Windows 7 (x64) PC requires frequent rebooting

serviceswindows 7

My Windows 7 (64 bit) PC develops a problem every few days and requires rebooting to fix it.

Symptoms: I will notice that it's running very slowly, the UI can't even keep up with my typing, disk is working way too hard.

I pop up task manager and switch to "processes for all users". The process svchost.exe (one of several with that name) is using nearly all of my available memory.

If I right-click on the process and choose "Go To Services" the following items are highlighted:

services running under the problematic process

Now, I open the Services console and restart each one in order.

  • WinHttp Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service: instant

  • Diagnostic Service Host: error:

    Windows could not start the Diagnostic Service Host service on Local Computer.
    Error 5: Access is denied. (I am running Services As Administrator.)

  • Network Store Interface Service: prompts to re-start many more services:

    • HomeGroup Browser
    • Network List Service
    • Network Location Awareness
    • Network Connections
    • Remote Desktop Configuration
    • Computer Browser
    • Workstation
    • IP Helper
    • DNS Client
    • WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service
    • DHCP Client

Restarting causes this error:
Windows could not stop the Network Store Interface Service service on Local Computer.

Error 1051: A stop control has been sent to a service that other running services are dependent on.

  • Network List Service: instant. Also restarts HomeGroup Provider.
  • Windows Font Cache Service: instant
  • Function discovery Provider Host: instant. Also restarts Home Group Provider.
  • COM+ Event System: instant. also re-starts dependent services:
    • Symantec Management Client
    • System Event Notification Service
    • Background Intelligent Transfer Service

So, after some services successfully restarting and a couple failing to, the memory/performance situation is the same.

Please let me know if there are any other diagnostic steps I can take to get more information about this problem. Thanks very much for your help!

Best Answer

Not sure if the following will solve your problem, but maybe help you get part of the way to a solution if nothing else...

The Symantec Management Client is most likely the issue (I used to contract for them and have seen similar issues).

If this is your home computer, then go to Start and type in msconfig in the Run box (where it says "Search Programs and Files") and hit enter.

System Configuration will open. Click on the Startup tab.

Uncheck the Symantec products then click "Apply" and restart.

Look at your svchost processes again and see if any are hogging the processor time.

If no improvement, go back into System Configuration and recheck the items you unchecked.

At this point, the svchost process that is complaining is probably associated with a web monitoring component, so I would temporarily disable that component and see if the process hogging continues.

If still unresolved, an excellent freeware-for-personal-use utility for examining processes in detail is IARSN TaskInfo. BTW, one of the few utilities I have paid for because it is so darn useful.

After installing, go into the help menu and activate the product, then restart as Administrator (the long button in the upper-right-hand corner).

Examine the hogging svchost.exe process and look in the lower right panel for the files it has opened, etc. so you can get more clues as how to proceed.

In general, I highly recommend looking for something less aggressive and with a better track record than the Symantec product line but that is just my personal opinion.

Hope that helps, ClaireW

Related Question