Svchost.exe, which you'll find in the WINDOWS\System32 folder, launches at startup and loads any services from dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) that the Registry tells it to run. Svchost.exe can, and usually does, run several instances of itself at any given time, each instance running several associated services.

When you use some common tools, such as the Task Manager, you can see Svchost.exe running, but you can't see the specific services. Svchost.exe also shows up when you use Windows XP Pro's DOS-like utility Task List (Start/Run/cmd, then type TASKLIST at the command prompt). When you use the SVC switch with Task List (type TASKLIST /SVC at the command prompt), you can see the names of the processes within each service.

These common methods show you some, but often not enough, information about Svchost.exe services.

Langa.Com