# Why so many?



## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

I open the Windows Task Manager on my other computer when I start it. There is something called Svchost.exe that shows up multiple times. Some say System, Local Service or Network Service. There are always quite a few open and today there were 10. One had Memory Usage of 170,000 K. What is it for and why are there so many open?

Also when I look at the Performance Tab under PF Usage I had been at about 170 MB, but it has been creeping up recently and was at 198 MB today. Is there something going on that I can take care of?

Thanks.

Nomad


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Nomad said:


> Is there something going on that I can take care of?


Yes, something is going on; Windows is getting more bloated and software vendors are getting more bold about making their applications memory resident.

You may be able to trim memory usage down by cleaning house, but the ultimate solution has always been to purchase more memory to accommodate the ever-expanding Windows environment.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

True and memory is so inexpensive these days, it sure is worth it to get to the Max the machine can handle.
Heck I just bumped this iMac form 2 GB to the Max of 8 GB and was just 46 bucks from Crucial. Not a bad deal at all IMO.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

It is a Dell that is about ten years old, so there may not be a lot of room for more memory. I still don't understand why that svchost thing is open 10 times at once. And what exactly is the svchost thing?

Nomad


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## Narshalla (Sep 11, 2008)

I don't know what it is, but I do know that if you try to kill the program, the computer will shut down, unfortunately.


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## Limon (Aug 25, 2010)

There are a lot of system calls that various programs use. Rather than each and every program having their own copy of these system calls, they're bundled together in something called a dynamic-link library. If you look through your system files, you'll find all kinds of DLLs listed. The problem is, you can't run a DLL like you can an executable file; it has to be called from a program. So, Windows starts up the svchost whenever another program needs access to those DLLs. That's why you can find so many of them running.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

The computer has 512 MB of RAM. There are two slots and both have a stick in them. There is another Dell upstairs that isn't working because of a virus. I think I'll go see how much RAM it has. It was rebuilt, so maybe there is more and I can take that. The maximum for mine is 1 GB, so I'll either have to find two 512's or at least one, so I can add to my total.

Nomad


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Nomad said:


> I open the Windows Task Manager on my other computer when I start it. There is something called Svchost.exe that shows up multiple times.


On most systems you will find several to many Svchost.exe running. Nothing abnormal about that. They are helper programs for other programs and services.


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## Solarmom (Jun 17, 2010)

arabian knight said:


> True and memory is so inexpensive these days, it sure is worth it to get to the Max the machine can handle.
> Heck I just bumped this iMac form 2 GB to the Max of 8 GB and was just 46 bucks from Crucial. Not a bad deal at all IMO.


Thanks for the name of Crucial- I just ordered the max memory upgrade for my IMAC - apple wanted $200!!

Kris


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

LOL - yeah, as much as I do like Macs for their design, and reliability, I will NEVER buy RAM for an Apple computer, FROM Apple.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Dell wants $37.99 for a 512 MB stick. Crucial wants $18.99 for the same item. Wonder which one I'll buy from?

Nomad


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## Manzanita (Dec 9, 2005)

Malware can disguise itself as an svchost.exe file placed somewhere other than the legitimate file. Make sure that all your svchost.exe instances are running from the _Windows\System32_ folder. If you have one running from another location, it's probably malware.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Kung said:


> LOL - yeah, as much as I do like Macs for their design, and reliability, I will NEVER buy RAM for an Apple computer, FROM Apple.


That is why I ordered from Crucial. A very reliable and one that has been around for some time, and had very good prices. My goodness 8 GB for 48 bucks I did not even look to see what Apple wanted. Nor did I go to our local Apple Store. I have one 20 miles form me, it is the place where I bought this iMac from. But not memory.
Crucial only.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

Manzanita said:


> Malware can disguise itself as an svchost.exe file placed somewhere other than the legitimate file. Make sure that all your svchost.exe instances are running from the _Windows\System32_ folder. If you have one running from another location, it's probably malware.


How do I find out where they are running from? All it has on the task manager is the local, system or network.

Nomad


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## Manzanita (Dec 9, 2005)

Nomad said:


> How do I find out where they are running from? All it has on the task manager is the local, system or network.
> 
> Nomad


I didn't realize Task Manager wouldn't show the location. You might want to download *Process Explorer*. It's free and is like a high-powered task manager. It will actually show with much more detail the processes running on your computer.

It doesn't require installation. Just get the zip file, extract the procexp.exe file to a folder or your desktop, and run it by double-clicking it. On computers I set up at work, I create a subfolder in the "Program Files" folder, put the file there, then create a shortcut to it in either the quick launch menu or the desktop.


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