Please help me... Windows xp keeps getting stuck after every few minutes. Whenever I open the task manager, it shows that a process called svchost.exe is utilizing 100% of my cpu process time. It normalizes if kept idle for some time but the problem reappears.

More information will help us to resolve your issue.

Now are you doing anything when it freezes, like surfing or playing games ?
When was the last time you scanned your system for viruses or spyware ?
What are the general specs of the machine ?
Is it FULLY patched ?

That'll give us more to work with, anything else you can think of may also help.

Thanks for your response
1)No, the computer freezes randomly while using any application ( games, surfing , media etc).
2)I regularly scan my computer for viruses, spywares, malicious softwares every week.
3)I have 576Mb RAM, 1.6 GHz pentium 4 processor, Windows Xp Home Edition Version 20002 Service Pack 2.
4)I have checked with the Windows Update feature and it tells me that no new update is available.
Kindly Help...

I have had that exactly same issue for years... sometimes though, it is not a problem other times it is.

SvcHost.exe is the process used by countless of Windows and 3rd party Services
When I had my problems it showed to be Automatic Windows Update that caused it for me. I fixed it by setting the Automatic Updates to Manual instead of Automatic.

Remember that IF you do this and it helps, you must check Microsoft Windows Update frequently and make sure you have the latest hotfixes :)

[Quick HOW-TO Edit or Disable Windows and/or 3rd-party Services.]

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Press Run
3. Type in: services.msc and press enter
4. find the entry "Automatic Updates"
5. Right click on it and choose Properties
6. Click on the STOP Button and let it stop ( should not take longer than 30-60 seconds at most )
7. Then click on the dropdown list and choose Manual or Disabled instead of Automatic ( I do NOT recommend that you disable it, it can make you unable to update windows automatically and manually! )

In case this don't help, I would recommend that you download Process Explorer by SysInternals here: Process Explorer for Windows v10.21

It do not need to be installed, just unpacked and executed.
Then you should try and provoke the svchost so it hangs while having Process Explorer open. Once you notice one of the svchost.exe uses excessive CPU remember which one it was and right click and show info/properties on it after it have "calmed down".

Once the properties open, click on the tab named "Services" and it should show the windows and/or 3rd party services that uses that particular svchost.exe

In case none of the svchosts actually use the CPU but it is a child-process created by one of the svchosts ( you can see if it is a child process since it would be under the parent process in the treeview )


I hope this will help you :)

Good Luck.