What is helpsvc.exe , it is Slowing down my Pc

[Abaan]

I noticed that at certain times, on my PC the fan noise is really louder and after that I saw in Task Manager that the "Helpsvc.exe" is using a lot of memory during this time. HelpSvc.exe is taking upto 100% of CPU , is there a way to disable this file, is it necessary to run this helpsvc.exe in Windows XP? Please help me because it Is Slowing down my pc alot I would like to know if it is a virus or something so that I can resolve my problem?

[Calvin K]

this is not a virus , it is a legitimate process you . The program is used in conjunction with the 'AutoUpdate' feature of windows. If you are in the process of updating your computer this process should be running. Some users find that once an update has completed, this process will still be running, and may comsumer a large amount of system resources (eg 90% CPU). If this is the case on your system, you should terminate this process.

[MrChris-]

A virus named W32/Sdbot-OG can copy as Helpsvc.exe. You should check if it eat all of your memory, there are strong chances that your maybe infected.

W32/Sdbot-OG is a worm which attempts to spread to remote network shares. It also features a Trojan horse backdoor, allowing remote unauthorized access to the infected computer via IRC channels while running in background as a service process.

W32/Sdbot-OG copies itself into the Windows System folder under the name Helpsvc.exe and to run at system startup, creating registry entries at the following locations:

• HKLM \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Run
• HKLM \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ RunServices
• HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Run

W32/Sdbot-OG spreads over network shares protected by weak passwords after receiving the Trojan horse back door of the command sent by the remote user.

[Devasis]

Helpsvc.exe is a Service for Windows 2000 and later. This launches a Help and Support Center every time you press the help button , This problem may occur if the Helpsvc.exe process exhausts your computer resources. It may be that the Helpsvc.exe process uses 100% CPU for several minutes on your computer. To view the CPU usage for Helpsvc.exe, start Task Manager and then click the Processes tab. To resolve this problem obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows XP , and also you can kill the process from the task manager