Solved dllhost.exe using up memory

[bigseb]

This happened about an hour ago... noticed that all my RAM was being used up. Noticed Task Manager listing dllhost.exe using almost all the RAM. Rebooted and it came as soon as I opened an explorer window. Rebooted again with the same result.

Googling suggests a virus. Is it? I can end the process in TM but it reappears as soon as I open a window. And the RAM keeps climbing until it maxes out. Before I do a complete reinstall (busy backing up data) I would like to know if there is an easier method, assuming it is actually a virus.

Cheers!

 

[bigseb]

Further testing shows that the dllhost.exe can't be ended once but needs to be ended multiple times before it closes.

 

[PC LIZARD]

is it fix /////????? run heard protect..https://www.google.com/search?clien...ourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=herdprotect could be a bad update clean all temp files and see...my browers is open my AV is runing my CPU is at 0%

 

[bigseb]

Ok, I reinstalled my OS for a fresh start. Installed only the following software: Geomagic Design, Adobe Reader, 7zip, Makerware, Proftweak, MSE and the latest IE. This is software that I need to work. It was downloaded form the usual safe sources. That was on Sunday.

Last night (Thursday) the dllhost.exe issue was back. How? I trust the software I was using. I only went online to install IE and MSE (from the MS website).

Some more googlefoo revealed that this is either a Trojan (I don't think so because of my minimal install with trusted software and the fact that it is located in the Windows/System32 folder) or an issue relating to thumbnails. I will try later to apply 'view only as icons' to all folders and see if that helps or an issue with IE.

Would really appreciate some help here. Thanks.

 

[UsernameIssues]

You might want to use Process Explorer to check the things that are running on your computer via VirusTotal:

http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/320426-process-explorer-16-a.html#post2681060

 

[bigseb]

Ok. Switched off thumbnails, using icons only. Problem solved. Thanks UserNameIssues.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Thanks for posting the solution.

If you ever miss thumbnail, we might be able to locate/delete the offending thumbnail database file via Process Monitor.

Once the thumbnails are correctly generated, the memory usage should drop.

 

[Ukhoops]

dlllhost

how do you switch off thumbnails? I reboot computer or it bsods 98x a day and I see in task manager dlllhost.exe is running at over 1million kb with nothing ever opened at all since reboot???

 

[UsernameIssues]

how do you switch off thumbnails?...

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11738-thumbnail-previews-enable-disable.html