[radiocynic]

Hi -- I started this thread over on the software forum, but I'm beginning to think it's more appropriate here.

Nutshell -- Just upgraded old '99 Dell DImension 500mHz Pentium desktop from 98SE to XP Home. I installed the dreaded AOL, then realized the error of my ways and uninstalled it (or at least I'm attempting to piece by piece.) AOL may or may not have been the true culprit, but I suspect so, since it also installed Pure Networks Port Magic (without my knowledge or permission, of course,) which I hear "manages" folks' home networks for them, whether they like it or not.

After removing that, one svchost.exe in my "running processes", owner SYSTEM, is using 99% of resources, and basically making it impossible for any executable to run. If I stop that process, all seems to function except my network connection to my laptop, hence my theory that it's a net-related svchost.exe thing.

Anyone have any ideas on how to restore my home network to the perfectly-functioning level it was at pre-the-AOL-episode?

Thanks, I'm goin' nuts here. -- Randy

[JohnWill]

Did you try a system restore to prior to installing AOL?

[radiocynic]

Hi there, John; thanks for the reply.

Well, yes, I did, but different things were screwed up at different times, and I hadn't properly planned a restore point at the right time, it seems. None of the restores I tried made things work right.

I still don't know what caused this svchost.exe problem -- may not have even been AOL-related; also could have been a Logitech Setpoint that I MISTAKENLY tried to install in the wrong computer! -- (Hey, it was late at night...) -- which also sent it into an endless loop searching for bluetooth that wasn't there. (My own damn fault, but would it have killed Logitech to program in an abort in that program for such a case?)

I wish I knew more about tracing which specific instance of svchost was tied to which dll file, which registry entry, etc., just to kill off this type of thing in the future.

But other than not knowing the specific cause, I guess we can still mark this "solved" or whatever, since my solution has turned out to be starting from scratch, repartioning the drive and doing a complete new install of XP again! (I had everything backed up, and I just got tired of trying other ways, so that's what's currently happening!)

So thanks as always for the help! -- Randy

[JohnWill]

You need to consider imaging software like Acronis True Image for backups of your configured installation.

You can think about that after you do the re-install that appears to be looming in your future.