Computer Security & Viruses/svchost.exe

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Expert: - 9/26/2004


Question
Hello

My firewall caought this program trying to access my pc.    - svchost.exe.   - is this a legal program that I can allow to enter?

Thank you,  Gabe  

Answer
Svchost.exe is part of your Windows XP operating system and is used to help many programs to run services that connect to the Internet. If you do Control-ALt-Delete and click the Processes tab you will often see several instances of svchost.exe running. You should let your firewall let svchost.exe run if you want these services run. For example, Norton antivirus runs a mail server that checks emails for viruses, and that service would need svchost.exe.

Svchost.exe should be located in the WINDOWS\System32\ directory. If you find a file by this name anywhere else, you have a problem.

To learn what services are using svchost.exe, see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314056 for details.

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Carolyn Meinel

Expertise

I cover Windows, Linux, TCP/IP and Ethernet security questions. I do not cover Mac, smart phones, or other networking issues.

Experience

Books by Carolyn Meinel: wrote a chapter for The Hacking of America book (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567204600/happyhacker) My article Code Red for the Web for Scientific American was reprinted in the book Best American Science Writing 2002 (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060936509/happyhacker). My book The Happy Hacker: A Guide to Mostly Harmless Hacking is now in 4th edition with a Japanese edition (see http://happyhacker.org/hhbook/).

Organizations
IEEE, AAAS

Publications
See a list with some online links at http://cmeinel.com

Education/Credentials
MS, Industrial Engineering, The University of Arizona Took a course in computer forensics at the University of Texas at Austin/

Past/Present Clients
DARPA, SAIC, Palmer Labs

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