Author Topic: Can you disable XP's Recovery System partly? (Read 28,746 times)

Curt · « **on:** March 29, 2007, 02:17 PM »

Taking XP into use, I have been trying to get use to the very high CPU usage right after every PC upstart. But the day before yesterday I had a bad experience with a failed removal which corrupted several program that I then was forced to re-install. After this, svchost has been VERY busy, as you can see on the picture: some 90% CPU usage for 36 minutes! Its not the updater (set to work on Sundays only), so I take it the sinner is the Recovery System making fix points or whatever. IF the Recovery System was excellent, I wouldn't mind this extreme behaviour too much, but knowing from bad experience that Recovery System really sucks and won't recover anything, this behaviour kind of upsets me.

[attachimg=#]

Can I somehow disable Recovery System's automatic fix point setting?

- if you know what I mean.

f0dder · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2007, 02:58 PM »

I always disable system recovery completely...

anyway, for tracking down which service is being bad, you can view properties of the svchost instance that takes up all the CPU, process explorer has a "services" tab that lists which services that particular instance is responsible for.

Some instances serve a *lot* of services, but it should at least help you pinpoint it.

Curt · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2007, 04:09 PM »

Quote from: f0dder on March 29, 2007, 02:58 PM

, process explorer has a "services" tab that lists which services that particular instance is responsible for. Some instances serve a *lot* of services, but it should at least help you pinpoint it.

Yeah, I noticed a hughe number of services for this svchost, and of course one of all these is the very sinner itself - but Who? I realize that the reason for the present lang-term 100% CPU usage (1 hour by now!) might not be System Recovery after all; this host also runs Event Notification, and various others:

[attachimg=#]

Quote from: f0dder on March 29, 2007, 02:58 PM

I always disable system recovery completely...

I too have done so, now,
- and the CPU usage is some 5%, so the sinner really was System Recovery!

Lashiec · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2007, 04:48 PM »

Probably you had a big registry file or too many system files, so that's why System Recover spends so much time doing the backing up (I suppose...)

Nighted · « **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2007, 09:43 PM »

Virus Scanners can slow down any moving/copying of files significantly. This could compound the problem.

f0dder · « **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2007, 10:02 PM »

If I had just one guess, it would be BITS - background intelligent file transfer, which is used as part of windows update.

Curt · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2007, 11:19 PM »

Quote from: Curt on March 29, 2007, 04:09 PM

Quote from: f0dder on March 29, 2007, 02:58 PM
I always disable system recovery completely...

I too have done so, now,
- and the CPU usage is some 5%, so the sinner really was System Recovery!

Seems I was too hasty, again. After re-start the CPU usage was very high for very long again, and with System Recovery diabled, tthe sinner must be someone else. Maybe BITS or maby some major error, I am far from done with re-installing all the broken programs - in fact, I have no sound at the moment - and there are some hidden errors as well: Outpost will open, but not respond, even though I have re-installed the entire Office 2003; I cannot send or receive mails.

The extreme CPU usage is really only yet another minor frustration

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2007, 11:28 PM »

Bet I know what it is ...

Did you upgrade to "Microsoft Update" rather than "Windows Update" ?

I had huge problems and found a number of articles in the MS knowledge base admitting that Microsoft Update hogs the CPU during the first startup each day while it checks your system and the MS website for updates.

If you have ever gone to the Windows Update page it asks you to upgrade to Microsoft Update so you may have done it without thinking. You can opt to revert to Windows update (it is hidden in one of the links on the left) and that certainly solved my startup problems.

Darwin · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:16 AM »

Thanks Carol (and everyone else) - this high CPU issue associated with svhost has been driving me crazy. I just visited Microsoft Update and selected "Change Options" in the left hand side and then scrolled to the bottom of the page to disable Microsoft Updates and revert to Windows Updates. Too soon to tell if this will cure my problem, but I'm hopeful...

Curt · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2007, 06:41 AM »

Quote from: Carol Haynes on March 29, 2007, 11:28 PM

Bet I know what it is ...

Did you upgrade to "Microsoft Update" rather than "Windows Update" ?

I had huge problems and found a number of articles in the MS knowledge base admitting that Microsoft Update hogs the CPU during the first startup each day while it checks your system and the MS website for updates.

Yes, it was Microsoft_Update. But I already had the auto-update feature set to check on Sundays only, so why would it check at every upstart each day?

Following your advice I have now changed it to Windows Update - so, we're going to see...

Thanks, Carol

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2007, 08:30 AM »

IME MS don't really respect the settings you enter WRT scheduling!

Try turning off automatic update altogether and see if that fixes your problems.

Curt · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:15 PM »

Quote from: Curt on March 30, 2007, 06:41 AM

... Microsoft_Update. But I already had the auto-update feature set to check on Sundays only, so why would it check at every upstart each day?

Quote from: Carol Haynes on March 30, 2007, 08:30 AM

IME MS don't really respect the settings you enter WRT scheduling!

??? !!!

Quote from: Carol Haynes on March 30, 2007, 08:30 AM

Try turning off automatic update altogether and see if that fixes your problems.

I have done so, now, and: Yes, that fixed my problems on CPU usage!

"Check on Sundays only!" Ha! They have been giving me the finger!

[attachthumb=#]

No wonder 'some' are angry with Microsoft...

Thank you for this tip, Carol

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2007, 09:38 PM »

You are welcome - I only knew about this because I had the same problem.

If you swap back to Windows Update it fixes the issue - if you use Office you will then need to occasionally use Office Update to check for Office product updates (from the Help menu in any Office App).

laughinglizard · « **Reply #13 on:** April 07, 2007, 06:49 PM »

WinDirStat is a great program to see whose doing what and eating how much space on your hard drive.
I like the graphical use chart and the fact that it tells you exactly which program is taking up space.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/windirstat/

Darwin · « **Reply #14 on:** April 07, 2007, 09:37 PM »

Just popping back in to say that the changes in my system have been profound since I "downgraded" to Windows Update. svhost isn't pegging my CPU anymore...

Curt · « **Reply #15 on:** April 07, 2007, 10:10 PM »

- same for me, only I also have forgotten to update for eight days...

ZEKE · « **Reply #16 on:** April 22, 2007, 01:08 AM »

Erunt: This freeware replaces windows system restore which can now be turned off. To turn off, click on 'start', 'control panel', 'system', 'system restore' tab, and put a check mark in front of 'turn off system restore on all drives'. Every day when you start your computer for the first time that day, Erunt will automatically backup your registry files. You can also backup at anytime just before you install software or modify the registry.
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/erunt.html
zeke

roadrunner2525 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 23, 2007, 01:42 AM »

Great call. Erunt is the best and least resource hungry registry backup there is. T o tell the truth, I had lost it during my bout with rootkits and had forgotten to reinstall it. Thanks.

CleverCat · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2007, 12:43 PM »

System Restore has never worked for me! Even if I have a restore point it says - nothing to restore?

Does erunt replace it completely so you can roll back? I have regseeker which backs up....

Curt · « **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2007, 04:29 PM »

RegSeeker will only back up keys that you are using RegSeeker to delete, it will not do any "normal" kind of backups. ERUNT and ERUNT Autobackup will backup the registry only.

CleverCat · « **Reply #20 on:** April 28, 2007, 12:00 PM »

Have downloaded and just to clarify.....

Am I correct that this completely replaces system restore?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #21 on:** April 28, 2007, 12:23 PM »

It doesn't completely replace system restore.

System restore also notes key files that have changed (and backs up previous versions). So if DLL libraries change or drivers are installed previous versions are saved in case of trouble.

As I understand it ERUNT allows you to back up the registry - this is useful but restoring an old registry after a hardware change or the installation of new software may not roll back your system to a safe or stable state as you then potentially have registry entries pointing at drivers or libraries that are at best the wrong version or at worst may not even exist!

Curt · « **Reply #22 on:** April 28, 2007, 12:36 PM »

No, it wont replace the System Restore in the way that you can use it to Roll Back. But maybe the question is not if it will replace XP System Restore or not, but if System Restore is worth anything to you. XP System Restore has been worth nothing to me, and you told that System Restore never worked for you. So there you have it!

But do remember that Erunt only will backup the registry keys. Each time you delete a program / anything, the backup cannot recreate such. If you want a genuine Roll Back option, you will have to create Images of the entire PC. Erunt cannot do that; it will not offer you the chance to roll back if you have deleted the wrong file or the wrong program, only the chance to recreate the registry - and for this it will need the original files to be present. I have learned the hard way to keep everything, until the PC have been working for several days with any new programs / updates. Don't empty your basket too soon!

CleverCat · « **Reply #23 on:** April 29, 2007, 06:17 AM »

I use Acronis True Image.....and keep my install files - everything is backed up to an external enclosure.

Curt · « **Reply #24 on:** April 29, 2007, 07:34 AM »

Quote from: CleverCat on April 29, 2007, 06:17 AM

I use Acronis True Image.....and keep my install files - everything is backed up to an external enclosure.

I believe you should be home and free then.

-

However, you did forget to supply a link to Acronis True Image

The price is $50 but if you abort the purchase it will offer a 10% cutdown, making it $45
- still a lot of money...