Svchost, What Is It?

[kendellrt]

My firewall automatically allows access to "svchost", in the program controls. Does anybody know what exactly it does, and why it would require net access?

[94Camaro]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314056

 

As far as I know, it manages pretty much every service on your system and Windows can't run without it and there are probably several instances of it listed in the task manager. I don't believe it actually uses the net for anything, but in order for it to do its job with software that does need access, it needs access too.

<== great little resource for unknown processes.

[Trakfast11]

i remember seeing this question being asked earlier this year and there was a good answer.. just checked. http://forums.overclockersclub.com/?showtopic=22782&hl=svc

 

it gives a link to http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...6&Product=winxp

 

hopefully you have XP Pro (cause this applies to Pro, not Home).

 

just took a screen shot of mine.

 

To view the list of services that are running in Svchost:

1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type CMD, and then press ENTER.

3. Type Tasklist /SVC, and then press ENTER.

Tasklist displays a list of active processes. The /SVC switch shows the list of active services in each process. For more information about a process, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

Tasklist /FI "PID eq processID" (with the quotation marks)

 

edit: just looked at the link camaro posted and it turns out they both give a page with the same info (even though they use different links). my bad for not checking first

Edited November 22, 2004 by Trakfast11

[lt_navvara]

some viruses can hide as svchost and do real bad things like overload the sistem