What is svchost.exe? Should you delete it?

Svchost.exe is a core system file. It contains the services used to run Windows properly. It should not be deleted. It must be located in C:\Windows\System32. Otherwise, it's 80% dangerous. Some attackers disguise their malware as svchost.exe.

What are the consequences of killing this process?

If you kill the process, you kill all Windows Services, stopping the audio engine, the RPC service and/or the DCOM service, and the power service. You will not be able to sign in or out, and you can't shut down, sleep, or restart. In some cases, a BSOD will come a few seconds later. In Windows Server, a BSOD will come immediately.

What happens when you kill svchost.exe in Windows 7.

What happens when you kill svchost.exe in Windows XP.