Hi Will, ignore the title of this KB article and reinstall the WU Agent -
Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update, from Microsoft Update, or by
using Automatic Updates after you repair a Windows XP installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

Reboot.

If that hasn't helped contact MS for free support -

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 (All Languages)
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...3&gprid=522131

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for Windows XP, but
only for Service Pack 3 (SP3). This support for SP3 is valid until April 14, 2009. For
more information about this policy, visit the Windows XP Support Lifecycle page located at
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223. Chat and e-mail support is available only
in the United States and Canada. For all other Windows XP issues, visit the Help and
Support site at http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...spx?gprid=1173, and then choose
your product.

.. US:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...3&gprid=522131

.. CA:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...3&gprid=522131

.. UK:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...3&gprid=522131

.. AU:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...3&gprid=522131

.. Other:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...spx?gprid=1173
select Windows XP | select Windows XP Service Pack 3


--

TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco


"Will" <Will@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:40AE8209-E106-4C88-A613-165139A1242C@microsoft.com...
| Hello,
|
| I recently installed SP3 on my laptop and desktop PC's running Windows XP
| Home SP2. Everything was fine for about a week, but last night, both PC's
| slowed till a standstill and became unusable.
|
| The show an instance of SVCHost.exe using 99% of the CPU. I used Process
| Explorer to narrow the problem down to the Automatic Update service. Stop it
| and SVCHost.exe goes to 0% usage and System Idle jumps back to 99%.
|
| I left the PC on today for 12 hours to see if it was actually downloading
| something and might "fix" itself. After 12 hours, it was still using 99% for
| svchost. No network activity light and no hard drive usage; just running the
| PC full bore.
|
| I knew this was a problem that happened to some people a year ago, and there
| was a fix. However, wasn't SP3 supposed to have all those fixes. Why did
| this start happenening on two different PC's at exactly the same time,, with
| both having SP3 installed.
|
| Also SP3 was installed from disc, not download and installed with no errors
| on either machine.
|
| Can anyone help me with a solution that will allow me to use automatic
| updates, and not have svchost.exe use 99% of my CPU. With the problem, it
| takes 10 minutes to open Explorer, or even 5 minutes just to get a command
| prompt to come up.