Windows Update / SvcHost.exe 100% Cpu in task manager

Anonymous

This problem I know is not new to too many of us. Yet - this is November 2013 and I would like to know how this happened AND what to do to fix it!

I have built many computers since 1997. I never had this problem arise until this reinstall. Have reinstalled XP to XPSP3 several times.

Let us not waste time questioning my knowledge.

Same: components, Motherboard, memory, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. The only thing that is different IS - when I have completed the Windows XP install to Windows XPSP3 - tested functionality - fast as **** - reviewed 'EVENT VIEWER' - no issues, constantly checking the processor usage - low. My next step to activate Windows update to get the updates to make my system secure. Sure enough the CPU spikes to 100% - due to a service host CPU demand! I have to say - IF the meter would have a parameter to 200% - I do not doubt it would go higher than 100%.

Even though I do not doubt the correctness of my process to install the OS (again I have done many times throughout the years) I decided since I have not loaded anything else - I would format the drive (Nov 19) and start all over again.

I sit here now with a computer box with verified functioning components, With a properly installed OS, Motherboard drivers installed - nothing else done and I can not get windows updates.

Note: the first attempt install (Nov 17) - I tried the advice on the Microsoft sites, the fix it routine, the recommended installing of a version of net framework to no avail. There is also other advice to perform a routine (don't ask - I do not desire to dig up that data) in 'safe mode' that also failed to remedy this. Frankly I rarely use advice from even the recognized experts out there but I decided whether it worked or not - as I desired a fresh install one last time to have a properly functioning computer that I built myself and gift it. I'm getting old - at a time of my life when one begins to reduce their material possessions.

How is it possible that someone can do something so many times with certainty to have this issue and to read so many are dumbfounded with this?!

And spare me the absurdity of checking for malware, virus, bad drivers. This computer has not had any exposure to have these issues!

One can safely assume it is not an issue with hardware - even working correctly - as many with this same issue described components that are widely different.

My deduction is: Something is amiss at Microsoft update center and or Windows update I have tried both! I believe (leaving out the suggestions by some of shenanigans) too much is trying to get through - after all the updates number about 120 give or take a few.

Anyway - If there is any assistance 'out there' to provide an answer to a Microsoft customer that bought Windows3.1; Windows95; Windows98; Windows Millennia; Windows Xp. Windows Vista on my Wife's computer. Windows 7 on my recent build just for music enjoyment - I would like the courtesy of receiving a solution to this issue.

It seems very simple to me for someone at Microsoft to round up the most important of Security updates - place them on a disk (compressed - many of us have WinZip and large hard drives) and provide them to us with ONLY A CHARGE FOR POSTAGE - OK, OK add a dollar or two. Leave out the fixes for the fixes. You should know what we need. Buying new hardware or OS systems is out of the question WHY? Because either we can not afford it and most of all - WE OUT HERE ARE STANDING BY a Microsoft product that WE believe in!

Try to do it in time for Christmas - it will do a lot for Microsoft's image .

Have a Good Thanksgiving to all!

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Anonymous

This problem I know is not new to too many of us. Yet - this is November 2013 and I would like to know how this happened AND what to do to fix it! I have built many computers since 1997. I never had this problem arise until this reinstall. Have reinstalled XP to XPSP3 several times. Let us not waste time questioning my knowledge. Same: components, Motherboard, memory, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. The only thing that is different IS - when I have completed the Windows XP install to Windows XPSP3 - tested functionality - fast as **** - reviewed 'EVENT VIEWER' - no issues, constantly checking the processor usage - low. My next step to activate Windows update to get the updates to make my system secure. Sure enough the CPU spikes to 100% - due to a service host CPU demand! I have to say - IF the meter would have a parameter to 200% - I do not doubt it would go higher than 100%. Even though I do not doubt the correctness of my process to install the OS (again I have done many times throughout the years) I decided since I have not loaded anything else - I would format the drive (Nov 19) and start all over again. I sit here now with a computer box with verified functioning components, With a properly installed OS, Motherboard drivers installed - nothing else done and I can not get windows updates. Note: the first attempt install (Nov 17) - I tried the advice on the Microsoft sites, the fix it routine, the recommended installing of a version of net framework to no avail. There is also other advice to perform a routine (don't ask - I do not desire to dig up that data) in 'safe mode' that also failed to remedy this. Frankly I rarely use advice from even the recognized experts out there but I decided whether it worked or not - as I desired a fresh install one last time to have a properly functioning computer that I built myself and gift it. I'm getting old - at a time of my life when one begins to reduce their material possessions. How is it possible that someone can do something so many times with certainty to have this issue and to read so many are dumbfounded with this?! And spare me the absurdity of checking for malware, virus, bad drivers. This computer has not had any exposure to have these issues! One can safely assume it is not an issue with hardware - even working correctly

as many with this same issue described components that are widely different. My deduction is: Something is amiss at Microsoft update center and or Windows update I have tried both! I believe (leaving out the suggestions by some of shenanigans) too much is trying to get through - after all the updates number about 120 give or take a few. Anyway - If there is any assistance 'out there' to provide an answer to a Microsoft customer that bought Windows3.1; Windows95; Windows98; Windows Millennia; Windows Xp. Windows Vista on my Wife's computer. Windows 7 on my recent build just for music enjoyment - I would like the courtesy of receiving a solution to this issue. It seems very simple to me for someone at Microsoft to round up the most important of Security updates - place them on a disk (compressed - many of us have WinZip and large hard drives) and provide them to us with ONLY A CHARGE FOR POSTAGE - OK, OK add a dollar or two. Leave out the fixes for the fixes. You should know what we need. Buying new hardware or OS systems is out of the question WHY? Because either we can not afford it and most of all - WE OUT HERE ARE STANDING BY a Microsoft product that WE believe in! Try to do it in time for Christmas - it will do a lot for Microsoft's image . Have a Good Thanksgiving to all!

Hi Joseph,

Please do the following.

Go to Start | Settings | Control Panel and double click Automatic Updates.

Checkmark the bottom option to disable automatic updates.

Click Apply/OK and then reboot.

Does svchost still consume 100% CPU cycles?

If it does, do the following.

Go to Start, Run, copy/paste this command and click OK: services.msc

In the list of Services, can you see Background Intelligent Transfer Service ?

Here's a pix of what it looks like.

If it's not listed, please proceed as follows to register the BITS service.

Open the Windows Search tool, copy/paste the following and then click Search: qmgr.dll

Search should show that file in the following locations:

C:\WINDOWS\system32

C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386

C:\WINDOWS\system32\bits

It may only be present in C:\WINDOWS\system32, but provided you can see it, do the following to register the service.

Go to Start, Run and copy/paste: regsvr32 qmgr.dll and click OK

Do the same with this file: regsvr32 qmgrprxy.dll

Reboot the system and then copy/paste this command into the Run field:

%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\inf\qmgr.inf

If you're prompted to insert the Windows installation CD, ignore that and in the dialog box at the bottom, change the path to C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386

If you could only see qmgr.dll in C:\WINDOWS\system32 change the path to that instead.

Restart the PC again and then go to Services and you should be able to see BITS in the list.

Double click it and then on the General tab, click the Start button to try and start the service manually. This is just a test to ensure that it's working correctly.

If you get Error 2: cannot find the file specified, go to Start, then Run again and copy/paste the following command and then click OK:

Reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\BITS\Parameters /v ServiceDll /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d %windir%\System32\qmgr.dll

Reboot again and then try once more to start BITS. It should work properly now, but in the unlikely event that it fails again, run the following command and then hit Enter:

Reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup

Reboot once more and then do the following.

Go to this link and install the IE8 cumulative December update:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=41404

If you use IE7, use this link instead:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=41442

Finally, go to the Windows Update site and you should be able to download normally.

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159 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-12-20T07:21:08+00:00

Hello,

Keith and Xircal helped me though the update issue ..... this is a shot in the dark but your problem with system restore was similar to a problem I had.

Check to see if your command prompt will run as administrator. If not I don't think you'll make progress on the other issues.

I ended up doing a fresh install and following corrective measure for BITS, update, etc. but I am still unsure exactly what caused the user command prompt problem in my case ... apparently a registry change or corruption.

Best of luck, Bill

Not sure I'm knowing what you mean by the command prompt running as administrator, but I have been running the command prompt from an administator account, and it appears to be working.

I'm hoping to avoid any "drastic" measures such as a re-installation, drive format, etc. so I'm hoping that any remaining issues can be resolved with (much) less drastic means. I'm just hoping there is no latent malware that will come back to bite me sometime due to not starting over with a clean slate.

Thanks!
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Anonymous

2013-12-20T07:13:46+00:00

Sorry about not prioritizing the cumulative security update first, and it would be the correct first troubleshooting step but more likely to succeed if other troubleshooting which has probably complicated things further had not already been done. Yes just in the past few days that update has been escalated to the first thing to do and try that first to see if that is all that is needed. And it will be a part of the more complicated procedure.

The registry is something that will be indirectly messed with anyway ...

What your Fix it tool reported about "registration" is likely specifiying a registry problem.

And there are troubleshooting steps where you can see that and error codes that will tell the story.

And yes there can be more than one problem that is fixed by reinstalling including reregistering BITS which is what the procedure does.

Anyway if you choose the more proven procedure but involving more steps see the first page of this thread for desktops and then later page 5 of this thread for laptops.

Apparently I somehow missed that entire page of replies about the procedure that's specific for laptops - and so I had applied the earlier procedure without realizing that one was specific for desktops. (My machine is a laptop).

I'd be interested in steps to confirm the integrity of the registry.

I was mainly concerned about applying an extensive registry alteration, seeing the only known problems on my machine were related to Windows Update, Security Essentials virus updates, and System Restore. Otherwise, the system was functioning (apparently) normally... and so I just didn't want to risk fouling it up with an untried procedure. Had the system been "down", then it would have been more worth the risk.

At present, a manually-initiated Windows Update finally succeeded an hour or so ago - but only after an unusually long period of examining my system for needed updates. It also installed several unexpected updates. What I mean are updates that seemed to be relatively "old". Not sure what that was all about, unless some of those System Restores that I had tried actually succeeded partially, despite reporting failures. The virus updates started working earlier in the day, as noted previously. I have not re-tried System Restore seeing there has been no impetus to revert at this time. So, it appears that something about the various steps taken has eliminated or at least alleviated at least the svchost problem.

Thanks for the suggestions and advice.
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Anonymous

2013-12-20T02:33:55+00:00

Hello,

Keith and Xircal helped me though the update issue ..... this is a shot in the dark but your problem with system restore was similar to a problem I had.

Check to see if your command prompt will run as administrator. If not I don't think you'll make progress on the other issues.

I ended up doing a fresh install and following corrective measure for BITS, update, etc. but I am still unsure exactly what caused the user command prompt problem in my case ... apparently a registry change or corruption.

Best of luck, Bill
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Anonymous

2013-12-20T02:06:58+00:00

Sorry about not prioritizing the cumulative security update first, and it would be the correct first troubleshooting step but more likely to succeed if other troubleshooting which has probably complicated things further had not already been done. Yes just in the past few days that update has been escalated to the first thing to do and try that first to see if that is all that is needed. And it will be a part of the more complicated procedure.

The registry is something that will be indirectly messed with anyway because part of the problem is likely a dysfunctional BITS and an improvised install procedure for it is the best that can be done since there is no standalone installer for BITS available yet as an exe from Microsoft. Sorry, but nervous about the registry or not that is going to be messed with even if it done from a command line entirely as part of Xircals procedure, which for the most part is directly verbatim copied from official Microsoft procedures that were published for use with earlier versions of BITS, but have been found to work also for the later version of BITS that is a part of the SP3.

If you want to go the somewhat more complicated command line method that is okay because it is tested, but the variant method I was contemplating should do almost the identical process only it is

involving fewer reboots and could be easier and faster to accomplish the same thing. If it failed then the next place to go would be the proven command line sequence already done by many people.

So there it is....your choice....but the registry is involved when you install or reinstall BITS, whether you do it through a regedit or through a less obvious route the files have to be correctly associated in the registry and with a dysfunctional BITS the registry is already broken usually as part of the issue.

What your Fix it tool reported about "registration" is likely specifiying a registry problem.

And there are troubleshooting steps where you can see that and error codes that will tell the story.

And yes there can be more than one problem that is fixed by reinstalling including reregistering BITS which is what the procedure does.

Anyway if you choose the more proven procedure but involving more steps see the first page of this thread for desktops and then later page 5 of this thread for laptops.
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