SVCHOST uses 100% CPU

[PrayForDeath]

What's the SVCHOST process that runs in the background in WinXP? I have it running using 100% CPU, it wasn't like that before, it was running normal, but yesterday this problem started to appear, I installed Spy Bot S&D and Ad-aware Plus, but I still have the same problem!
Please help if you can

 

[PrayForDeath]

By the way, if I end this task, a small windows appears saying the the PC is shutting down in 60 seconds!
I think it's a critical process

 

[jdiddy]

Have you ran a virus scan yet? Its possible you have the blaster virus or a variant of it. Heres a link to Symantec online virus scan. If you do have the blaster download this blaster removal tool to clean off your system. Run full windows critical udpates after.

 

[Schadenfroh]

after you check for virus's, check for spyware

 

[HKSturboKID]

Remember to get the latest virus definitions file b4 your run the scan.

 

[PrayForDeath]

I have NAV 2k4 running in the background all the time for auto-protection, and I do a weekly full system scan with the latest definitions, so I don't think it's a virus! Maybe a bug in WinXP?

 

[n0cmonkey]

You have applied all of the available patches? (excluding the stupid ones like chinese support if you don't need chinese support of course )

 

[MercenaryForHire]

<AOL Voice > You've Got Worm! </AOL Voice>

Reformat and get all your patches from behind a firewall.

- M4H

 

[FunkierThanU]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
after you check for virus's, check for spyware

Yeah, there's a lot of spyware that piggyback on SVHost. Some of them are particularly nasty and can bring your system to it's knees. And unfortunately anti-virus doesn't spot that drek.

I had to deal with a batch a user got from downloading on of those lovely 'free' screensavers. That junk was so wedged into her system I had to rip it out via the registry. If you tried killing its processes via Task Managers it'd lock the system, then open up IE and bunch of other bizarre things. Nasty!

 

[azndelite6983]

Kind of a drastic measure, but a couple of times my comp has had those 100% cpu usage problems with windows processes and both time the problem has been solved by reformatting and clean installing winxp.

Funny tho, the problem crops up about every 6 months...maybe it's M$ way of telling me to actually BUY winxp...

 

[Redviffer]

...or be more careful of what is installed. I've had winxp installed on several systems with no problems for quite some time, but I don't install a bunch of stuff on them. I was just talking with a friend and he was telling me the same thing: his system is slow, etc. and that he installs and uninstalls all kinds of free stuff to try it out.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
<AOL Voice > You've Got Worm! </AOL Voice>

Reformat and get all your patches from behind a firewall.

- M4H

Blaster or Sasser or something like that.

If it says it's shutting down, try typing this command in the Run textbox:
shutdown -a
That'll try to abort the shutdown; may or may not work.

One way to nuke the worm is to, FIRST, get another computer with good antivirus software that is UPDATED, and put the infected hard drive in it, and scan it that way. It's somewhat risky of course, as you risk infecting the good PC, but with good AV software, it should be ok.

 

[HKSturboKID]

Originally posted by: PrayForDeath
I have NAV 2k4 running in the background all the time for auto-protection, and I do a weekly full system scan with the latest definitions, so I don't think it's a virus! Maybe a bug in WinXP?

A AntiVirus Detection program is only as good when the virus is known to the company. There are a lot of people out there that re-writes the virus that the AntiVirus programs don't have updates yet. I'll try to run another AV program to double check.

 

[Bucksnort]

live by kaaza, die by kaaza

 

[Psych]

Svchost only manages services, I think. Multiple instances of the program perform various service related functions. Run tasklist /svc to see what services are being manages/hosted, and try to turn off the ones that aren't legitimate.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Bucksnort
live by kaaza, die by kaaza

Liten your load with kazaa lite

 

[Vernor]

Actually, svchost problems could be ralated to driver issues.

Most worms show up with their own excutable.


There are tools like pstat that can really help with diagnosing this kind of thing.

 

[PrayForDeath]

I downloaded some windows updates (Bulletin or something like that) that were supposed to deal with worms, now the computer runs great. But I am wondering, aren't worms supposed to prevent the system from downloading any windows update? How was I able to update mine?
Anyway, thank you so much guys.