What is Svchost.exe???

You must have seen it that when you open the task manager there are many processes that runs with the name svchost.exe. You definitely must not be knowing what it does and why it keeps running continuously. Other process are easy to understand and recognize but this one is not. Many times you thing it can be a virus and you try to end that process. it appears in Windows XP and 7 also.

So let me clear all your doubts. First of all, Its Not A Virus. Microsoft has described it as a generic host process name for services that run from dynamic-link libraries. In simple language, svchost.exe is a system file that enables Windows to launch other programs automatically. Many of Windows processes runs on DLL files viz., Dynamic Linked Library. Since the DLLs cannot start and run on their own. For this reason Windows operating system needs an executable program that can help this DLL's to launch easily and automatically.

The Svchost.exe file is located in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder. At startup, Svchost.exe checks the services part of the registry to construct a list of services that it must load. Multiple instances of Svchost.exe can run at the same time.

Svchost.exe groups are identified in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Svchost

To identify the process 2 methods are provided:

• Using the Command Line:

Open the Run box from Start Menu -> type CMD to bring up the command terminal. 

Type in tasklist /SVC. You can see all the dynamic libraries that svchost.exe is running.

I know for many of you its still not understandable. But that's how it is. :)

• Using the Process Explorer:

Process Explorer is a nice little utility that you can run straight from the ZIP file. By using this utility you can see exactly what each process is doing. Just mouse-over each process to look into the details.

If you have any more information on this aaprt from what described please write it in the comment.

Cheers!!!