svchost.exe

[shaolin77]

Hello Everyone,
Need some help. After my computer crashed I ended up formatting my drive and then performed a clean install of Windows XP Pro. I'm having a problem I have never encountered. After installing Windows XP Pro...I noticed that when attempting to run windows update...my computer would be very laggy. I decided to look at the Task Manager and found that svchost.exe was taking all the CPU %. Thinking I did something wrong at install I proceeded to reformat the drive...I even wrote zeros to the drive to make sure I got rid of any corruption left over...and performed a clean install again.....well I'm back with the same problem with svchost.exe....need help anyone running into this problem...I can't believe it can happen twice...with clean installs. This has never happened when I installed windows

Please Help!!!!

 

[cmeagan656]

See bcastner's posts related to svchost.exe at this thread thread779-1279488.

Cheers.

 

[shaolin77]

Thanks for the info....but I don't this applies to me since:

1. After initially installing windows XP I went straight to update but didnt even make it past that point.

2 I dont have any errors as indicated in Bcastner's posting.

Thanks though!!

 

[bcastner]

To see if this workaround will help you:
a. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
b. Right-click the Automatic Update service, and then click Stop.

How is your SVCHOST CPU utilization after the Windows Update service was stopped? If substantially better:

1. Rename the SoftwareDistribution folder. To do this, follow these steps:

a. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
b. Right-click the Automatic Update service, and then click Stop.

2. Rename the SoftwareDistribution folder by changing the name to the SDold folder. The SoftwareDistribution folder is located in the %systemdrive%:\Windows folder.

3. Restart the Automatic Update service. To do this, follow these steps:

a. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
b. Right-click the Automatic Update service, and then click Restart.


____________________________
Users Helping Users

 

[linney]

See if you can further isolate the Service causing the problem?

A description of Svchost.exe in Windows XP Pro

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314056/en-us

You need to allow svchost.exe access to the Internet, but don't allow it to act as a Server. Any firewall blocking it or a Security program? Are there any Services (in Services) which are shown as Automatic but have not been Started?

Is it only a problem when going to Windows Update?
What is it like from Safe Mode?

 

[bcastner]

Here is a summary of the issue from WinITPro today:

Windows administrators are grappling with a bug that surfaced last week in the Microsoft Update scan engine that impedes performance of a client while undergoing a routine scan.
According to IT experts at MyITForum.com, a site devoted to covering Windows manageability, the problem can cause Microsoft Update and Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) around five minutes per scan on a client.

"During the scan the processor utilization spikes and is maintained by the scan," according to Microsoft's analysis of the problem posted on the site.

"When a computer is scanned, there is a lot of hard disk utilization anyway, but it takes a lot of CPU cycles to do the scan," said one expert. "So both hard drive and CPU are being impacted."

IT administrators in companies that don't have all the latest computers with plenty of RAM will likely be the hardest hit.

Initially, administrators thought the bug was connected to the Inventory Tool (ITMU) for Microsoft Updates in Systems Management Server, Microsoft's desktop management software. ITMU determines the management compliance of managed systems. Anti-virus scanning was also suspected.

But Microsoft has determined that it was not just an SMS issues but a bug in how Microsoft Update scan works, according to Robert Stack, a London-based SMS administrator in a post to MYITForum.com.

Microsoft has identified reasons for the slowdown. They are:

. Older hardware -- a slow disk and CPU will increase scan time and CPU usage
. Growing catalog
. Software competing for CPU cycles, such as anti-virus software
. Busy computer at logon. Adding a scan on top of other logon items will impact the CPU and increase the scan time

Microsoft has said it is looking into potential solutions to the problem. The company is suggesting as one workaround to schedule the scan and patch installation during non-business hours. This option won't help laptop users who would be affected as soon as they log in.

____________________________
Users Helping Users

 

[bcastner]

You can ask Microsoft PSS for the as yet unpublished KB919537 hotfix.

There likely will be another hotfix for the SVCHOST issue as well, but the above does help.


____________________________
Users Helping Users

 

[shaolin77]

Thank you all for the information....last night I actually just let it ride out...and had windows update....it took an extreme amount of hours...but after all the updates were completed....my CPU % was much better...as I'm posting this svchost isnt demanding any CPU time...so I think this is a good sign...I'm not sure if the updates had anything to with it..but I'm think they did. I'll keep everyone posted if anything changes.