dllhost.exe - many instances and consuming all CPU/RAM?!

Hi,

I've googled and tried many suggestions, but not making any progress.

I've noted in the past few days/weeks, my computer is running MUCH more slowly. Lagging, etc. Opened up Task Manager, and noticed dllhost.exe - about 10-15 times listed, and with constant memory consumption. At times, CPU usage up to 100% and Phys memory up to 80% (with NO other programs running!).

My laptop is pretty "clean" - I use it for work when I travel, so it really only has document files on it.

I've run multiple anti-virus on it (Windows Essentials, Malaware, ESET), without nothing significant found.

I've scanned the disk for errors, I've optimized, I've cleaned out/deleted files (through Windows), without change.

I don't have any video files on the desktop (really, no video files that I can find anywhere).

I have noticed that if I have the wifi turned OFF, then dllhost never shows up in the TaskManager. As soon as I turn the wifi ON, then dllhost.exe starts popping up (listed about 10-15 times) and CPU/memory consumption goes up. If I then turn wifi OFF, then the CPU usage drops back down to 5% or so.... but the dllhost.exe stays listed in TaskManager, and Physical Memory usage remains high. As soon as I turn wifi back on, then the CPU usage starts going up again.

Any thoughts out there?

Thanks,
Stephen

Thanks. I will update my sys info.

I've just updated my wifi driver - no change.
I don't think that it's that though....

My computer seems to be repeatedly accessing the internet.

Using CCleaner, I "clean" the system and delete "Internet Explorer - Temporary Internet Files", and then "Internet Explorer - Cookies" (+ a whole bunch of others). As soon as all of this i deleted, I re-scan, and those two "options" appear immediately, with a bunch of files. And the number of them steadily climb, every few seconds.

Also, when I use ProcessMonitor, there's a TON of entires all involving Reg Keys...
And then there will be several that appear to be accessing various internet sites (no apparent pattern to me).

Ex: TCP Receive series9-PC.gateway.2wire.nett:50516->cdn-68-142-79-70.lax.llnw.net:http

and then

...........................50521->a23-72-94-200.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com:http

etc

between these, there's lots of writing to temp files, and UDP send, UDP receives, and RegQueryKey, etc.

Very intermittently, I also get a "internet explorer-like box" that pops up that asks "do you want to end process".

BUT.... during all of this, I've got NOTHING ELSE running.

It almost seems like there is an instance of Internet Explorer running in the background where I don't see anything. But it is repeatedly accessing the internet (and using up CPU and memory).

In the time that it took me to type this, CCleaner shows 2500 Internet Explorer Temp Internet files (all new, since I deleted them all just before I started this post!).

Thanks for your help,
Stephen

liustephen said:

.......I have noticed that if I have the wifi turned OFF, then dllhost never shows up in the TaskManager. As soon as I turn the wifi ON, then dllhost.exe starts popping up (listed about 10-15 times) and CPU/memory consumption goes up.......

Welcome to the Seven Forums.

Feel free to ignore this post. It is just the result of my curiosity.

If you have the time/interest...
...I would like to know if those dllhost.exe processes start when you do this:

Remove/delete every Wireless Network Connection* - including the one for your home.
Turn off Wi-Fi
Restart the computer
Let things settle down for 5 minutes
Turn on Wi-Fi
Do the same 10 to 15 copies of dllhost.exe appear in Task Manager?

*Start
Control Panel
Network and Internet
Network and Sharing Center
Manage wireless networks
Right click on each entry and select Remove network from the context menu.


You have excellent people involved in your thread, so I'll leave you in their very capable hands.

Hi,

I tried the "clean boot" option.
It didn't work.

Even with "clean boot", dllhost.exe starts populating my task list until about 10-15 listed.

Will work on the UsernameIssues' idea tomorrow.

Thanks,
Stephen

Hi-
I looked at MSConfig. I didn't see anything too unusual that I could find.
When you say "calling home", did you mean like a program accessing the internet?