If you're having problems with automatic updates

[Rik]

Automatic Updates issues that involve the Svchost.exe process

When you use Automatic Updates to scan for updates or to apply updates to applications that use Windows Installer, you experience issues that involve the Svchost.exe process

SYMPTOMS
You use Automatic Updates to scan for updates or to apply updates to any applications that use Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1. Then, you experience issues when you use the following update mechanisms:
• Microsoft Update
• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
• The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) 2.0
• Microsoft Systems Management Server Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (SMS ITMU)

Some of the applications that use Windows Installer include Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office XP, and Microsoft Windows Defender. These applications experience the following issues:
• The Svchost.exe process may spike the CPU usage to 100 percent during update detection or update installation. Also, the Svchost.exe process causes the computer to stop responding for various lengths of time.
• The Svchost.exe process produces an access violation during update detection or update installation. Additionally, you receive the following error message: SVCHOST.exe Application Error

The instruction at 0x0745F2780 referenced memory at 0x000000000 the memory could not be read.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494 describes the problems in detail and provides a hotfix


Note, you only need to fix this if you are having problems.

[DorsetBoy]

I am so glad I have Linux as my main operating system 

[Rik]

Stop it, Dorset - we don't encourage gloating.

[RobMc]

I was having this problem yesterday on my XP Pro PC. It was using 50% of the processor (i.e. one core?) to process the service svchost.exe on boot up. Knowing that this is a generic service, I eventually tracked it down to the update service. I "fixed" my problem yesterday by reverting from using "Microsoft Update" to using "Windows Update" and everything went back to normal.

I tried the fix referred to in the MS knowledgebase article having read this post but it just went back to the same problem again. I have a love-hate relationship with Microsoft Update, when it works it works really well but this isn't the first time it's exhibited this bad behaviour. I'll revisit the problem, probably after the next Patch Tuesday. Ho hum.

Rob.

[Rik]

Might be worth a call to MS, Rob, I think they're free for update issues aren't they?

[RobMc]

Well possibly. I don't think I'll bother for now. The only reason that I try to use Microsoft Update is that it covers the following products: Office 2003, Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 which I use. Frankly the Office updates I can get from the Office Update and the others are so infrequently updated, keeping an eye on the news tells me when I need to update. I'll see how it pans out over the next month, then reassess what to do.

Rob

[Glenn]

If you get a 0x8DDD0009 error when running the updates they you need to disable Microsoft updates and use Windows update along with Office Updates

Change the default from Microsoft Update to Windows Update:
> Go to Microsoft Update
> Click on Change Settings in left pane
> Scroll to bottom of page
> To Stop Using Microsoft Update
> Disable Microsoft
> Update software and let me use Windows Update only (check).

[Rik]

I'll see how it pans out over the next month, then reassess what to do.

I tend to share your "If it ain't broke" approach. Luckily, for me, I've never had the problem - though why I could not explain. That's the problem with Windows, too many variables to ever really work out a cause.

[Rik]

Disable Microsoft Update software and let me use Windows Update only (check).

Thanks for that, Glenn.