Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) Process Slowing Down Your PC? Here’s How to Fix It

Ever since Windows 8 was released, numerous users reported issues with the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) service using too many system resources, usually up to 95% of the CPU and up to 72 MB/s of the computer's capability to read and write data from or to the Hard Disk Drive.

What’s the Issue With Service Host: Local System?

Although the issue is well known, it is still very common with systems using Windows 8 and 10. This persisting issue continues to haunt Windows users because the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) service is not a standard Windows service that can be easily modified. Instead, it's a collection of many individual services that operate under the same hood.

As you can imagine, any of these sub-services could be causing your Task Manager to portray the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) service as a greedy resource thief. To make things worse, other system components, such as firewall and antivirus apps, corrupted/missing files, and viruses, could be triggering the issue.

5 Ways to Fix 'Service Host: Local System' Process Issues

The good news is that as the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) services using too many resources issue is well-researched. Here are five easy troubleshooting methods to fix issues with the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) process.

Disable Superfetch

Superfetch is a Windows service that is designed to maintain and improve the performance of the computer. Through the years, this service has proven itself as the most common trigger of the "Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) service using too many resources" issue.

The solution is simple, disable the offender.

1. Open the Start menu and type "run" (without the quotation symbols), and select the Run app.
2. In the Run window, type "services.msc" (without the quotation symbols) and press Enter on your keyboard.
3. In the Services window, find Superfetch.
4. Right-click on Superfetch and select "Stop" from the context menu.
5. Restart your computer and check if the Local System (Network Restricted) service is still using too much memory.

Fix the Memory Leak in the with the Registry Editor

1. Open the Start menu and type "run" (without the quotation symbols), and select the Run app.
2. In the Run window, type "regedit" (without the quotation symbols) and press Enter.
3. In the Registry Editor, enter the following path in the dialog box under the File menu: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Ndu

Alternatively, you can follow the path by expanding the folders in the left panel. 

1. In the Ndu directory, double-click on the registry value titled Start (in the right panel).
2. Change its "Value data" to 4 and click "OK."

By changing Start's value data to 4, you will plug the memory leak in the non-paged pool. 

1. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
2. Check if the issue is solved. 

Kill the SCVhost Process 

Ending the "Service Host" and its subprocesses can also help to free the system’s resources. 

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
2. In the Task Manager window, find the "Service Host: Local System" process.

Note: There could be several processes listed as "Service Host: Local System". You are looking for the one that hosts the "Windows Update" and "Update Orchestrator Service" service. 

1. Right-click on the "Service Host: Local System" process and select "End task" from the context menu. 
2. Monitor the CPU/Disk usage in the Task Manager to determine if the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) service continues to use too many resources. 

Perform a Clean Boot

Software conflicts often cause bugs in the system. You can eliminate software conflicts by starting Windows with the essential set of drivers and programs only; in other words, perform a clean boot. 

1. If your current account doesn't have admin rights, log in to Windows with an Administrator account.
2. Open the Start menu and type "system configuration" (without the quotation symbols), and select the System Configuration desktop app. 
3. In the System Configuration window, open the "Services" tab.
4. In the Services tab, check the checkbox next to "Hide all Microsoft services" and then click the "Disable all" button. 
5. Open the "Startup" tab and click on the "Open Task Manager" link.
6. In the Start Manager, open the Startup tab, right-click on any listed application and select "Disable."
7. Disable all apps in the list. 
8. Close the Task Manager.
9. Back in the System Configuration's Startup tab, click the "OK" button.
10. Restart your computer. 
11. Your computer will now run with a limited set of apps and drivers. Check if the issue is resolved. If yes, you are facing a software conflict. Start enabling apps one by one to determine which one is causing the Service Host: Local System (Network Restricted) service to use too many resources. 

Run a Virus Scan

If all else fails, then your computer might be infected with malware. Malware could use system resources to perform malicious operations while at the same time avoiding detection by masquerading as legitimate services. Run a trustworthy antivirus app of your choice to scan your OS for malicious intruders. Remove all detected issues.