there is an svchost.exe and update.exe process taking cpu load around 40-70%. it is either one or the other like update.exe will be doing it(not sure what that is) and also if there is no update.exe process one of the svchost.exe will be doing the same thing. dunno whats up. have tried ad-adaware, spybot s&d, panda activescan, trend online scan. panda got 2 out of 3 detected but 1 that it could not clean who knows that that 1 is didnt say. here is my log. thanks for any help this is friggin annoying

I don't have XP but.... There is a genuine file in XP called svchost.exe, and there is also a virus of the same name. I read that the virus is identifiable by being in the wrong folder. Where the correct file should be, I can't help you. Can you run your AV while Windows is in 'safe mode'? That quite often does the trick.

Do a search for svchost*.exe. ONLY 1 such entry should be found, it is in the C:\WINNT(Windows)\System32\ folder. ANY entry located elsewhere is bogus and must be deleted. Additionally, any entry found with an extra letter or numeral between "svchost" and ".exe" should be deleted no matter where they are found. _________________________ The internet is no longer a toy, it's a COMBAT ZONE!

Also pay close attention to the difference between Svchost.exe & Scvhost.exe Look here Svchost & Scvhost - the difference http://computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/93398.html

the problem appears to be fixed thanks for the fast replies. redid zonealarm pro allowance settings and stopped 1 and it seems to not be doing it anymore

perhaps i was a bit hasty to post, i did a search for svchost*.exe and 4 came up svchost.exe in C:\windows\$Ntservicepackuninstall$ (this one is blue letters for some reason) c:\windows\system32 c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386 c:\windows\softwaredistribution\download\S-1-5-18\48f8251ac21e57d0f04ee141e7d13b24\backup im running windows XP SP2 RC1