Running the HTTPSSL service in a svchost.exe

On Windows 2003 the HTTPSSL service (the service that implements SSL) runs in the lsass.exe process. If you ever are interested in running the HTTPSSL service in a svchost.exe process instead of the default lsass.exe here is how you do it.

To configure the HTTPFilter service to run in its own svchost, we have to modify the ImagePath value for the service entry in the registry.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesHTTPFilter

ImagePath       C:WINDOWSsystem32svchost.exe -k HTTPFilter

Restart the HTTP.SYS driver

net stop HTTP /y

net start HTTP

iisreset /start

This will make the HTTPFilter service to run under a svchost.exe instead of the lsass.exe

Ensure you backup the registry key before making the changes.