I get this little message everytime I turn my computer on. Anyone have any idea how to go about fixing it??
Try this: http://www.tune-up.com
Looks like you have some rogue service that’s trying to start up but can’t. But you probably don’t want it to start anyway. Try Tune-Up’s trial and see if it doesn’t clean some things up for you.
Neat app. It cleaned up my registry and some other stuff. I might even buy it. I like the way you can dump everthing you dont need that’s tying up your RAM.
Still have the same error message poppilng up, though.
Anyone know how to trouble shoot somehting like this?
Bad news: svchost is a required part of Windows. If it’s crashing like that, it’s probably been infected by a virus. More information can be found here:
The likely fix is to run a virus scan and follow its instructions, and to make sure that you’re installing the latest Windows updates.
Not so sure it’s really that bad a piece of news. svc_host is probably (but see below) running fine… it’s one of the services that is registered with it that is failing to launch.
Take a look at your “Services” (accessible through the Control Panel and various other ways if you have Administrator privileges on this machine, which you should) – see if any of the Services marked as “Automatic” are not in “Started” status. This one (I doubt it will be more) is the culprit. Whether it is a rogue or a legitimate service with a problem can be determined once you know what it is.
If all or many of the Automatic services are failing, only then is it the svc_host program itself that is failing to start up.
I doubt there is a problem with the svchost file. It’s likely a problem with one of the many services that file is responsible for starting, like what Zipper said.
My computer is monitored and scanned by the latest McAfee Anti-Virus. Both the antivirus and my XP install the latest updates automatically.
I think I need to find out what service is trying to run, and then Disable that service and/or uninstall the appropriate software that goes to that service. Or, if it’s something I want to be running, then re-install that software.
But exactly how do I find out what service is causing the problem?
Anything in your Event Viewer?
(start -> control panel -> administrative services -> event viewer, then look at all possible categories for anything interesting)
It’s may be the Windows Update service, it has been causing problems for a lot of people. Try disabling the Automatic Update service and restart. If the error goes away, install this update, then the new update agent and check the service is back in automatic.
It might have been just that. Going off of Noone Special’s advice, I turned all the AUTOMATIC services that were not running over to MANUAL. Windows Update Service was one of them. And in fact, I think that as many times as I’ve messed with the Services menu to try and figure out who was screwing things up, I always left that one alone. Because it sounds so important 
I will do the reinstall thing like you said.
Thanks. guys.
I downloaded that “tune-up” and I got a warning that it could damage my system. I’ve never seen that particular warning before. It it something I should be concerned about. I’m using XP.
Whenever you get an error message, Google it:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1027728&SiteID=1
Yes, that is what happened to me. I got a Windows update then that same error message. I asked my tech guru friends who did not think it was an immediate danger. However,I figured that if a Windows Update caused it, then next update would make it go aawy and it did.
Got a warning from what? Windows, or some other program (like your virus scanner)?