DCom Host Process - DLLHOST.EXE

DLLhost is a COM DLL host process that supports DLL based COM objects. It is used by many Windows programs including Windows 2000/NT4 or later server applications, SQL server, PHP, ASP, and many more. If things are working perfectly, DLLHOST should run, direct traffic then close. However, it is not unusual for there to be multiple instances of DLLhost or DLLhost.exe in your task menu.

It is best to leave this file alone as it is difficult to determine which programs or processes it may be supporting. Killing DLLhost usually causes it to be restarted and requests continue being served.

Often you may see DLLhost associated with a Process ID. Here are some common examples:

Dllhost.exe /Processid:{02D4B3F1-FD88-11D1-960D-00805FC79235}
Manages the configuration and tracking of Component Object Model (COM)+-based components. If the service is stopped, most COM+-based components will not function properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

Dllhost.exe /Processid:{2B9E634F-B2DC-4CC3-B80C-0FFD1C2D812A}
Manages software-based volume shadow copies taken by the Volume Shadow Copy service. If this service is stopped, software-based volume shadow copies cannot be managed. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

The most common problem noted was a memory leak that can result in DLLhost.exe becoming larger even to the point of using all available memory and resources. This seems most common under Windows 2000.

If you use Windows 2000 and are experiencing problems, you may want to download Service Pack 3. More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp3/default.asp.

For information on how to obtain the latest W2k Service Packs, visit http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;260910.

For a free download of the Windows 2000 Resource Kit, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/default.asp. This kit includes memory usage monitoring routines that may be helpful in troubleshooting problems with dllhost.exe.

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