SVCHOST - how?

I am not a great believer in solving problems by reinstalling. I am
merely pointing out options and asking questions to ascertain what might
be the best way to resolve your problems. You have a number of problems;
more than are immediately obvious. The loss of so many services is
puzzling.

I have found this link to documentation concerning your computer
http://supportapj.dell.com/support/e...m_en/index.htm

The figures from Task Manager suggest your computer may be over reliant
on using the pagefile. The amount of RAM installed is minimal. Most
users need 512 mb to run Windows XP ( but they are using SP2 or SP3 -few
are still using SP1 who visit these newsgroups ) but this does depend on
what the computer is used for. Your computer can be upgraded to take a
maximum of 1 gb. However, I am not saying going to 1 gb is necessary
but additional RAM would be beneficial. You could conduct more detailed
tests to determine the extent your system is reliant on RAM. It could be
that the system is under stress at times for lack of memory and this
will lead to problems. Normally this becomes evident when applications
hangs and errors arise. I have not seen it reported that this can lead
to wholesale loss of services.

You did not say what McAfee product and version. Can you please provide
this information so that we can determine how comprehensive your
computer is? I am not sure we can rule out the possibility that malware
is causing your problems? I should say that McAfee is a resource hungry
product and not necessarily a good choice for a computer with only 256
mb RAM. There are more suitable freeware alternatives.

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

What error and warning are there in the last two days in the System log
of Event Viewer?

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

mathsgames wrote:
Hi Gerry,

# Did any of the services I listed look relevant ??

# My TaskMan shows commit charge Total 29M, Limit 64M, Peak 30M

# My PC is Dell Dimension DIM2400 2.5G disk 256M ram 74Gb disk

# My McAfee is an annual subscription update almost daily on line.

I'm inclined to stick with the analysis a while longer. It always
seems to me a 'cop-out' to start re-loading everything. That's
usually what the AOL help desk say and it means they have no idea
what's cooking. If it isn't on their list there is no analysis - just
re-install. I came up a different IT route - may have cost me a
little time over the years!!!

Thank you for your interest. It's useful to bounce ideas off other IT
folk. All the best.

Hi Gerry,

# I'm still moving slowly forward - now got five of the closed services
back up and clean.
Seems to me that I'm heading towards the network services as culprits. I web
connect directly down a copper wire and do not have any networking
requirements.
Perhaps many of these 'networking services' could be left down ??

# Today's failure event log: (ta for the pasting tip)

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: (100)
Event ID: 1000
Date: 06/12/2008
Time: 14:28:35
User: N/A
Computer: ED
Description:
Faulting application , version 0.0.0.0, faulting module unknown, version
0.0.0.0, fault address 0x00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 20 30 2e ure 0.
0018: 30 2e 30 2e 30 20 69 6e 0.0.0 in
0020: 20 75 6e 6b 6e 6f 77 6e unknown
0028: 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 2e 30 0.0.0.0
0030: 20 61 74 20 6f 66 66 73 at offs
0038: 65 74 20 30 30 30 30 30 et 00000
0040: 30 30 30 000

# I'll keep any eye on RAM usage - maybe some of these network services are
RAM rich and simply closing them solves the issue.

# McAfee - mine is Version 13 Build 13.0. 218 AffId 105 Last Update
6/12/2008

# I'll check out that link you sent.

# Last I checked the defrag (three weeks ago it said no need to do it.

#This memory suggestion may lead somwhere. I'll keep close to it.

Thanks for your interest.

Which services remain problematic?

You seem to have McAfee Virus Scanner. What anti-spyware software are
you using? What firewall?

Does disabling Window Automatic update have any effect on the inumber of
problems occuring?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mathsgames wrote:
Hi Gerry,

# I'm still moving slowly forward - now got five of the closed
services back up and clean.
Seems to me that I'm heading towards the network services as
culprits. I web connect directly down a copper wire and do not have
any networking requirements.
Perhaps many of these 'networking services' could be left down ??

# Today's failure event log: (ta for the pasting tip)

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: (100)
Event ID: 1000
Date: 06/12/2008
Time: 14:28:35
User: N/A
Computer: ED
Description:
Faulting application , version 0.0.0.0, faulting module unknown,
version
0.0.0.0, fault address 0x00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 20 30 2e ure 0.
0018: 30 2e 30 2e 30 20 69 6e 0.0.0 in
0020: 20 75 6e 6b 6e 6f 77 6e unknown
0028: 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 2e 30 0.0.0.0
0030: 20 61 74 20 6f 66 66 73 at offs
0038: 65 74 20 30 30 30 30 30 et 00000
0040: 30 30 30 000

# I'll keep any eye on RAM usage - maybe some of these network
services are RAM rich and simply closing them solves the issue.

# McAfee - mine is Version 13 Build 13.0. 218 AffId 105 Last
Update 6/12/2008

# I'll check out that link you sent.

# Last I checked the defrag (three weeks ago it said no need to do
it.

#This memory suggestion may lead somwhere. I'll keep close to it.

Thanks for your interest.

Hello Gerry,

# Moving slowly forward.
Now got 18 of the original 26 services running and all clean.
The services yet to bring back in in no particular order a
*computer browser
*Crypto svcs
*DHCP client
*Distributed link tracking
*secondary logon
*server
*shell hardware
*workstation

# My McAfee is an inclusive package - inc. firewall.

# Disabling window updates - I'm scratching my head here. I may have
disabled it way back - or not. Where is the user choice? I'm not aware of
any background updating taking place so maybe it is disabled.

# The other fora chats on this issue suggested the the official windows
sites had been trawled for help and there was nothing there.

# Regarding RAM - I do occasionally - maybe once per month - get a screen
warning that I am low on RAM and should close a process or two. These
warnings never co-incide with the web bug.

# I'm now monitoring RAM usage to see if I can see a pattern. One thing I
notice is that from time to time McAfee is a big user as shown under Mem
Usage of the Task Manager.

# It may be that it is simply the large number of services running that has
suddenly become a problem. We shall see on that one. The daily trials take a
while but since I have a workaround I will persevere.

# One Q - do you know where Windows keeps the list that SVCHOST uses for
netsvcs ?? If you do I could end up modifying that as a perm. fix until I
upgrade my system. Any clues where it is??

Thanks again.

All the services you list should have their Start Up type set to
Automatic. -Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. To
check place the cursor on the service, right click and select
Properties. Please confirm whether they are showing as Automatic. Please
let me know any discrepancies.

Windows Updates -Start, Control Panel, Automatic Updates.

The number of services running if set correctly should not creates
excessive usage of memory. McAfee is at least one of your problems.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

mathsgames wrote:
Hello Gerry,

# Moving slowly forward.
Now got 18 of the original 26 services running and all clean.
The services yet to bring back in in no particular order a
*computer browser
*Crypto svcs
*DHCP client
*Distributed link tracking
*secondary logon
*server
*shell hardware
*workstation

# My McAfee is an inclusive package - inc. firewall.

# Disabling window updates - I'm scratching my head here. I may have
disabled it way back - or not. Where is the user choice? I'm not
aware of any background updating taking place so maybe it is disabled.

# The other fora chats on this issue suggested the the official
windows sites had been trawled for help and there was nothing there.

# Regarding RAM - I do occasionally - maybe once per month - get a
screen warning that I am low on RAM and should close a process or
two. These warnings never co-incide with the web bug.

# I'm now monitoring RAM usage to see if I can see a pattern. One
thing I notice is that from time to time McAfee is a big user as
shown under Mem Usage of the Task Manager.

# It may be that it is simply the large number of services running
that has suddenly become a problem. We shall see on that one. The
daily trials take a while but since I have a workaround I will
persevere.

# One Q - do you know where Windows keeps the list that SVCHOST uses
for netsvcs ?? If you do I could end up modifying that as a perm.
fix until I upgrade my system. Any clues where it is??

Thanks again.

Hi Gerry,

Did you notice my last Q?

Where is the 'netsvcs' list kept which is used by the failing SVCHOST call?
I'm probably going to have to modify this eventually to get a regular
workaround.
It must carry the list of services used by that particular SVCHOST call.
Appreciate it if you could point me to it.
Thanks. Ed

Ed

I did notice your last question. I did not answer it because the rest of
my response covered what you need to check. I am not aware of a fixed
list of services although there will be many common to most computers.
You can see these using Process Explorer.

For further information about Process Explorer see he
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys...sExplorer.mspx

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



mathsgames wrote:
Hi Gerry,

Did you notice my last Q?

Where is the 'netsvcs' list kept which is used by the failing SVCHOST
call? I'm probably going to have to modify this eventually to get a
regular workaround.
It must carry the list of services used by that particular SVCHOST
call. Appreciate it if you could point me to it.
Thanks. Ed

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

The above page may help you out.

"mathsgames" wrote in message
...
Hi Gerry,

Did you notice my last Q?

Where is the 'netsvcs' list kept which is used by the failing
SVCHOST call?
I'm probably going to have to modify this eventually to get a
regular
workaround.
It must carry the list of services used by that particular SVCHOST
call.
Appreciate it if you could point me to it.
Thanks. Ed

Thanks Frank for the link. It looks very useful and adds a lot to my limited
understanding on the 'innards'

# TEMPORARY FIX - maybe.
Now reached a point where closing the following three services..........
*DHCP client
*Distributed Link tracking
*Secondary log on
......BEFORE connecting to the web has given me a trouble free ride for the
last two days which is a HUGE imporvement on the last three months.

# Don't know what the real conflict is or where the real problem lies but
for anyone out there struggling to get XP Home Edition SP1 working with AOL 9
Dial Up Broadband failing with regular "Generic Host Process needs to
close..." etc. messages, this may help you to get some work done.

# When I get time I'll experiment some more.

# Thank you Gerry and Frank.

All the services you list should have their Start Up type set to
Automatic. -Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. To
check place the cursor on the service, right click and select
Properties. Please confirm whether they are showing as Automatic. Please
let me know any discrepancies.

Although you think your tinkering with services is taking you forward I
fear it is not. Services have interdependencies and you are also
certainly not understanding how they work.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


mathsgames wrote:
Thanks Frank for the link. It looks very useful and adds a lot to my
limited understanding on the 'innards'

# TEMPORARY FIX - maybe.
Now reached a point where closing the following three
services..........
*DHCP client
*Distributed Link tracking
*Secondary log on
.....BEFORE connecting to the web has given me a trouble free ride
for the last two days which is a HUGE imporvement on the last three
months.

# Don't know what the real conflict is or where the real problem lies
but for anyone out there struggling to get XP Home Edition SP1
working with AOL 9 Dial Up Broadband failing with regular "Generic
Host Process needs to close..." etc. messages, this may help you to
get some work done.

# When I get time I'll experiment some more.

# Thank you Gerry and Frank.

To be honest, it's not a mystery at all why all the services shut down
when svchost crashes. The reason for this is because it runs them all.
As soon as something causes svchost to crash, you will indeed lose your
internet connection, your sound, and everything else it runs. What I'm
trying to figure out is what causes it to crash. I've seen many other
users with the same problem, but noone's identified the actual cause.

I haven't had any luck on this either, however, what I *do* know is
that it shows up after a windows update. I'm not sure if it's a
corruption within a random update, or a specific updated file that
screws you over. I've reinstalled windows from SP3 (with no updates
beyond the time of that particular version) and I still get the error. I
can circumvent the error by disconnecting my (broadband) internet
connection before I start windows. When it finishes loading all of my
services and other devices, I can then connect my internet with no
further problems.

Also, if you do not select anything to deal with the error, atleast
since my visual studio is handling it, it won't break the rest of your
(my) services. So I can leave it running in the background and it makes
no real difference. I find the error more or a stupid pain in the ***
than anything else, it doesn't hinder me much, but I'd like to fix it.

Anyway, I figured I'd post my views upon the subject and hope someone
with more knowledge than I might be able to find a remedy. I was
considering installing an older version of windows, but as I said
before, it's more of a nuisance than a real problem.

Svar.

Svar

Your problem sounds different to the problem mathsgames has.

What Error and Warning Reports appear in the System and Application logs
of Event Viewer for the last two days?

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Svarlos wrote:
To be honest, it's not a mystery at all why all the services shut down
when svchost crashes. The reason for this is because it runs them all.
As soon as something causes svchost to crash, you will indeed lose
your internet connection, your sound, and everything else it runs.
What I'm trying to figure out is what causes it to crash. I've seen
many other users with the same problem, but noone's identified the
actual cause.

I haven't had any luck on this either, however, what I *do* know is
that it shows up after a windows update. I'm not sure if it's a
corruption within a random update, or a specific updated file that
screws you over. I've reinstalled windows from SP3 (with no updates
beyond the time of that particular version) and I still get the
error. I can circumvent the error by disconnecting my (broadband)
internet connection before I start windows. When it finishes loading
all of my services and other devices, I can then connect my internet
with no further problems.

Also, if you do not select anything to deal with the error, atleast
since my visual studio is handling it, it won't break the rest of your
(my) services. So I can leave it running in the background and it
makes no real difference. I find the error more or a stupid pain in
the *** than anything else, it doesn't hinder me much, but I'd like
to fix it.

Anyway, I figured I'd post my views upon the subject and hope someone
with more knowledge than I might be able to find a remedy. I was
considering installing an older version of windows, but as I said
before, it's more of a nuisance than a real problem.

Svar.