# Error at Windows XP start-up. Please, god make it go away!!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 9, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345 "2007-06-09T04:29:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/1 "2007-06-09T04:29:47Z")
I get this little message everytime I turn my computer on. Anyone have any idea how to go about fixing it??
[http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5992/untitledai1.gif](http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5992/untitledai1.gif)
---
### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/2 "2007-06-09T04:43:14Z")
Try this: [http://www.tune-up.com](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.
---
### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/3 "2007-06-09T18:11:14Z")
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?
---
### Author:  [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/4 "2007-06-09T18:34:50Z")
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:
> **[Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.](https://askleo.com/svchost_and_svchostexe_crashs_cpu_maximization_viruses_exploits_and_more/)**
>
> Svchost (and Svchost.exe) is a required Windows component that often shows up in errors caused by viruses. Review Svchost, Svchost.exe, and how to stay safe.
> **[Article Removed](https://askleo.com/article-removed/)**
>
> The article you're looking for has been removed from Ask Leo!. There are many reasons this could happen, but the bottom line is the article was incorrect,
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.
---
### Author:  [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/5 "2007-06-09T18:40:30Z")
[QUOTE=Rysto]
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:
[http://ask-leo.com/svchost\_and\_svchostexe\_crashs\_cpu\_maximization\_viruses\_exploits\_and\_more.html](http://ask-leo.com/svchost_and_svchostexe_crashs_cpu_maximization_viruses_exploits_and_more.html)
[http://ask-leo.com/svchostexe\_error\_svchostexe\_has\_generated\_an\_error\_now\_what\_do\_i\_do.html](http://ask-leo.com/svchostexe_error_svchostexe_has_generated_an_error_now_what_do_i_do.html)
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.
[/QUOTE]
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.
---
### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/6 "2007-06-09T18:44:34Z")
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?
---
### Author:  [@arseNal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arseNal)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/7 "2007-06-09T19:06:40Z")
Anything in your Event Viewer?
(start -\> control panel -\> administrative services -\> event viewer, then look at all possible categories for anything interesting)
---
### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/8 "2007-06-09T19:10:34Z")
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](http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7A81B0CD-A0B9-497E-8A89-404327772E5A&displaylang=en), then the new [update agent](http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe) and check the service is back in automatic.
---
### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/9 "2007-06-09T19:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=yoyodyne]
It’s may be the Windows Update service, it has been causing problems for a lot of people.
[/QUOTE]
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.
---
### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/10 "2007-06-09T21:50:42Z")
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.
---
### Author:  [@Pontius\_Pilates](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pontius_Pilates)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/11 "2007-06-10T02:48:09Z")
Whenever you get an error message, Google it:
[http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1027728&SiteID=1](http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1027728&SiteID=1)
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2007, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/12 "2007-06-10T06:17:38Z")
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.
---
### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-at-windows-xp-start-up-please-god-make-it-go-away/407345/13 "2007-06-10T15:56:57Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane]
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.
[/QUOTE]
Got a warning from what? Windows, or some other program (like your virus scanner)?