Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.

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I am being driven mad by this svchost pest,and followed the step by step procedure hoping to counteract it.like the previous guy i had exactly the same problem with the "Protect my computer and network by limiting" check, and furthermore I had a problem with the "A buffer overrun in RPCSS could allow an attacker to run malicious programs" - basicly I need the 32-bit version ,which seems not to exsist.

Reading comments posted here is reassuring because its apparent this is a serious and common problem. It started for me a month or so ago and I got temporary releif using a program called RegCure but now its back, and I am again deleting the busiest svchost in Task Manager. Before I give up, and swap to my spare hard drive I'll try the fixes I've read here related to killing the Microsoft Automatic updates and also use Process Explorer with hopes of locating a file that its latching onto to. Before I thought the problem would ony arise when connecting to the internet but now it happens whether connected or not.

I found (after many hours) that if you run the windows update when you are not using the PC you can get the updates and return the svchost.exe back to 'normal'. Youll have to at least wait to get past the 'Do you want to install these updates' option, then go to bed. Let it run all night while you are sleepin.

This is sad however, that I can't find a MS fix for this.

I had problems with svchost hogging cpu that I traced to Windows Update. I found that the Remove and Reinstall of Windows Updates at http://www.amset.info/windows/auto-updates.asp#Reset%20Automatic%20Updates
solved the problem, at least for now. So thanks, Marko!

I just got this problem bad this morning when I restarted my laptop from hibernation. Although, network access had been getting really slow over the last two weeks, so for me at least, it's been an incrementally worse problem until I got hit hard this morning.

Microsoft thinks they have a fix for this problem. The article is ID 903737 and can be found at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903737#appliesto

But you must contact their phone support to have them email a link to where you can download it from.

I installed their 'fix', and it did absolutely nothing initially. However, I had some other pending MS updates that I then installed and rebooted a second time. After the second reboot, svchost only ran wild for 3 minutes after I logged in (quite an improvement from running wild for over an hour before I just gave up and pulled the battery out of the laptop). Who knows, maybe this will help your situation, too.

As a confidence builder, MS has had this fix since July 2006, and has yet to roll it into any of their numerous updates...

Maybe Louis' fix will work for me and get rid of that initial 3 minute lockup after login? We'll see

The Remove and Reinstall of Windows Updates really does work. I just tried it, and not only is svchost acting normal again, but my windows firewall is also back an running after it was refusing to turn on.
http://www.amset.info/windows/auto-updates.asp#Reset%20Automatic%20Updates

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I'm closing comments on this article simply due to the sheer volume.

I've created a new article:
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_fix_this_high_cpu_usage_svchost_virus_or_whatever_it_is.html
that deals with the current "100% CPU Usage" issue that so many people seem to
be experiencing.

Many thanks to all the commentors here who added value to the thread for others
to come and find.

Leo

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