the problem is!?!
Click to expand...

There is no way for me to tell what is causing your issue. I am not
familiar with Compu RX so can't comment on its efficacy. I like CC
Cleaner but would never suggest using it as a registry cleaner, or any
other registry cleaner for that matter. I don't want to get into a
discussion about registry cleaners; if you want to see such discussions
simply do a Google Groups Advanced Search in this newsgroup and in the
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general for "registry cleaners".

It is entirely up to you whether you do a formal scan for malware as
outlined in the link I already gave you. I would do so, and if the
machine is clean then do clean-boot troubleshooting to try and determine
where the problem lies. You can also use other tools such as
Sysinternals' Process Explorer and AutoRuns.

Clean boot in Windows XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
Clean-boot advanced troubleshooting in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316434
How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx -
Sysinternals (now at MS)

Slow or Sluggish Computer:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
http://aumha.org/a/health.htm - Take Out the Trash


Malke
 
When the computers on my network have had this problem with svchost.exe
taking up 100% of the cpu, it has been the automatic updates service that
was the problem. Try changing your automatic update settings to "notify, but
don't download" or off and go through manually once a month to retrieve any
new windows updates. Let me know if this works.
-kenkcj
 
I suspect it is the automatic 'updates' also.

Will do , thank you all.
Robert
 
To find out more about Svchost.exe entries and loading down your CPU try
Process Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx

Once you have Process Explorer installed and running:
In the taskbar select View and check 'Show Process Tree' and 'Show Lower
Pane' options.
(This will provide the detailed info you need)
Next click/Expand the Svchost.exe process that you are interested in.
Then highlight one of the process listed under Svchost, right click and from
the options listed select: Search Online
This should display what out there on the web about that process.

JS
 
Robert

You need to identify which application is generating excessive use of
svchost.exe. Process Explorer provides more information than Task
Manager.

Download Process Explorer.

For further information about Process Explorer see here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx

To ascertain which service is causing the problem select the svchost
producing the high CPU usage, right click, select Properties, Services.
Note there are the full names and some explanation of what each service
does.

You will find further information on Services here:
http://majorgeeks.com/page.php?id=12

To trace the particular Service involved you need to turn off each
service in turn and then restore it noting what effect it has on CPU
usage. However, you need to take care and watch what other Services are
dependent on that service. When you click on the Dependencies tab allow
it a little time to display the information.

It would be helpful if you could post the Command Line of the svchost
process generating the excessive CPU usage. In Process Explorer place
cursor on Process and select Properties, Image.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Robert J. Lafayette said:
XP Home sp2.


too much CPU going to one of the svchost.exe commands.

A large svchost.exe, 14,212 k sometimes goes as high as 22,000 k.

Often, too often, pushes CPU to 100% virtually stopping everything else.

What can be done? Do I have too many SYSTEM svchost.exe's? Five (5) are
displayed.
Click to expand...
No you do not. In fact, 5 are fewer than most people see.
It may be that Process Explorer can yield the commands given to svchost.exe
by the invoking process. And such information may help in determining what
is going on.
Please advise,
This important system function is hogging my CPU. Please help.

Thanks in advance,
Robert
Click to expand...
Jim
 
Ahh yes, thank you. Gerry. et al.

will download process explorer.

Though I do now think that it is the updates that are causing the CPU
excess.

Will advise,

Thanks,
Robert
 
Downloaded 'Process Explorer'.

Great tool!

It should help answer my question next time my CPU gets hogged.

Thanks to all,
Robert
 
Windows and other software, especially antivirus software, think they are
doing us good by hiding what they are doing, like malicious software would,
and that can scare us as in this discussion. I don't understand why so many
people tolerate it.

I have turned of automatic updates for my antivirus, and now it tries to
scare me by telling me my system is unsafe.
 
Perhaps Sam because it's true. Have you given the matter serious
consideration? Do you not think that those propagating viruses, trojans
and malware are constantly devising new ways to circumvent the
protection offered by you anti-virus provider. Join the real world!


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Why would you turn off Automatic Updates for antivirus? Its not the AV
updates that are causing the system to spike to 100% but rather the
automatic update service by microsoft. There was some bug in an update a
while back that caused the system to hang when it was configured to download
and install windows/microsoft updates automatically. Microsoft did release a
hotfix for this bug, however have thus far still not released it to
automatic updates as far as I'm aware. Granted, I don't recommend taking
forever to install, thats why I recommended to download the updates, but
notify before installing, that way you can update windows at your earliest
convenience.

Virus & spyware codewriters get the same information as we do on these virus
update definitions as well as security updates for windows. Some of the more
malicious programmers will see that as an opportunity to spread their
programs or write a new program taking advantage of the flaw in security. Of
course, those who keep their computers and antivirus up to date will not be
affected, but rather stragglers who don't think that its that important.

If I were you, I would rethink my policy on how you keep your computer
updated. Otherwise eventually you're gonna roll the dice a few too many
times and end up with a large repair bill from something that could have
essentially been avoided.
-kenkcj
 
Many antivirus software do download from their site, using their own
software. They download virus definitons that are useful only by their
software.

It is absolutely definite that it is the antivirus downloads that is the
problem. If you are not aware of that then either you don't use the
antivirus software I use or you are simply not aware of the antivirus
software doing downloads. It is highly likely that you are not aware of the
affect on performance of antivirus downloads because your system is fast
enough that the downloads do not affect performance. Unless you have a slow
processor, you can't advise me.

What I am talking about is antivirus software doing downloads that are
suspicious to the owner of the system. I explained why I had to turn off
automatic downloads for my antivirus software. I assure you that for the
problem I am describing, it is the antivirus updates. Yes, it is not just
the antivirus updates, and if you read what I said I did say that; just not
directly.

What I am talking about is antivirus software doing downloads, not Microsoft
Windows Update doing downloads.
 
I am in the real world. You are the one being theoretical; your theory is
that automatic downloads occuring while the system is booting is practical.
It's a good theory but not realistic.

Also, you are too quick to criticize; you do not understand the problem I
explained. I know that developers of malicious software will hide themselves
as much as possible. That is the problem I suggest can easily be solved by
the antivirus vendors

There are very easy solutions that the antivirus vendors can implement to
solve the problems, and I mentiond those solutions. They can easily do it.

Please be more realistic and try to understand what I said.
 
That scare tactic of telling the user his system is unsafe is nothing more
than a sales ploy.
 
Even on my older computer, I have automatic updates of antivirus turned on
simply because it allows you to be open to attacks from users who wait for
these virus updates to come out and spread them to unsuspecting users who
have no antivirus or keep the automatic update of virus definitions turned
off. It is definitely up to you to turn this off, but the AV software is
correct saying that your system is open to attack when you do this. Further,
the reason I was saying to not turn them off completely because the OP was
talking about svchst.exe which is a windows component and not a third party
software. Therefore, your subject was off-topic and I believe that the OP
should have been advised of best practices for his system based on the
problem he presented.
-kenkcj
 
kenkcj said:
Even on my older computer, I have automatic updates of antivirus turned on
simply because it allows you to be open to attacks from users who wait for
these virus updates to come out and spread them to unsuspecting users who
have no antivirus or keep the automatic update of virus definitions turned
off.
Click to expand...

You are overracting, and the fact that you say "no antivirus" proves you are
intentionally exagerating.
Therefore, your subject was off-topic and I believe that the OP should
have been advised of best practices for his system based on the problem he
presented.
Click to expand...

You say it is off-topic because you disagree. If you agreed then you would
not say that.
 
By the no antivirus is simply because I know some people who do. The only
difference between someone who has no antivirus and someone that doesn't
keep their virus definitions up to date is that those without antivirus can
still get infected by older viruses which barely even see the light of any
kind of infection any longer. And once again, I do disagree with your post
and the problem with the svchost CANNOT be solved by turning off updates of
the antivirus software since svchost is a microsoft process holding various
microsoft services on windows. Once again, if you want to keep your computer
unprotected from the latest threats, continue on with what you're doing, but
there are programs out there that will not cause problems with any type of
processes that update in the background with barely any loss in system
performance. Besides, its a nice 50-100 dollars each time someone comes to
someone who works on computers like myself where we have to clean an
infected system from someone who doesn't know how to properly use an
antivirus solution. Keep up your support for the IT community :-)
-kenkcj
 
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