Svchost.exe, wuauserv (Windows Update) bloat

Windows 7 Ultimate, SP1, x86
After startup, and sometimes during a session, Svchost.exe hogs resources, with memory maxed out, high number of "Hard Faults" (AIUI formerly Page faults), the system is almost unusable. Right click the obvious rogue instance of svchost.exe in Task Manager (might need to tick "Show processes from all users"), Go to Service(s), for me it always includes wuauserv (Windows Update) highlighted. Right click wuauserv, Stop Service, then I get my system back!

I try and remember always to turn the computer on about an hour before I need it, unsually by then it has completed it's "warm up", if not I stop wuauserv. Weirdly, sometimes wuauserv restarts all by itself later, so if the system suddenly goes sluggish that's the first thing I recheck.

This is an old problem, it was the same with XP. There is a considerable amount out there about this issue, plenty in techno speak, though the most common recommendation is to permanently disable Windows Update, with instructions or some script to download and run. I assume this is not the preferred MS solution. 

Given how long this issue has been around it seems surprising wuauserve does not monitor it's own usage, flag there's an issue with something installed in Windows, and / or indicate there is a design flaw with Windows Update.

Maybe other interim solutions or workarounds are available. The trouble is so much has written about this issue, it's hard to know what to try and what to ignore: check the registry for scenario-x, a HotFix for scenario-y, try this or that, and much much more. Indeed, as soon as I entered the subject line here a window popped up telling me "we may have solutions available for you", clearly this has been raised many times in these groups, I have looked, the answer way well be hidden in the forest of other long threads!

What would be great here is if a simple solution can be suggested, even as a workaround. But could I ask in advance for well intentioned folk not to suggest complicated things to try they think might have helped some people in some situations, unless they are reasonably confident it will help the majority of users with these symptoms. Thanks :)