An empty process loads the Windows 10 processor. If the svchost process loads the system. Video – Svchost loads the processor. Solution

The problem with a freezing computer is probably familiar to everyone without exception. As a rule, this is blamed on viruses, poorly written programs, as well as simple overheating. From time to time, svchost.exe is the culprit. What kind of process is this, and why does this happen? Let's try to figure it out!

Virus or not?

Firstly, many people immediately succumb to panic. When they see svchost in the Task Manager, they immediately assume that an insidious virus has entered the computer. The latest antivirus (or better yet two) is immediately installed, after which the computer is scanned several times. If the user was so zealous that he installed two or three security applications at once, then the system is guaranteed to crash.

We warn you right away: this is not a virus, so do not rush to delete svchost.exe! What is this process then?

General information about the application

This is the name of a very important component responsible for launching the system's dynamic libraries (DLLs). Accordingly, both Explorer (Explorer) of Windows itself and more than one thousand third-party applications depend on it. This especially applies to games that actively use these libraries via DirectX.

It is located at this address: %SystemRoot%\System32. By reading registry entries at each boot, the application generates a list of services that should be started. It should be noted that several copies of svchost.exe can be running at the same time (you already know what kind of process this is). The important thing is that each process may well contain its own group of services. This was done for maximum comfort in monitoring the operation of the system, as well as to simplify debugging in case of any problems.

All groups that are currently part of this process can be found in the following registry sections:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Svchost;
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Service.

All parameters that are available in these sections are visible as separate instances of svchost.exe (we have already explained what this is).

Each registry section that relates to them has a parameter of the form: REG_MULTI_SZ. It contains the names of all services available as part of a specific Svchost group. Each of them contains the name of one or more services, the description of which contains the ServiceDLL key.

This is what the svchost.exe file is.

How to check processes associated with Svchost?

To see all the services that are currently associated with this process, you need to do a few simple things.

  • Click on “Start”, and then find the “Run” command in this menu.
  • Enter there and then press ENTER.
  • After that, copy and paste the following expression into the command line emulator that opens: Tasklist /SVC. Use the ENTER key again.
  • A list of all processes will be displayed in the form of a list. Attention! Be sure to enter the /SVC key parameter, as it displays the active services. To get extended information about a specific service, use the following command: Tasklist /FI "PID eq process_id" (including quotes).

If you have problems

It often happens that after entering commands, the computer displays something unintelligible, like: “The command cannot be recognized.” Don't rush to enter it again.

Typically, this happens because you are working under an account whose rights are simply insufficient to perform this type of action. It doesn't matter whether you have an administrator account or not. To correct the situation, the command line emulator should be launched in a slightly different way.

To do this, click on the “Start” button, then enter CMD in the “Search” field. A list of found files will open on the right side of the menu. Right-click on the first of them (with the corresponding name), and then select “Run as administrator” in the context menu that appears.

So we have given you the basic information. Now let's look at those malicious programs that can masquerade as a harmless system application.

How to separate the wheat from the chaff?

Look carefully at the process name: it should be written as sVChost! There are some Trojans that masquerade as sVHost that are very common. If you see something like this in your “task manager”, then in this case it is indeed time to completely scan the system for the presence of malicious applications.

Especially “advanced” viruses and Trojans can still masterfully camouflage themselves by having exactly the same name as the real process. But even they can be distinguished with 100% probability by paying attention to the most characteristic signs. Let's look at them.

Firstly, a real system process is never (!) launched as a regular user. Its start can be initiated by SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, and NETWORK SERVICE. What is more important is that it does not start (!) when the system starts using startup tools. Accordingly, the list of programs that start simultaneously with the system should under no circumstances include svchost.exe. What is the process in this case?

If you see something like this, then there is only one reason - a virus.

Checking startup

Don't know how to do this? Everything is very simple! First, click on the “Start” button and left-click on the “Run” field. Then enter the MSConfig command there. A list of all applications launched at startup will open, which you need to carefully review.

If there are many svchost.exe processes (or even one), then you will definitely have to think about how to remove it from your computer.

What to do if a “spy” is detected?

As we have already said, in this case it is best to scan the OS with a powerful antivirus program. But before that, it won’t hurt to perform a number of simple steps with which you can completely block the virus from any opportunity to harm you. In general, the svchost.exe virus has spread widely across the RuNet in recent years. As a rule, malware that specializes in stealing user personal data operates under the guise of a normal system process.

First, in the “File location” line, find the specific folder in which the virus file is located. Select it in the list with the left mouse button and click on the “Disable” button. Click “OK”, then go to the directory with the desired file and delete it. All. Can be scanned by antivirus.

The process is very CPU intensive. Why does this happen and what should I do?

So we are back to the beginning of our article. Do you remember that sometimes due to svchost.exe (what kind of process this is, we have already explained in detail) the computer begins to slow down and “hang”? Why is this happening? And how can you overcome this phenomenon without reinstalling the system?

The simplest way

There is a fairly simple and effective recommendation that helps in many cases. Open the “Task Manager”, look for the svchost process there, then right-click on it and select “Priority/Low”. It should be noted that this must be done with each process of the same name that is in the “Task Manager”.

We remind you once again: if you see the svchost.exe file (you already know what it is), under no circumstances rush to delete it, suspecting it is a virus!

Windows Update Service

Often on Windows XP the problem with almost 100% and svchost is caused by the fact that the update service does not work correctly. Some computer resources have found an explanation for this phenomenon.

The issue is an incorrect update checking mechanism. Considering the number of patches that have been released for this system, a small error in memory allocation has turned into a serious problem: the computer is not only slow, but you can easily search for “patches” for days, alternately freezing at the same time.

How to disable the problematic service?

To temporarily disable Windows Update, go to the “Control Panel” and find the “System and Security” item there. It is there that the desired “Windows Update” is located, in which we are interested in the “Turn on or off automatic updates” item. Check the box next to “Do not check for updates.” Click on OK and reboot the machine.

If after this everything is fine, and the processor is not in a “dead” state most of the time, then the culprit of all the problems was indeed the update service. In the event that the problem continues to occur after this, we return Windows Update to its original state, after which we continue to look for the culprit of all the misfortunes.

Internet Browser

However, take your time. In many cases, Internet Explorer is to blame. Remember how at the very beginning of the article we discussed the importance of svchost for Explorer? But “Internet Browser” is an important part of the file manager of the Windows OS family.

Problems with it very often begin when the IE version is very outdated. For example, Microsoft itself has not recommended using Windows XP with the sixth version of Internet Explorer for a very long time.

Accordingly, in this case it is quite simple. Use the Windows Update service mentioned above. Download and install all the latest updates for your version of the operating system, install the new version of IE. It is possible that this measure will help you.

Games

Observe which applications the processor is overloaded after trying to launch. In addition, you should be wary of “svchost.exe application error” messages, which are an almost 100% indicator that some third-party application is to blame for the system’s inappropriate behavior.

Most often, this program is a game downloaded by its happy owner from some “left” site. Those who have made modifications to the program code, removing protection from it, rarely test their creation for full compatibility with certain systems, their DLLs, etc. So there is nothing to be surprised in this case.

"Bat"

In rare cases, owners of old versions of The Bat mail program encounter this problem, which for one reason or another many people continue to use. Try uninstalling the application. After this, install the latest version of the utility, and then look at the computer’s behavior again.

Drivers

Very often, when transferring a system to another disk after some serious errors in the file system, as well as after a virus attack, users are faced with an OS that is completely frozen due to svchost. exe. “How to remove this malicious process?” - think novice users.

Let us warn you once again: deleting this file will lead to dire consequences and complete system inoperability, so before taking extreme measures, it is better to read our next advice.

There is information that the svchost.exe process, the error of which spoils so many nerves for users, may not work correctly due to incorrectly installed or “crooked” drivers. Very often it turns out that the cause is programs for video cards and sound cards. The drivers for these are complex and unpredictable, so if possible, remove them and then install the latest (or most stable) versions.

Windows Defender

Owners of Windows Vista/7 should pay attention to the Windows Defender program, which is included as standard with these operating systems. It serves to prevent malware from entering the system, but sometimes it itself behaves no better.

Problems arise if the installed third-party antivirus software for some reason does not deactivate Defender. This is especially true for all Eset Nod products, which have been extremely popular with many domestic users in the recent past.

To correct this situation, click on the “Start” button, go to “Control Panel”, and then find “Defender” in it. In its main window there is an item “Run scan when idle.” Uncheck it, click OK. In some cases this measure turns out to be useful.

We hope you found out what the svchost.exe program is. We talked in detail about its purpose, as well as methods for eliminating problems with it. Typically, the troubleshooting methods we provide work. All you need to do is strictly follow the instructions in the article.

In addition, it does not hurt to update the system on time.

In this article, I will tell you in detail what kind of Svchost.exe process this is, why svchost.exe loads Windows 7 memory, and also describe ways to solve the problem with this process.

It happens that while working at the computer it starts to slow down a lot. Trying to understand the cause of the dysfunction, you go to the “Task Manager” and see that the culprit of the problem is the Svchost.exe process, which is heavily loading the central processor or memory of your PC.

I found out that Svchost. exe is a system process in Windows that runs other system services. The use of this process dates back to Windows 2000, but now it is an integral part of the Windows 7 and 10 family of operating systems. To reduce overall processor costs, the developers decided to use one process to run various services, giving the process some versatility. Nowadays, four or more Svchost processes can be observed in the task manager, and each of them is responsible for the operation of a separate service. Therefore, Svchost loads the computer’s processor and memory, more on that later.

When viewing these processes in your task manager, you must remember that the user of the Svchost.exe process must always be either system, local service or network service. If this process is launched on behalf of you, the administrator, or someone else, then you are probably dealing with a virus.

Why Svchost.exe uses memory and CPU in Windows 7

There are several reasons for CPU and memory overload due to svchost.exe, and I will list each of them below.

  • Random system crash. This sometimes happens in Windows 7
  • Virus branded svchost.exe. A common problem. The creators of virus programs like to use the name of this process for their malicious applications, so a virus under the name svchost.exe is difficult to identify as a malignant program, even when svchost.exe significantly loads the processor or memory.
  • Errors in the operation of the Windows automatic update module. If you have automatic Windows 7 updates enabled, failures to download them may cause problems with svchost.exe. There are also cases that the updates themselves contain various errors and bugs, and such an update can cause problems in the operation of the operating system, and svchost.exe in particular.
  • Large event log file in the Windows 7 log. In some cases, high CPU and memory load from svchost.exe is associated with a very bloated log file in the system event log.
  • Physical damage to memory chips, overheating of the system unit, etc. This happens rarely, but should not be ruled out.

Svchost.exe loads the processor in Windows - what to do

Let's take a closer look at the tools for correcting existing errors if Svchost exe loads Windows 7 memory.

  • Just try to wait a while. Perhaps the operating system is simply being updated, and its normal operation will soon be restored.
  • Restart your computer. This helps solve the problem with process loading not as rare as you might think.
  • Try closing the most resource-intensive svchost.exe, if there are several of them. To do this, go to the Task Manager (by simultaneously pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and selecting “Task Manager”), click on the “Processes” tab, select “Display processes of all users” at the bottom and see which svchost.exe loads the system the most. Try closing it by right-clicking on it and clicking “End process tree” in the menu that appears.

  • Check the health of your memory using special programs, ask yourself how long ago you cleaned your PC from dust, whether the cooler inside your computer is making a loud noise (this may indicate that the PC cooling system is full of dust), how long ago you changed the thermal paste on the central processor. These hardware problems can be directly to blame for slowing down the speed of your PC and the load of svchost.exe in particular.
  • In many cases, the problem when svchost.exe uses up memory is caused by failures in the Windows Update automatic update service. Therefore, either install all available updates, or completely disable the automatic update service through “Start” - “Control Panel” - “System and Security” — “Windows 7 Update.” On the left side of the screen, select “Customize settings”, and in the “Important announcements” menu that appears, select “Don’t check for updates” and confirm by clicking “Ok”.

  • You can try rolling back the system to a date when there were no problems with svchost.exe and you did not pay attention to the processor load.
  • Check your system for viruses. First, go to the Task Manager (by simultaneously pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and selecting “Task Manager”), go to the “Processes” tab, select “Display processes of all users” at the bottom and see which user is opposite each svchost.exe process. System, local service or network service are acceptable, all others are viruses or other malware. They need to be completed by clicking on this process, right-clicking and selecting “End process tree”. Use a good antivirus program (try Dr.Web CureIt!, Trojan Remover, etc.), your system may be infected with malware.
  • We delete the Prefetch folder, which is used by the system to speed up the operation of services. We go to the general directory of the Windows OS, find the Prefetch folder there (usually located at C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch) and delete this folder, then reboot the computer;
  • If the wuauclt.exe process is running in the manager, then in the Software Distribution folder located in the general Windows directory, delete all existing directories.
  • Clearing the event log file in the Windows log To do this, press the Win+R key combination at the same time, type eventvwr in the menu that appears and confirm by clicking “Ok”. In the window that appears, double-click on “Windows Logs” (top left), and in the list below, right-click on “Applications” and select “Clear Log”. We will do the same with the items “Security”, “Installation”, “System”. Reboot the computer.

A visual demonstration of some methods of action when svchost.exe loads memory in Windows 7 can be seen in the video:

Conclusion

The main problems associated with the svchost.exe file overloading the processor are errors in the automatic updating of Windows 7 or 10, as well as virus programs hiding under an identical name or using svchost.exe for their own purposes. To combat them, it is recommended to check your computer with the most powerful antiviruses (for example: Dr. Web CureIt), disable automatic system updates, and also force close the most resource-intensive svchost.exe. It is the one that loads the processor, which means svchost.exe loads memory. If none of the above has helped you, then seek advice in the comments below.

SVCHOST.EXE is one of those necessary processes that constantly runs in Windows. So SVCHOST.EXE- Determines services and programs running inside each SVCHOST.EXE process, it is also worth knowing that the svchost process loads the system with 99 or 100 percent of your processor, then it could be a virus!

Therefore, before we solve this problem, we need to understand that this process is actually viral. Firstly, Svchost means " service node“, and it does exactly what the name suggests: a “host” of services. Svchost is the main service in Windows, a program in the operating system that does a specific job and runs in the background all the time when the computer is turned on, even if you are not logged into it.

Most of the programs you know run autonomously in the .EXE extension. However, most services come in the form of DLLs that cannot run on their own. Hence, Svchost loads these DLLs and runs. This is why when you open Windows Task Manager, you will see a bunch of svchost.exe processes.

You can see that there are currently eight Svchost processes running, all using different amounts of memory and running under different usernames. So, let's say one of them is running at an excessively high CPU load of 100 percent, how can we determine the actual progress of the applications?

There are really two ways: do it all manually using the command line and services tool or using a third party application. I will describe here two ways to eliminate the svchost virus, if the first method does not work for you.

First method: Identify svchost.exe processes using the command line.

1. Firstly, click on Start, and then Execute and enter CMD and press OK button. In Windows 8.1, right-click the Start button and select Run.

2. Type the following command in the command window and click ENTER

tasklist /svc /fi "imagename eq svchost.exe"

You should see a list of svchost with a PID section.

Now you can see each Svchost process along with its unique ID number and the services it is responsible for running. However, these names are still very mysterious. In order to get more useful information about the process, we can use Services on Windows.

3. Right click on My computer, select Control. In the window that appears, select Computer management and then select Services and applications. Finally, select Services .

4. Now try to find the Windows service ID and name in the Services tab. This may take a while because if you take the process ID 1436, then the name is WudfSvc. If you double click on one service name, you will see their ID and name, you can match them. In my case, I guessed that W means the process starts with "Windows" and opened them.

As you can see, the Windows driver maintenance is actually called wudfsvc!

Second method: identify svchost.exe processes using Process Explorer (easy way)

If the first method turned out to be difficult, there is an easier way! Solving the problem using the Process Explorer tool from Microsoft (originally from SysInternals). The tool is completely free and gives you detailed information about each process at the moment.

Once you download it, just run the executable as it doesn't need to be installed. Hover over the Svchost process and you'll get a pop-up window showing what services are running in that process. The good thing about Process Explorer is that it shows you a friendly name for each process rather than a short name.

Windows 8 Task Manager

Using the Windows 8 task manager, you can find all Svchost processes without this program. Open the task manager by clicking keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + ESC and scroll down to Processes tab where it shows Windows processes .

Here you will see all svchost.exe process listed as service node: then the account type it runs under Local System (Network Service, etc.). There will also be a row next to it, and if you expand the item by clicking on the arrow, you will see each service running under a specific process.

Now that you've figured out which processes are eating up all your CPU memory, we can fix it. If you find a Windows process such as Windows Update, or Windows Firewall, etc., then simply kill the process and uninstall the program.

However, most of the time is spent not knowing what to do with the Windows process. The best solution in this case is to install all the latest updates from the Microsoft website. If you are unable to do so normally in Windows, try restarting your computer in Safe Mode and try again.

Also, if you can go to the Services tab like we did above, right click on the service and select Disable. Even if it's Windows updates or firewall, don't worry, you can turn it back on later. Then restart your computer and go to the Microsoft website and manually update Windows. Then enable services and reboot your computer again and hopefully everything works!

To disable a service in Windows, right click on it Services tab and select Properties .

Then select launch type: Disabled:

I've gone through this process several times and it works. So again, first disable Services, then restart your computer, install updates manually, re-enable the service, restart your computer.


A number of users may encounter a situation where their computer begins to crash and slow down, and the culprit is the svchost.exe process, which often consumes up to 100% of the CPU power. In this material I will try to help these users and tell you what to do in a situation where the Host process for Windows services is using up memory and processor, what are the reasons for this phenomenon and what to do to correct this situation.

The name "Svchost" is short for "service host" and usually refers to a system process that simultaneously serves a number of important services of the Windows operating system. The average computer can have up to 15 processes running, and each process can be responsible for running one or more Windows OS services.

Using one svchost process to service several services is justified, allowing you to save operating system resources and speed up its operation. Since the Windows NT line, the svchost process is a mandatory attribute of the Windows OS family and is present in every OS starting with Windows 2000. Next, we will look at how to fix the situation when the Host process for Windows services loads the computer.

If you launch Task Manager, go to the "Processes" tab, and click on the "Show processes of all users" button, and then click on the "Image name" button, you will see several svchost.exe processes, usually running as the user "SYSTEM" ", "LOCAL SERVICE" and "NETWORK SERVICE". If you have the svchost process running on your behalf or on behalf of other non-system users, then this may be a sign of the presence of various virus programs on your computer, which you need to get rid of immediately.

The process file itself that is launched is usually located at Windows\System32 (32-bit OS) or Windows\SysWOW64 (64-bit OS).

The host process for Windows services is consuming memory and CPU - causes of dysfunction

So, what are the reasons why the host process for Windows services is using up memory and CPU? I would note the following:

  • Random operating system crash;
  • Damage to the Windows OS registry;
  • Computer hardware problems (clogging the insides of the PC with dust, memory problems, and so on);
  • Problems installing updates in this operating system;
  • Operation of virus programs;
  • Inflated log file size.

Once we have identified the reasons why the host process is loading the system, we move on to the list of actions to solve the problem.

How to fix the "svchost is loading the system" problem

So, how do you get rid of the problem where the host process is loading Windows? I recommend doing the following:

  • Install all necessary updates for your OS. If there is a chance that the system is installing the necessary updates, then simply wait until the end of the installation process;
  • If after a few hours nothing has changed, then restart your computer, if the problem is random, then it will disappear;
  • Try to shut down the problematic svchost.exe process yourself. Launch the task manager, go to the “Processes” tab, right-click on the problematic (costly) process and select “End process tree”;

  • Delete all contents of the Prefetch folder at Windows\Prefetch. Various data about launched files are stored there, including those that are no longer needed by the user, and cleaning this folder can help in the issue when the Host process for Windows services is using up memory and the processor. After cleaning the specified directory, try again to terminate the problematic process as described above;
  • Disable checking for operating system updates (). Go to Control Panel, select “System and Security”, then go to “Windows Update”, click on “Adjust settings on the left” and select “Don’t check for updates”;

  • Disable Windows Update service. Click on the “Start” button, type services.msc in the search bar, find “Windows Update” in the list of services, double-click on it and select the startup type “Disabled”;
  • Clear the system log file. Click Start, type eventvwr.msc in the search bar and press enter. Open the “Windows Logs” tab, right-click on “Application”, and select “Clear Log” from the menu that appears. Do the same for the “Security”, “Installation”, “System”, “Forwarded Events” tabs;

  • Use programs to clean and restore the registry (CCleaner, RegCleaner and a number of other analogues);
  • Check your system for the presence of malicious programs (tools such as Dr. Web CureIt!, Trojan Remover, Malware Anti-Malware, etc. will help), trace the location of the svchost.exe file (where it should be located, I already mentioned above) and its correct name (should only be “svchost.exe” without modifications);
  • Perform a system rollback to a previous restore point. Click “Start”, type rstrui in the search bar, and roll back the system to its stable version;
  • Take your computer to a service center to clean it from dust and check the functionality of its components (memory, power supply, video card, etc.), or, if you have sufficient qualifications, perform these procedures yourself.

Video solution

Above, I discussed the situation in which the host process for Windows services loads the processor and memory, and also gave a recipe for solving this problem. Excessive CPU usage on your computer can have a whole range of reasons, from the banal installation of updates for your system to various hardware problems, including problems with the memory, power supply and other elements of your computer. I recommend following the entire set of tips I have outlined; one of them will definitely be the most effective for you and will help solve the problem with the host process on your PC.

In contact with

As a result of incorrect installation and configuration of some programs, the svchost.exe system process begins to load the RAM and processor of a computer running Windows.

About the svchost system process

The abbreviation svchost is short for “Service Host”. This is the main Windows system process. It was first implemented in Windows 2000 and reached Windows 10, the latest version of the Windows operating system today. As an example, we consider the operation of the svchost process in Windows 7. The svchost process is the “Host Process for Windows Services” component (Generic Host Process for Win32 services).

What is it needed for

The svchost process is an advanced mechanism for optimizing PC performance. It performs important functions:

  • saves random access memory (RAM), promptly freeing it from the processes of other programs whose work has been completed;
  • improves the use of processor performance resources.

How to start

Every time Windows starts, the svchost process is launched from the executable file svchost.exe in several copies. The initiator for svchost.exe is another system process - services.exe, a Windows component responsible for the operation of all Windows system services.

Run the svchost.exe program for services stored in the Windows registry at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ (Where - service name) in the ImagePath column;

Thus, the ComputerBrowser service (Browser service name) is initiated as %SystemRoot%\system32\svchost.exe with the -k netsvcs parameter. Redistribution and accounting of running processes in accordance with the information in the registry entries HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Svchost - there, each key or subkey matches the name of the group, and the value of the key corresponds to the list of names of services “bound” to the group.

Open the Windows Registry to view the svchost directory

How the host process works for Windows services

The svchost.exe processes are one of the most important shared resources of the Windows operating system. It is accessed by any program that comes to your PC.

Each running copy of svchost.exe contains its own settings, determined by the dynamic DLLs of the Windows system. This is the basis for the mechanism for optimizing the use of processor and RAM resources. Simply put, it makes the PC “fly” even when several programs are running simultaneously.

Failures of this important “brick” for the “life” of Windows - the svchost.exe process - can lead to the inoperability of the entire system.

How does svchost affect the processor and RAM?

It would seem that you can work and not have any problems. However, the svchost.exe process often “pretends” to be viruses and all kinds of spyware and adware Windows applications.

Disguising viruses and trojans

The svchost.exe system process is simulated as follows. As is known, these malicious programs place their executable files not in the \Winwows\system32 folder, but in another one, for example, Net-Worm.Win32.Welchia.a - it is created in the same Windows system folder. Antivirus programs are able to isolate it from reading/writing or even remove it (“network worm” means “network worm”).