svchost.exe

There are generally two types of processes in an Operating System. One is controlled by manual intervention and the other is triggered by system and cannot be intervened. This is done so as to protect the system from improper commands and codes. In order to maintain the smooth functioning of the Operating system there are many tasks and services which needs to be run continuously in the back end. These tasks handle all other requests and services generated by an application. Svchost.exe is one of such tasks and let us see how it works and how useful it can be.

What is svchost.exe?

It is a Windows Operating System defined process which handles varied windows Services and requests. It has an executable file extension and it can be found running as multiple instances under task manager. This process hosts sharing implementation reduces the demand for multiple consumption of resources.

Svchost.exe Location

For 32 bit operating system it can be found inside sub folder of Root directory.

%SystemRoot%\System32\Svschost.exe

For 64 bit operating system it can be found in the following path (which is also inside the root directory)

%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\Svchost.exe

Is svchost.exe a virus?

It is definitely not a virus and evidently a registered process of the Windows Operating file system. You cannot delete this file nor can you use this file directly. This file solely handles all requests as dll references. Since a dll cannot be executed directly it acts as a shared process container which processes multiple requests for the same object. Hence it reduces memory consumption and utilizes less resource. It is an inseparable part of the Windows Architecture and cannot be explicitly called as well as manipulated.

We all know that windows allow two processes to have the same name; hence a virus can hide itself and can run under the name of any process it wishes to forge. The best file for such a purpose is svchost.exe; reasons being the genuine multiple instances running under task manager. Also it would be very hard and difficult to hunt and terminate it. The sole purpose of the virus forgery is to confuse the user with the original file name. There is a higher chance that you damage the original windows process in the verge of terminating the virus. Particularly under such scenario you should follow certain fixed steps to get rid of the virus. Complete tutorial is provided in the last section of this article.

Svchost.exe causing high memory usage

By default this process never causes any problem because it’s designed that way. If due to some reasons, this file is unable to process a request, it continuously starts consuming memory in order to handle that request and in the process blocks large memory space in the RAM. This causes a panic situation and the Operating system starts behaving abnormally. Usually such conditions arise due to missing dll reference or directory path. Also this situation might be triggered by some bug in the application which is utilizing this process.

In order to free up RAM the only possible solution that works effectively is to save all your work and restart your system. This will solve your problem only if the application is not enable for startup. It the application is also a start up application you will not be able solve it in this way. It is so because as soon the computer restarts the program loads into the memory as well and creates the same scenario as before. To overcome such conditions try removing all applications that is not utmost necessary for startup. Leave the sound driver and antivirus installed in the startup. Except the mentioned one uncheck all startup application and then restart. Though this is a temporary fix, you will at least be having your system for other necessary works during such situations.

Earlier it was very difficult to iterate the application which is having a corrupt service request, as all are handled under one roof and you have no manual access to the list. In the recent past version of windows (Win XP) you had the option to use the task list command and providing “/svc” as the switch. This would enable you to view the associated components in each process. For the later version (Windows Vista and windows 7) you can view it in the “service” tab of the “task manager”. All the associated components are listed along with PID for that process.

Svchost.exe causing 100% (DCOM Launch) CPU usage

As explained above the memory gets blocked and there is a continuous loop of request executed simultaneously. Svchost process is unable to handle application triggered bugs and hence falls as victim to the poorly coded application. This in turn leads to a situation where the CPU gets the pressure and since it is unable to process the previous request it generates another instance of the Svchost process and within a few seconds the complete CPU is eaten up and the system crashes after a while. The biggest problem during such situation is that you cannot start the task manager nor do any task so as to handle this situation. The system completely hangs and only possible way out is the Master Restart which might cause you to lose any unsaved work in the process.

Svchost.exe netsvcs problems

svchost.exe localsystemnetworkrestricted

What is svchost.exe.mdmp?

This is the compressed error report generated by the system debugger related with svschost.exe process. If you haven’t heard about dump files, it is just a compressed information about any error which is generated whenever a program crashes continuously. This file can be easily sent to Microsoft Database via Error reporting tool and you can have the possible solution to that problem in just a few clicks. If you wnat to see what is there inside the mdmp file you use the official Microsoft program called Microsoft Dumpflop tool. You can download it from the official website here.

How to fix svchost.exe virus

If you are not sure if the genuine svchost.exe is causing the problem or if its a virus try scanning your system with an up to date antivirus. If you don’t have an antivirus, download it from the bottom of this page. Steps to follow:

• Download the antivirus.
• Install using admin privilege.
• Connect to internet and update the virus definition.
• Run a full scan of your system.
• Remove the virus and threats found.
• Restart and Rescan full system again.
• If no more errors are found the virus has been successfully removed from your system.

Fix svschost.exe error Windows Vista and Windows 7

Coming to the most important part of our topic; follow the following steps to troubleshoot this problem:

• Log into your system as administrator
• Download this tool [http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip]
• Run this tool and find the svchost.exe process
• Click on the process and find all the programs associated with it.
• Disable any services which are creating the problem.
• Restart your system.

Download Svchost.exe

I don’t know why but I am always amused when people come hunting down the internet for critical system files. Many websites as well offer them the same with a few exception of dollars. Always remember System files are always in safe hand with the owner or the manufacturer of that process. Third party websites, which offer free/paid downloads, may patch those files and can compromise your system.

Please note that disabling any startup system program might make your system react in a weird manner. Sometimes it may lead your system to crash. So it is always better to save all your works before starting the troubleshooting. If you have any doubts or questions about this process leave your queries in the comment section. I will get back to your problems as soon as possible.