Svchost, short for service host, is a core Windows system process that handles the processes that are executed from DLLs. Because Svchost provides support to many essential Windows services, there are multiple instances of the executable running at the same time on your system. You must never terminate this program because it is required for secure and stable functioning of your PC. Due to application error, svchost.exe may cease to function and make your system unstable. When the error occurs on your computer, you may receive an error message similar to the one given below:
“svchost.exe – Application Error
The instruction at 0x009a6f9a” referenced memory at “0x00000000”.
The memory could not be “written”.
Click on OK to terminate the program.
Click on Cancel to debug.
Repair Application Error Svchost.Exe
Most commonly, this error occurs after you have installed a Windows update on your computer. Many times, you get the error even when you start your computer in Safe Mode. To fix the issue, first verify the settings of the Automatic Updates service of your Windows XP system by performing the steps listed below:
- Open Control Panel, select Performance and Maintenance, and then select Administrative Tools.
- Next, select the Services option to open the Services management console window.
- Here, find and double-click on the Automatic Updates service.
- Open the Log On tab to ensure that the Local System Account option is selected and the Allow service to interact with desktop check box is clear.
- On the General tab ensure that the service Startup type is Automatic and Service Status is Started.
- Next, verify the same information for Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
After verifying the Automatic Updated service settings, re-register the DLLs that are associated with Windows Update. For this, open Start >Run and use the “REGSVR32 <DLL_Name>” command to register the following DLLs one by one:
- WUAPI.DLL
- WUAUENG.DLL
- WUAUENG1.DLL
- ATL.DLL
- WUCLTUI.DLL
- WUPS.DLL
- WUPS2.DLL
- WUWEB.DLL
After re-registering Windows Update DLLs, perform the following steps to delete the corrupted Windows Update files.
- Open Command Prompt by typing “cmd” at Start > Run and press Enter.
- On the Command Prompt, type net stop WuAuServ and press Enter to stop the Windows Updates service.
Note: You can also stop the service from the Services management console. - Next, type %windir% at Command Prompt and press Enter.
- Next, to rename the SoftwareDistribution Folder, type ren SoftwareDistribution SoftDistr_Bak and press Enter.
- To restart Windows Update, type net start WuAuServ and press Enter.
- Finally, type Exit and press Enter to close the Command Prompt window.
Many users complain that the error reappears again after some time, usually after the next automatic Windows Update is done. In such cases, it is recommend that you disable the Windows Update service from the Services management console and start performing regular and periodic manual updates. To perform manual updates, open the Start menu, point to All Programs and then select the Manual Update option.
Many times, Svchost.exe errors are known to occur due to virus and spyware infections. To prevent these errors, you must keep your antivirus and anti-spyware software updated with the latest definition and run regular scans on your computer to keep it free from malicious files and programs. Application errors may also occur due to a damaged or corrupted registry. To prevent these errors, you must perform regular registry maintenance with the help of registry programs, such as RegServe. You must use registry programs to regularly scan the registry for unwanted, obsolete, and incorrect information and remove them to optimize the registry and your system.