For anyone who still works with XP machines - recurring/massive lag issue

[Galant]

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to throw this one out because I had an issue come across my path three separate times in the last couple of months on different XP machines I work with. It's an issue where the machine experiences massive sluggishness. If you're running XP and have any local lag issues this might be it.

When checking the processes under Task Manager one of the svchost.exe processes was found to be going flat out at 99-100%.

I've done some digging and found information with many others having experienced this in the last few months. It appears the svchost process in question is tied to Windows Update and the problem with it is a result of Windows Update being heavily linked to Internet Explorer. Basically, if IE is out of date it can adversely affect the performance of Windows Update.

Obviously, an immediate relief fix is disabling Windows Updates. However, if disabling updates isn't an option then the more permanent fix is to update IE. I've found that getting IE up to at least version 8 has sorted it for me so far.

Hope this helps anyone else who's battled this one.

Shout out to this Neowin thread which pointed the way forward (this post in particular).

[Saracen]

Thanks, Galant.

I do have several XP machines still, though I don't have this problem. I also have Update turned off, but even so, it's one of those useful little nuggets of information to file away in the disorganised morass of jumbled snippets I call a memory.

[smargh]

"Updating IE" will not resolve the problem. It's inherent to the update mechanism on XP - it will max out 1 core during update detection. There is no way around it, aside from upgrading to Windows 7+.

The old PCs at my workplace suffer from this issue regularly, obviously particularly those with only 1 CPU core. If I recall correctly, there is a lengthy and in-depth Technet article/blog which explains the technical limitations of the XP update process.

[malfunction]

IE9, XP? Presume that's a typo, IE tops out at v8 on XP doesn't it?

[badsyntax]

IE9, XP? Presume that's a typo, IE tops out at v8 on XP doesn't it?

Yup, IE9 has a Windows 7+ requirement.

Amusingly IE8 is 23+ % of the 56-ish % market share that IE has. When April 2014 rolls around it may be the case that those numbers start to see some change. It's about time that nearly a quarter of browser users moved to an application which (by then) will be 5 years since release.

[Galant]

Oops, well spotted. Yes. 8. Edited.

And I can say I have seen a definite relief of this issue on machines I've worked with. It's more than possible there are scenarios where the situation isn't resolved, and maybe it will come back to haunt me, but so far I have managed to get it so that the svchost.exe drain doesn't take place like it used to.

I'll continue to monitor, but I have seen definite relief from this so far.

[oldboy47]

Thanks Galant, I was just about to check the forums for an answer to this very problem. Update temporarily disabled and able to work fine.

[mycarsavw]

Looks similar to my issue here;

http://forums.hexus.net/help-quick-r...-freezing.html

I disabled WU checking and the most recent Patch Tuesday has been and gone with no issues whatsoever.

[Splash]

Apparently fixed in the latest bunch o'patches. Sadly I don't have an XP test machine these days, so I can't confirm.

EDIT: I tell a lie, thought that they'd killed Technet by now but seemingly not. Testing shortly

EDIT2: Certainly looks sorted: not breaching 10%cpu on a 1CPU, 1Gb VM while running WU.

[mycarsavw]

Yup, seems to be fixed here too, just in time for XP to go EOL and my new W7 machines to arrive.

Thank you Microsoft!