svchost.exe Hogging CPU on Fresh XP Install

Question

I got an ISO of Windows XP Professional with SP3 integrated from dreamspark. I burned it onto a DVD, and installed onto an old computer of mine.

The first thing I did after installation was install the graphics drivers as I can't stand the extreme lag when I drag windows around. Then I scanned for updates in IE, but it hung for a while. I checked Task Manager, and found out that one of the svchost's was hogging the CPU.

Later, I used SysInternals Process Explorer to check the services associated with that instance of svchost. There was a list, but Automatic Updates was one of them. I stopped that service, and CPU went down instantly. I tried reinstalling as well (twice...), but the same results are produced every time. This hasn't happened before, ever...

I tried installing Windows Update Agent using the /wuforce parameter, rebooted, and nothing...

I also tried installing this hotfix, but apparently SP3 already took care of that...

I also read somewhere that this is caused by SP3 not installing properly. So I tried downloading the ISO for XP that doesn't have any SPs integrated, but I wasn't allowed because I already have a copy of XP in DreamSpark, and it does not let me add the one without SPs to the cart. This is as far as I went

Hardware:

• AMD Sempron 3200+ 1.8GHz
• ASUS M2N-MX
• 3GB DDR2 RAM (2 Sticks of 1GB, and 2 sticks of 512MB)
• Nvidia GeForce 6100
• Seagate 500GB SATA

What do I have to to fix the svchost problem?

UPDATE 1:

I checked WindowsUpdate.txt log, and these are some of the entries:

DownloadFileInternal failed for http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v5/redir/wuredir.cab: error 0x80190194
Failed to download the Redirector cab on try 1: 0x80190194

WU client failed Searching for update with error 0x8024001b
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\cdm.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cdm.dll: Target version: 5.5.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaucpl.cpl is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaucpl.cpl: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups.dll: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups2.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups2.dll: Target version: 0.0.0.0 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuweb.dll is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuweb.dll: Target version: 5.4.3790.5512 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll.mui_en is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll.mui_en: Target version: 0.0.0.0 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaucpl.cpl.mui_en is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaucpl.cpl.mui_en: Target version: 0.0.0.0 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll.mui_en is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll.mui_en: Target version: 0.0.0.0 Required: 7.6.7600.256
Required Version for binary C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll.mui_en,SusClient_wuauhelp,SusClient_wuauadm is: 7,6,7600,256
Binary: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll.mui_en,SusClient_wuauhelp,SusClient_wuauadm: Target version: 0.0.0.0 Required: 7.6.7600.256

WU client failed Searching for update with error 0x8024001b

Failed to obtain cached cookie with hr = 8024400a.
PT: Using serverID {9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77}
PT: Using server URL https://www.update.microsoft.com/ClientWebService/client.asmx
URL for server  is http://stats.update.microsoft.com/ReportingWebService/ReportingWebService.asmx

WUAUENG ServiceMain exits. Exit code is 0x240002

// this is when I installed the 1 mandatory update automatically detected...
# 127 updates detected
# Found 1 mandatory updates

UPDATE 2:

I gave up and installed Windows 7 Professional without Service Packs. svchost ate up CPU again, but only for a minute, and then Windows Update showed about 150 updates I'm missing. Something's wrong with Windows XP and I don't know what... Windows 7 works better so I guess I'll just stick with this then...

Solution

Manually downloading and installing Internet Explorer 8 solves the issue.

Confirmed on two types of systems:

1. Old install of Windows XP Professional SP3 (manufacturer recovery CD) on a Intel PC, having Internet Explorer 6 for legacy software comparability. The other systems that have been updated to Internet Explorer 8 do not experience the issue.
2. New install of Windows XP Home SP3 (manufacturer recovery CD) on a AMD netbook.

So, the issue appears only if Internet Explorer 6 is present. First time it happened is between March and May this year (do not remember exactly). Updates coming with Internet Explorer 8 solve that issue.

Comments

[Admin]

I'd recommend just letting it go overnight, more than likely it's downloading and installing a bunch of hotfixes, new version of IE, Security Essentials, etc. With your processor, that could take up a lot of the resources, but if you let it finish, then you should be good.

[Admin]

@Taegost But that's never happened before. I had Server 2003 before this, and all initial updates were found in about a minute, and nothing hung

[Admin]

Did you have Server 2003 installed on that specific computer before? It could really be anything, and the only way to find out is to start eliminating causes... If you've verified that the Automatic Updates service is causing the high usage, let it complete it's job and see if it returns to idle, especially since you're running on a very outdated single-core CPU.

[Admin]

@Taegost Yes, on the exact same computer, with the exact same hardware configuration. I've also had Server 2008 R2 as well, and I never had this kind of difficulty with initial updates

[Admin]

Anything in the logs? (e.g in c:/windows/WindowsUpdate.log). Does it help it you run a net stop wuauserv, then delete the softwareDistribution folder, net start wuauserv and runwindows updates?

[Admin]

@Hennes Stopped it, checked the log, and I have a feeling that there's something wrong with it... There's a LOT of entries, some of which doesn't look right to me. I'll update my question with some of them

[Admin]

Also, I have another computer that has the 32bit variant of this CPU with a mere 768MB of DDR RAM with Windows XP Home Edition. I've reinstalled many times on it, and I've never experienced any difficulties like this

[ScottN]

This worked for me. In my opinion, MS shouldn't of made Windows/Microsoft Update so attached to IE. It should've been a dedicated service/application like in Vista+.. anyways, thanks for the info and it makes sense this was the problem now.

[ScottN]

To add to your estimate on when this started, I did a re-install of XP with SP3 on an older laptop in early June and didn't have an issue with Windows Update and IE6.

[JvO]

Confirmed; I installed XP SP2 from CD, applied SP3 from another CD, plus IE8 which I downloaded a few months ago. A fresh download of IE8 from microsoft.com reinstalled exactly the same version (8.0.6001.18702), but now the update process continues. First two small upgrades (WGA + 1 other), followed by the rest. Reinstall of IE8 does takes a long time, though.

[Chungalin]

December, same story. Manually download and install KB2898785.