Windowblinds and SVchost.exe

100% CPU usage

from Stardock Forums
Recently I started noticing my computer begiining to run extremely slowly .After checking running processes in taskmanager I saw svchost.exe was using 100 % of CPU .

Naturally one assumes the worst and I immediately started to check for virus or spyware , but nothing was found ( running both NOD32 and windows defender ) . As my search continued I also noticed - maybe this is new - there was no tray-icon present for windowblinds . I have WB loading at startup and it was very clear - also by looking at processes associated with svchost , windowblinds does in fact use this system file .

When I ended the 100 % cpu svchost process ,windows reverted to the windows classic skin ( further prove something is wrong with windowblinds ,because this means in effect the skin is unloaded and wb is exited ) .

If I rightclick on desktop to change the skin to windows xp style ( silver or any other standard MS skin) - so NOT in windowblinds configuration screen ,that way it does not work - the culprit immediately closes ( the svchost .exe using 100% CPU ) .

As reverting to windows xp style skin amounts to the same thing as unloading windowblinds I think it's safe to conclude the program triggering the svchost.exe using 100% CPU is in fact windowblinds .

Any ideas on how to get rid of this ???

I can post the whole thing in condfiguration system information ,but nothing out of the ordinary is showing there . I also had one BSOD instance in which I got a SYSaudio error , apparently this was happening during the time a skin was loaded . I'm now assuming my installation of windowblinds is corrupted , but having updated it to latest version doesn't solve the svchost.exe issue .....I am using XP-SP 2 ,by the way with all updates installed.



windowblinds
7,875 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Please post the sys info from the WB config. That can help.

When did this start happening?
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
and an fyi - first option in override default setting is the option to show the tray icon
DeskScapes - Bring your desktop background to life.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
WindowBlinds version : WindowBlinds 5 (5.1 (build 82 x86))

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC

WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC

You have one monitor in total.

(Plug en Play-monitor) 1 is attached to RADEON 9600 SERIES

Wblind.dll 2006/11/18 14:47:20
Wblind64.dll 2006/10/09 11:51:37
Wbsrv.dll 2006/11/18 14:47:19
Wbconfig.exe 2006/11/15 19:39:02
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:14
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:07
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/28 18:26:49
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
By the way: the only time windowblinds starts this svchost.exe is at startup ( and let me assure you: it is windowblinds starting it, there's no mistaken that ).

Mine does ( you can see that by using any process manager ) .This in reply to "windowblinds doesn't use svchost.exe"


Let me put it this way :

- I startup my computer
- windowblinds loads
- svchost uses 100 % CPU ( and a processmanager says some components of WB are associated with it ,does it skin svchost then ? )
- I exit Windowblinds in the crude way I described earlier .
- upon exiting WB ,the svchost using 100 % CPU dissapears from taskmanager .

How else can one interpret this as windowblinds using svchost??








Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You do know Neil's THE lead developer of WB?


Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
You do know Neil's THE lead developer of WB?


Could be , but I'm dealing with something I am noticing .The fact that svchost process is ended when I exit windowblinds led me to the conclusion something with WB is going awry ( anyone would think that ) .

I can't nOT contradict something when I'm seeing what is happening .This by no means implies disrepect or anything like that .





Check these two unfolded svchost trees out . Apparently there's TWO WBsys.dll's running,should this be the case?







Anything goes here.I'm not implying windowblinds is at fault here ,I'm only reporting what I'm noticing .


Shouldn't the 4.0 files be gone ?? I updated windowblinds through stardock central every time I did an update .


Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you tried uninstalling, rebooting, then installing, rebooting, then running WB? The rebooting is important.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
did you uninstall 4 before moving up to 5?
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I have uninstalled WB now and the 100% CPU svchost.exe was gone at startup. I'll now check for any "old" installation files - these shouldn't be present though, I always updated using SDC - and re-install WB 5.01

Just hope the uninstall didn't mess up registration for premium skills....

I always reboot after any uninstall ( work in IT myself ) even if it doesn't tell you to do so ,by the way

After uninstall this is still in windowblinds folder ( there's a dll there from wb 4 , and it's a protected file . What files - if any should I remove ? In other words ; shouldn't the install of WB 5.01 pretty much overwrite these files ?









Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I re-installed WB 5.01 ( SDC said no version of windowblinds was installed so I thought it was safe ) . I proceeded thus :

* uninstalled WB,as described above
* Rebooted
* downloaded and installed WB 5.01 using SDC
* rebooted
* upon startup the WB configuration screen appeared and also our old friend : the 100% CPU svchost.



I will now uninstall WB for an indefintely period of time ( irony is I just renewed my OD subscription ) until more is known of what might be causing this .

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Did you delete any files that were present after the uninstall?

If somehow WB4 files were left over the problem might still be in place.

Set skin to Windows Classic.
Uninstall, reboot.
Check to make sure all WB files were deleted
Run a registry checker just to be sure.
Reboot
Install via SDC
Reboot .. all will be well (I think)
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Disable the Themes service. Start > Right click "My Computer" and go to Manage. Then in the left pane of the window that appears, click the + next to 'Services and Applications'. Then click on Services. Scroll down, right click on the 'Themes' service and click Properties. Under 'Startup Type' change it to 'Disabled' and then click the Stop button. close the dialog and the Computer Management window, and look at your task manager. Should fix the problem.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
Disable the Themes service. Start > Right click "My Computer" and go to Manage. Then in the left pane of the window that appears, click the + next to 'Services and Applications'. Then click on Services. Scroll down, right click on the 'Themes' service and click Properties. Under 'Startup Type' change it to 'Disabled' and then click the Stop button. close the dialog and the Computer Management window, and look at your task manager. Should fix the problem.


Tried this too. Although the startup is way faster ,after some seconds svchost kicks in again.

I also tried disabling windows update,to no avail.It seems Wb5srv.dll is tied in with winlogon too,it was the only file I couldn't remove when uninstalling due to it being in use.Never mind , I'll simply end svchost manually ...






Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
Just to conclude this thread- and emphasise Windows Update was the culprit because it enabled a service,NOT windowblinds - I want to point out this article for anyone else experiencing similar problem:

WWW Link

Just make sure to follow the guidelines therein,reboot and the 100% CPU-usage should be a thing of the past .This also signifies you probably need to check those services after each windows-update