[PCcruncher]

In Windows task manager I have 7 entries of svchost running, (4 under system, 2 in network service, and 1 in local service. I googled it and came up with varied replys like:

Description

svchost.exe is a process registered as a backdoor vulnerability which may be installed for malicious purposes by an attacker allowing access to your computer from remote locations, stealing passwords, Internet banking and personal data. If unaccounted for, this process should be removed immediately.

Recommendation

Disable and Remove svchost.exe IMMEDIATELY. This process is most likely a virus or trojan.
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Description

svchost.exe is a process belonging to 007 Spy Software. This is a stealth monitoring software that sits in the background and tracks all activities such as keyboard input (including websites visited, passwords etc.) This information can be sent to third parties through email or ftp uploads. If you did not intentionally install this program make sure you remove it to protect your privacy.

Recommendation

Not a critical component, but see the information above before disabling it.

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Description

svchost.exe is a system process belonging to the Microsoft Windows Operating System which handles processes executed from DLLs. This program is important for the stable and secure running of your computer and should not be terminated.

Recommendation

svchost.exe should not be disabled, required for essential applications to work properly..

Does anyone have advice about this? I use spybot and AVG.

[Elvandil]

I have 12 running. They are host processes for the other services running on your machine and are needed and harmless. Some bad guys try to use the same file name (usually running under your user account) and others try a slight misspelling, like "scvhost.exe" in order to hide. But yours look like normal processes.

007 spy software let's you name the exe anything you like so it will hide in Task Manager and no one will know they are being keylogged. "svchost" is one name they recommend as a good alias.

[PCcruncher]

So as long as they aren't being picked up by anti virus they are OK?

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by PCcruncher

So as long as they aren't being picked up by anti virus they are OK?

Pretty much. All AV's miss things, and you should also scan with anti-malware scanners, too.

[simpswr]

You can download and run Process Explorer . . it will show you what is using svhost