WIN XP SP3, MS update and computer stuck at svchost at 100 % CPU

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by Fly, Sep 13, 2013.

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  1. Sampei Nihira

    Sampei Nihira Registered Member

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    It's correct.
    Now is OK.:thumb:
     
  2. astoundingbacon

    astoundingbacon Registered Member

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    Installing the cumulative IE update manually allowed me to run Windows Update properly. Thanks!

    Hopefully we'll be replacing this system early in the new year so I won't have to worry about XP anymore.
     
  3. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    The log was cropped from the beginning of Windows Update to when it got stuck. I didn't wait for it to work this time.

    A bit late for that, I've already deleted my snapshot after successfully installing manual updates for the second time (got "lucky" last month). Plus I've already tried that and more.

    Is there a point running the command when I'm not experiencing the problem?
     
  4. FanJ

    FanJ Updates Team

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    It took over 4 hours. Oh well o_O
    Laptop and its user are tired.
     
  5. stapp

    stapp Global Moderator

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    First time I've ever had this problem on my XP machine which, up until today, has updated flawlessly each month.

    Machine was virtually unusable.

    My setting was to let me know there were updates available. I managed after a hard reset to change the setting before it locked up again. Then another hard reset.

    Now it is set to never, and all working fine, while I try and work out how to get the updates with the least stress :D
     
  6. DougCuk

    DougCuk Registered Member

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  7. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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    Thanks so much for the info you posted here.

    I've been trying to figure out how to get XP Pro SP3 updated since the last successful update back in July.

    Updating IE with the cumulative patch allowed WU to begin working again.

    I am truly in your debt.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
     
  8. Phantoms

    Phantoms Registered Member

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    Does MS even want to fix the problem?

    Seems to me they are happy letting people think there older computers are trashed in hopes they'll buy a nice new one with the latest Windows.
     
  9. Phant0m

    Phant0m Registered Member

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    I see still lot of XP systems and with Automatic Updates, and only small handful is with this issue. If the problem is like what's mentioned here, then ... every XP user should be affected. This so far isn't the case.

    Those with the problem, most was fixed up by refreshing the SoftwareDistribution area.
     
  10. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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    I don't personally have a clue what percentage of XP owners with the issue actually either post here at Wilders, on another computer related (security) site or the Windows community online.

    I know that when I was researching the issue last night there were quite a few respondents to various threads that reported the same frustration with the same issue...generally beginning after the July updates.

    Most of us had not done anything to alter our systems and the issue was on MS's end. I'm glad to have found a solution thanks to the info posted by DougCuk. It was a very frustrating experience spending hours spinning my wheels over the past months without success nor a proposed solution from MS.

    Is it any wonder that some folks are abandoning Windows for other alternatives?
     
  11. bo elam

    bo elam Registered Member

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    For a long time I have had WU disabled. The only problem that I experienced this past few months when I go to the Windows update site is that I usually have to wait about 10 minutes before the screen with the available updates shows up, during that time svchost runs at 100%. But yesterday, 15 minutes went by and nothing happened.

    Like Blues, after installing Internet explorers 8 cumulative patch, when I visited WU afterward, the other available updates showed up in about a minute. Thanks DougCuk.

    Bo
     
  12. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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    Too bad Doug's across the pond as I'd like to stand him to a pint of his favorite brew.
     
  13. bo elam

    bo elam Registered Member

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    I tip my hat for him:cool: and to you too brother. Reading your post is what got me to install the patch.:)

    Bo
     
  14. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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    Least I could do, Bo. You're usually the one doing all the helping. :thumb:
     
  15. DougCuk

    DougCuk Registered Member

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    Just glad to be of help!

    I don't know why not all XP systems with Automatic Updates active do not seem affected. If you just leave an XP system on it will in many cases eventually manage to find and install the updates - which includes the problem Cumulative IE update - so you could be unaware it had a CPU overload.

    Slow single core systems with borderline RAM are crippled and may never battle through to a conclusion - while dual core systems only suffer a 50% CPU overload and normally get there eventually. But some sytems do not seem to be affected at all.

    One of my XP systems, an old laptop was hit back in July and until recently I had not realised why. Then two XP desktop systems got hit in November and after trying all the standard fixes I found the admission by Microsoft Update staff member Doug Neal and applied the fix. Then I started getting calls from some of my customers - same fix - same success. Then it all started again for December.

    I think politics inside Microsoft is getting in the way of a fix.
    Why fix things if it prompts people to dump XP.
     
  16. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    Indeed, you know something's wrong when a clean XP virtual machine with no third-party software installed other than VirtualBox Guest Additions is affected.
     
  17. SweX

    SweX Registered Member

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    It took around 5min downloading + installing all of this months XP updates manually. Very smooth I must say, so even if the Cumulative IE update is supposed to fix the svchost.exe issue, I think I will keep the automatic WU disabled since installing them manually isn't really any harder to do. :)

    But it's great info that DougCuk have shared so those who would like to enable automatic WU updates again can do that after they have installed the Cumulative IE update to see if it's fixed for them or not. :thumb:
     
  18. DougCuk

    DougCuk Registered Member

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    Doug Neal from the Microsoft Updates team has posted an update here:
    http://marc.info/?l=patchmanagement&m=138696900324972&w=2

    The conclusion of his email is as follows:

     
  19. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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  20. Togg

    Togg Registered Member

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    My situation seems to be the opposite of most other cases I've read about. Before last month I never had automatic updates enabled, just collected them manually without any problems.

    Then the manual updates for November didn't work, I just got the endless lines of green blocks travelling left to right. Not having the patience to just wait for something to happen, I fiddled around and eventually enabled automatic updates. Some time later the shield appeared and allowed me to download and install the relevant updates.

    I waited patiently for the symbol to appear with the December updates but nothing happened, nor would manual updates work! Eventually, I re-enabled AU and went to bed. On Wednesday morning the shield reappeared and I was able to update normally.

    I have no idea why this happened but will live with it until I have to attempt Linux or buy a Mac next April!
     
  21. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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    That mirrors much of my own recent thinking.
     
  22. DougCuk

    DougCuk Registered Member

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    The key point about this issue is that it is NOT Automatic Updates that has a problem - it is the Automatic Updates Service (wuauserv.dll) - and this Service is used for both Automatic Updates and when interacting with the Windows/Microsoft Updates Website via XP's Windows Update utility. Once the problem strikes it affect both methods of access.

    If you leave either method to check for long enough it can battle through to a conclusion - if you have a fast enough processor and enough RAM - people just get bored watching the green strobe bar in Windows Update and abort the search.
     
  23. virtumonde

    virtumonde Registered Member

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    Too bad i didn't seen this thread yesterday...

    The xp machine stayed at 50% CPU for about half an hour until download updates yellow shield appeared...

    I updated system images with paragon, and lost another hour with those...

    One of the Paragon images was xp (all updates till October 2013) with no 3rd party software...

    If it happened there also it clearly was something global..Is clearly that MS doesn't test xp anymore, which is i admit not a big surprise.
     
  24. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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  25. Blues7

    Blues7 Registered Member

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