Help with svchost.exe error .

[de8212]

Not sure what is going on here but I get this svchost.exe error randomly while online. This is on a Dell Laptop running XP and I am on dial-up (anyone ever heard of that??) and IE 6.

When the error box appears I can move it to the side and resume as normal. If I click Ok or Cancel then I get This Page Cannot be Displayed errors when i try to open up and sites. And it won't let me open up the Dial Up properies box to disconnect from the internet.

System should be clean from spyware/viruses/etc. I haven't downloaded and ran any shady programs nor gone to any unreputable sites.

 

[Lord Evermore]

This is on a Dell Laptop running XP and I am on dial-up (anyone ever heard of that??)

Well, yes, I've heard of people with Dell laptops running XP and using dial-up.

You need to provide the full text of the error, or nobody in the world can help you.

If you haven't already, make sure you have all the newest Windows Updates, and updated drivers for your chipset and modem (and the network device if it's not integrated in the chipset). It sounds like something is causing the various network components to shut down. When the error occurs, open a command prompt and run ipconfig /all and see if you get any output, copy and paste it here along with the error text.

 

[de8212]

The dial-up comment was said in humor. I just know most people probably assume broadband is involved.

The error is as follows.

svchost.exe Appication Error. The exception unknown software exception (0xc0000409) occured in the application at location 0x5b86a3c0.

I just started getting it today at work and no programs have been added and no changes have been made to the configuration of this laptop in months. I am definately going to to go to Windows Update later tonight at home to see if that helps.
I'll try the ipconfig /all next time it bugs out.