Ok. the process svchost.exe has started using 80-99% of my cpu and 100+ MB of ram at certain times. Normaly it's using ~30mb ram and using no cpu but it randomly JUMPS to using all of it and my computer basically locks up untill its done

It did this on my old computer too but only after I upgraded to SP2.. and now it did it on this computer after I downloaded some updates from Microsoft Update. It's only done it once on this one so far but if its the same as my other one it will happen again and again, and it is extremely annoying

Here's the list of what it's doing I got from "tasklist /svc"



does anyone have any idea on why this happens or what I can do about it?

Edit: this is with window XP homeif your just now updating to sp2 there are countless updates to be installed so LET it run its course. Or turn of automatic updates, "Not Recomended". if your computer is locking up and not letting  the process get finished I would sudgest "Process Tamer"
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/proctamer/

registration is free....
This is perfectly fine as I just tried this and got around the same results of svchost.exe as you did. How much RAM do you have, because I would recommend at least 256MB RAM (though it will run with 128 not recommended because it is pretty darn slow).I didn't just not get sp2 that was on my old computer, this one CAME with it.

fffreak, I have 1gb ram and an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ cpu

It hasen't done this since and it seems like no computer website ive been to knows why it did in the first place so i'll just let this go unless it happens again