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Mike Maltby
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Some information about the PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection.
PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection:
The PCHealth entry in MSConfig | Startup and also in the Task Scheduler,
refers to the PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection routine (pchschd.exe)
which launches winmgmt.exe to collect software and hardware configuration
data that can be accessed using Help & Support's System Information's
History view. In other words it allows you to see changes over a period of
time to your system such as drivers. The details collected are contained
in the files CollectedData???.xml files in the folder
..\windows\pchealth\helpctr\DataColl.
Note that all that pchschd.exe is doing every ten minutes is checking if
the system is idle or not. If idle it launches winmgmt.exe to collect the
information and sets itself to run again in 6 hours, if not it continues
to run at ten minute intervals until it finds the system is idle.
As to whether you need this historic data or not, only you can decide. A
number of us have long since decided to disable pchschd.exe having no use
for the collected data. It should be noted that if you contact MS or an
OEM for help that it is possible that they might request you send them
these files. If you do choose to disable pchschd.exe it is ESSENTIAL to
delete/disable it from both MSConfig | Startup and the Task Scheduler as
otherwise the startup entry will recreate the Task Scheduler entry when
the system is rebooted.
One advantage of disabling the PCHealth Scheduler is that it minimizes the
chances of winmgmt.exe causing problems. What happens is that quite often
winmgmt.exe doesn't exit correctly when it has finished but instead
remains resident and using cpu cycles.
Note also that disabling these entries does NOT affect either System
Restore or System File Protect, nor AutoUpdate or your ability to use Help
& Support, all part of what Microsoft call "PCHealth".

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Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com
> The PCHealth Scheduler (the PCHealth entry in MSConfig | Startup) had
> absolutely nothing to so with the creation of automatic system restore
> checkpoints. This is a quite unnecessary procedure as the data
> collected is of no use to man, beast or even computer geek.
Doc - 29 Nov 2005 08:28 GMT
> Some information about the PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection.
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> CollectedData???.xml files in the folder
> ..\windows\pchealth\helpctr\DataColl.
Presumeably one can safely delete the xml files in this folder ?

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Adam and Eve - the worlds happiest couple ever.
Neither had a mother-in-law.
Mike M - 29 Nov 2005 12:45 GMT
> Presumably one can safely delete the xml files in this folder ?
Yes, but you will have to do this by booting to DOS from a floppy and
working from the DOS prompt.

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Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com