$$$$$$ pc

[dieselboy]

is anyone else having problems with svchost.exe taking up 100% cpu?
its the windows update service. i dont know what they have done but its naffed it right up. i have to have auto updates off, and then ctrl alt delete and end the task svchost.exe before it uses 100mb ram and 100% of the cpu causing my explorer to crash and my screen to looks the xp media centre skin!

there is other info if you search google:
http://www.windowsxlive.net/?p=785

[drunkmonkeyboy]

zone alarm does that to my puter sometimes too, spins it right out!!!
But i quite like ZA (and i got it for free!!!)

not very helpful for you mind!

may be a stupid question but have you configured your fire wall it can make getting updates and the like take ages cos it has to check they are all safe as they are dll files.

[L3Mm1n6]

Yeah, i've had that same issue, couldn't work out wot was causing it or why. The svchost.exe every so often would run 100% cpu, pretty much lock the pc right up, then it would clear for a couple seconds and then do it all over again, repeating the cycle several times. Seems to have stopped doing it now, but then my pc died somewhat and i'm now on an old motherboard..... (no idea if the pc death was related in some way)
Doug.

[dieselboy]

my firewall is configured ok i think. i have a wireless router also with built in firewall. ive never had any problems before.
the thing is, if i want to use the pc and svchost is 100% then im fooked. i have to press reset and start over.
now what happens is if i end that taks through task manager, a few minutes later the skin on the task bar (where the start menu is and the list of windows down the bottom of the screen) it will change back to windows 98 style. and if i try to change it back it just wont happen. so another restart...
im downloading windows vista now. forget xp. ive had 2x vista product keys for months. might aswel use one.

ps if you turn automatic updates off it usually stops the svchost (well one of the 10 that runs) from going 100%
im a bit warey - i might be getting the problem because i have a dodgy copy of media centre. it might be because of that. your never sure with microsoft

[CaptainBeaky]

Try HERE for some useful information. You can't disable it...

The reason you may find svchost.exe taking up lots of CPU runtime/RAM is that you have multiple instances running, or you may have a virus present which calls itself by the same name.

There are at least 2 worms and one virus that masquerade as this legitimate Windows file:

W32.Welchia.Worm (see article at Symantec here)
W32.Assarm@mm (see article at Symantec here)
W32/Jeefo (see article at McAfee here)

HTH

P

[dieselboy]

Try HERE for some useful information. You can't disable it...

The reason you may find svchost.exe taking up lots of CPU runtime/RAM is that you have multiple instances running, or you may have a virus present which calls itself by the same name.



HTH

P

cheers for that info. ive since gone for vista as i had in the back of my mind it was because i had a pirated windows media centre edition... but now my wireless card doesnt work lol
it is known over the net that windows update was causing this. although you are right and there are viruses that run with that name.
i had about 7 svchost.exe running... i think one or 2 are symantec itself