Windows update causes svchost.exe to be memory hog

My recently bought machine has 2 GB RAM. It's HP Pavilion.

This is a freshly installed Windows using original retail disc Windows 7 Ultimate x64. With Windows update running now, it is using 1.8 GB RAM causing everything to crawl. svchost.exe alone is taking 1 GB RAM.

My question is simple, is it normal? I'm sure I installed it as normal as I have always been.

I've been using Windows 7 for years and this is the first time I've seen this kind of behavior.

ddadda82 said:

My recently bought machine has 2 GB RAM. It's HP Pavilion.

This is a freshly installed Windows using original retail disc Windows 7 Ultimate x64....

Unless you plan to add RAM, you are better off with a 32bit install of W7 pro.

What features do you need from Ultimate?

UsernameIssues said:

ddadda82 said:

My recently bought machine has 2 GB RAM. It's HP Pavilion.

This is a freshly installed Windows using original retail disc Windows 7 Ultimate x64....

Unless you plan to add RAM, you are better off with a 32bit install of W7 pro.

What features do you need from Ultimate?

No choice. I got this Ultimate a long time ago (spare copy) and so this machine has to go with it. I don't want to buy more Windows license.

For RAM.... not sure. Only for daily excel/word jobs, don't think it'll need another 2 GB or 4 GB RAM. This PC is not for me, it's for another staff.

You can still install 32bit Ultimate. If you are getting too high svchost.exe (netsvcs), it is possible you are hit by the Windows Update bug. Does Windows Update find the updates when you leave it for a long time (1-2 hours)?

You can try (after verifying it is netsvcs and Windows Update not working properly):
- Disable services (SuperFetch, Windows Update, Background Intelligent Transfer Service)
- Restart
- Download https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3050265 for the correct bit version.
- If it fails to update, start Windows Update service and try again.
- Restart PC, set WU and BITS services (auto - delayed start), SuperFetch (Auto) and start them
- See if Windows Update work proper, and netsvcs using a much lower amount of RAM

Layback Bear said:

Personally if it was my computer I would just install a little more ram as long as the motherboard will allow and make a happy staffer..
Anytime you can make a staffer more productive for a few dollars it's money well spent.

Certainly.

In the early days computer hardware was expensive while the time of the staff that used them was relatively cheap. Having that expensive computer wait for the staff that served it was to be avoided.

That situation is now reversed, with a vengeance. Computer hardware is cheap while the time of the staff it serves is far more expensive. Even a few minutes wasted a day will become hours over the course of a year. Having a staff member wait on a computer with only 2 GB RAM is a crime against the company. Upgrading to 4 GB will make the employee more productive and pay for itself in a short period. And the employee will be happier at the same time.

2 GB RAM is the minimum supported for a 64 bit OS. As such you must expect that performance will suffer. I learned a long time ago that Windows update is very memory intensive. With only 2 GB RAM it isn't really practical to do much else while that is going on.

That is for a computer with no other issues. If it has problems the situation will be even worse.