Microsoft Generic Host Process Win 32

[Allan]

Is this something I should let my Norton antivirus 2005
allow to acess my computer. I am a little confused about
it. I am running WXP SP2 home. If I do allow it, what is
it for?
Thanks alot.
Allan

 

[John Barnett MVP]

It allows the system to listen service requests based upon the individual
services that your pc is running. You mention Norton Anti Virus rather than
a firewall. It would be a firewall asking permission for this file to access
the internet.
Personally, i use the free version of Zone Alarm (www.zonelabs.com) and i
always allow the generic host process access. I haven't had any problems so
far.

 

[Jeff]

I've had the same dilemna and no-one answered me either! In the end I HAD
to allow it to get connected, and it remains in the list of allowed...

 

[Alex Nichol]

Is this something I should let my Norton antivirus 2005
allow to acess my computer. I am a little confused about
it. I am running WXP SP2 home. If I do allow it, what is
it for?

It (aka svchost) is support for Windows services, some of which want to
get out to the Internet on your behalf (eg Windows update or Time
Synchronisation). Let it have access, but not act as a server

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Is this something I should let my Norton antivirus 2005
allow to acess my computer. I am a little confused about
it. I am running WXP SP2 home. If I do allow it, what is
it for?
Thanks alot.
Allan

A Description of Svchost.exe in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314056

Do you have WinXP configured to automatically check for updates,
and how often? Do you have WinXP configured to synchronize its system
time with an atomic clock, and how often? Both of these activities,
and others, would require Internet access.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH