svchost.exe - Application Error

Have you recently made any changes to RAM?

It could be faulty RAM. You might test your RAM memory
http://www.memtest.org/

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

With svchost, although it is an application, it is an intermediary for
another application. If it is not bad memory you will need to ascertain
what is using svchost. Let's see what comes out of the suggestions
above.

Sorry for the delay in replying - I replaced the RAM (only after this
incident) and still no change.

These are some of the errors I have downloaded from the logs:

Event Type: Information
Event Source: PCTAVSvc
Event Category: None
Event ID: 0
Date: 2009/01/29
Time: 07:30:11 PM
User: N/A
Computer: FAIERS-B1A014CA
Description:
The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( PCTAVSvc ) cannot be found.
The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or
message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be
able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and
Support for details. The following information is part of the event: Service
started

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: (100)
Event ID: 1000
Date: 2009/01/29
Time: 08:06:20 PM
User: N/A
Computer: FAIERS-B1A014CA
Description:
Faulting application svchost.exe, version 5.0.2168.1, faulting module
unknown, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x0015e8c8.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 73 76 63 ure svc
0018: 68 6f 73 74 2e 65 78 65 host.exe
0020: 20 35 2e 30 2e 32 31 36 5.0.216
0028: 38 2e 31 20 69 6e 20 75 8.1 in u
0030: 6e 6b 6e 6f 77 6e 20 30 nknown 0
0038: 2e 30 2e 30 2e 30 20 61 .0.0.0 a
0040: 74 20 6f 66 66 73 65 74 t offset
0048: 20 30 30 31 35 65 38 63 0015e8c
0050: 38 8

Thanks for the assistance thus far and it would be great if you were able to
solve this for me.

Event ID: 0 is referring to PC Tools AntiVirus.

What is the status of this software on your computer?

PC Tools offers Registry Mechanic, which is a registry cleaner. Have
you installed this or any other registry cleaner or optimiser?

What are your anti-spyware arrangements?

Event ID:1000 -This error could be difficult to resolve in that
something is using svchost.exe and there is no easy way to find out
what. How frequently are these errors occuring? Do they always occur at
a specified time i.e. 08:06:20 PM? Alternatively do they occur within a
defined period of booting the computer?

I installed a registry cleaner almost 18 months ago and that is it as far as
registry clearners go. I do a check on the antivirus later today.

These errors all occur when I boot up - the boot up process is a very very
long one - almost as though the PC is hanging. It takes about 5 to 8 minutes
for the boot up process to happen.
Then once booted up you can work but after about 10 minutres the PC hangs
and then I have to start the process over.
I almost get the feeling that I may need to reinstall windows but not sure
if this will resolve the problems.

Have you installed the Windows XP SP3 update? If not to what point is
Windows XP updated?

The version of userinit.exe is not the latest version. It could be part
of a malware infestation. Does most of the long boot time occur before
or after the Log On appears?

To identify what loads when you boot use Autoruns (freeware from
Microsoft).
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../Autoruns.mspx

With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from
starting,or you can right click an item and then delete it. If you
uncheck you can recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer
approach than editing the Registry and better than using msconfig..
Another useful feature of the programme is that you can right click an
item and select Search Online to get information about the item
selected.

Use File, Find in Autoruns to search for userinit.exe. The correct entry
is as below. See if your's is different or whether you have more than
one entry.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit
C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exeUserinit Logon Application (Verified)
Microsoft Windows Component Publisher c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe

I quote a part of the resolution from artcile: "How to Fix Svchost.exe" for you.

How to Fix Svchost.exe?

If the Svchost.exe is destroyed by virus or the Svchost.exe is corrupt, removed by accident, I suggest you follow this instruction to fix svchost.exe error.

1.Copy and Paste Svchost.exe to Locate to the Correct Directory on Your System.

Firstly, if you can not find a copy of svchost.exe in this folder C://WINDOWS/System32 then please use system searching function to find out svchost.exe file on your computer. It must be removed to another location by mistake. After that, copy svchost.exe back to the correct folder C://WINDOWS/System32.

Secondly, if you fail to locate a copy of svchost.exe on your whole computer, I recommend you copy the file from another computer with the same version of Windows operating system to your problem computer. Of course, you can try to re-install the operating system and Svchost.exe errors would be resolved immediately. However, this method would waste your precious time and maybe delete all of the data if you never backup your files.

2.Download System Optimize Tools to Fix Svchost.exe

Oh yeah, the OP has been waiting those 4-1/2 years for a response, uh huh.
Next time remember to LOOK at the datestamps.