Microsoft Quietly Fixes Windows XP Resource Hog Problem

Redmond magazine ^ | 01/16/2014 | Kurt Mackie

[Utilizer]

Microsoft indicated this week that it has fixed a Windows XP resource-hog problem associated with the system's SVCHOST.EXE processes.

Windows XP users affected by this problem typically found that the operating system was using up system resources for 15 minutes to an hour after startup, making it difficult to use the machine during that period. The Microsoft Update team had vowed last month to spend the holiday break tackling the issue, which has plagued some users for years.

The fix involved stopping the system from perpetually checking Internet Explorer updates. Microsoft indicated that the fix was rolled out on Tuesday.

...snip...

Microsoft did not announce the fix broadly. Instead, it released the above statement to Susan Bradley, a Microsoft MVP and moderator of the PatchManagement.org list-serve service, which is a discussion group for IT pros. Apparently, that's the only venue where the statement appeared publicly. Microsoft's January security bulletin announcing four patches and nonsecurity releases did not mention the SVCHOST fix for Windows XP.

Microsoft's fix took effect on Tuesday. It apparently stops systems from grinding through older Internet Explorer updates before releasing system resources. The fix also seems not to require any actions by Windows XP users or IT pros to take effect.

[Utilizer]

This is one of the reasons I never trusted that "Automatic Update" so-called "feature" function. Besides the fact that it sometimes resulted in crashing the machine, that is. Not much more info at the site, minor links there and other references.

[null and void]

Glad they finally got this fix done. It’s what? 4 months until they stop supporting XP at all?

[Darksheare]

Something like that.

[Excellence]

The fix also seems not to require any actions by Windows XP users or IT pros to take effect.

How is that? No update/install?

[knarf]

I don't use automatic updates ... never did after my BIL told me about the potential problems way back in 1998.

I always opted for the notification, so I could read it and decide for myself.

Having said that, the last year or so, when I shut my XPPro down, I would always get a SVCHOST IS SHUTTING DOWN popup, which was explained to me as;, the computer wanting to shut down faster than the software.

I'm no geek, so I accepted it.

Always hit 'end now' and never worried about lost data ... all I ever did was surf FR and .... never mind.

[tomkat]

yup, great timing .. kinda makes ya wonder 'why bother' ?

[onyx]

I get all kinds of notices from windows, but I learned the hard way to shut off their “Automatic Updates”.

[Utilizer]

Still quite a few machines out there running XP. Heck, even some NT 4.0 machines around from what I understand. But even so, MS STILL has not published the official ntfs specifications, which is why even when running one of the newest Linux distros I sometimes get a warning that an ntfs partition has indicated a problem, and need to have Windoze run a check on it and reboot at least twice to fix it.

[1rudeboy]

In just under the wire! Good job, Microsoft!

[null and void]

Yeah. I only use XP to any real degree on a non-internet connected machine. Maybe this fix will stop the poor thing from having conniption fits?

[smokingfrog]

My XP laptop runs faster than greased lightning now.

[GeronL]

Its been forever since I had XP but I actually do remember SVCHOST and wondering what was taking resources back in the day. Its one of the few things I actually remember, but I do not remember it being a huge problem.

[GeronL]

lol

(I think)

[Utilizer]

Not certain. Either it was included in the latest auto-update as of last Tuesday, or the PatchManagement.org site might have it available otherwise.

[Utilizer]

...the computer wanting to shut down faster than the software.

I used to encounter a similar problem with Firefox, which I finally solved by first switching to a new blank tab while closing all the others, exiting, then waiting a few extra seconds before shutting down to give the software time to finish all running processes first.

[bigbob]

Nice, but points out something I’ve always suspected, as I’ll bet this crap was going on behind the scenes even though I almost never use IE, just because it’s installed as part of Windoze.

[Hardastarboard]

OMFG!! I spent HOURS trying to fix this cluster disaster of a problem. It would hog the entire CPU, and then when you would kill the process it would still let you surf the net, but wouldn't let you watch YouTube, start AIM, and wouldn't manage the Sleep state. It would hibernate and then have to be rebooted to start again. Lather, rinse, repeat until you're ready to scream.

I thought I had a virus or something was wrong with my computer. How is it that this problem just showed up something like 10 - 15 years after XP was introduced? I'm beginning to think the Linux / Ubuntu guys are right.

[Utilizer]

...I almost never use IE, just because it’s installed as part of Windoze.

What I found most annoying was running across a bit of new software more and more frequently that REQUIRED IE to run! I had to install it (or, more frequently re-install it) just to get the software to run -even though I used only Opera.

[GeronL]

bump

[GeronL]

You use Opera? I was wondering who used that browser.