How to Fix Error 0xc0000005 on Windows 10

Of course, The arrival of Windows was Microsoft's greatest triumphFor decades, this operating system has been one of the most popular solutions for operating and managing computers with a graphical user interface.

Furthermore, over time, not only installation but also troubleshooting has become much more efficient, thanks to automatic troubleshooting that resolves many situations and can be done with a click of the mouse.

However, there are still problems for which there is no solution, so fixing them can be a bit tricky: such is the case of error 0xc0000005, for example, which It usually occurs when opening third-party programs and cannot be resolved using typical repair options.

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What is Windows error 0xc0000005?

Error 0xc0000005 It is one of the most known problems of WindowsThis problem not only affects Windows 10, but also older versions such as Windows 8 and Windows 7, and can occur in the following three situations:

• Windows installation: «An unexpected error has been detected during Windows Setup. Make sure the installation sources are available and then restart the installation. Error code: 0xC0000005.»
• Open programs: «The application has not started correctly (0xc0000005). Press the «OK» button to close the application.»
• Application Access Violation: «0xc0000005: Access violation while reading location.»

This error can also occur (without any additional message) during a Windows update, making it impossible to update the operating system. In all these cases, it is advisable to solve the problem yourself, as Windows does not offer a specific solution for the problem.

The most common causes of error 0xc0000005

The possible causes of error 0xc0000005 are very varied and depend on the context in which it occurs:

Perhaps the hardware not working properly or is incorrectly configured; on the other hand, the error may be caused by a fault in the software that is running, so reinstalling it may solve the problem. However, in most cases, the error is caused by a fault in the operating system itself.

Possible errors include outdated or incorrect registry entries, DLL files (Dynamic Link Library) missing or incomplete files or corrupted system settings.

The presence of malware can also cause the 0xc0000005 warning. In the following sections, we have compiled the most robust solutions for various scenarios where error 0xc0000005 may occur.

How to fix error 0xc0000005 in Windows 10

Access violation errors (also known as protection violation errors) occur when a running program attempts to access a particular resource (especially memory) that is either protected from such access or is inaccessible. In these cases, The error message 0xc0000005 is always accompanied by a software failure.

Try uninstalling the relevant software from your computer first and then reinstalling it. If the connection error was caused by software files or settings, it will most likely not occur again. However, if reinstalling the software does not prevent the error from occurring again, you can use the following strategies.

The first solution: disable Data Execution Prevention (DEP) for the program

With the Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows has built-in memory protection, which unfortunately can cause unintentional access issues such as 0xc0000005. This is because some programs do not support this protection feature, which inevitably prevents them from performing certain actions.

In this case, the easiest solution is disable this protection mechanism for that programTo do this, you need to have administrator rights and perform the following steps:

• Open the Run dialog from the Start menu or use the key combination [Windows] + [R].
• Enter «sysdm.cpl» and press enter to open system properties.
• Open the “Advanced” tab and click “Settings” under the “Performance” category.
• Access the “Data Execution Prevention” tab and check “Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those you select.”
• Click the “Add” button and Locate the .exe file of the program that caused the error.
• Save your changes by clicking “Apply” and then “OK.”

The second solution: disable the AppInit_DLLs mechanism in the Windows registry

A possible solution to error 0xc0000005 is to disable the AppInit_DLLs function, which allows you to freely select DLLs (Windows libraries) that will be loaded into any process running in user mode.

Using DLLs makes more efficient use of memory, so programs load faster and take up less space on your hard drive. However, sometimes accessing AppInit_DLLs can break access and cause an error. If you have administrator privileges, you can disable this feature in the Windows registry. To access the registry, follow these steps:

• Opens the “Run” dialog box» by pressing the Start menu button of the same name or by using the key combination [Windows] + [R].
• Enter the command «regedit» and press the Enter key.

Note: Think carefully before making any changes to the Windows registry: minor or inappropriate changes to the settings can soon lead to a system failure. Therefore, it is recommended to first create a backup of the current state of the registry. To do this, click on “File” in the Registry Editor and select “Export”. Finally, give the backup a suitable name and save it to a location of your choice.

• Open the registry editor and locate the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows NT_CurrentVersion_Windows
• There you will find the item “LoadAppInit_DLLs”, which you must double-click to change its value to “0”:
• Click "OK" to confirm the change. After restarting the system, you can try to open the program that caused the error again.

Third solution: run a malware scan

Windows errors like 0xc0000005 can also be caused by malware, especially if the error occurs when accessing certain system resources. The Windows Security Center offers good protection against viruses, bots, trojans and other malicious programs, which can be supplemented by third-party applications such as Kaspersky, Bitdefender or Avira.

However, even The best software cannot provide 100% system protectionYou can manually run available malware scanning tools to check the current security status of your system and remove any detected malware.

Microsoft It also offers a Malware Removal Tool (MSRT) that is automatically updated every month through Windows Update and scans your system for threats in the background. However, sometimes the update fails, so Microsoft also offers the option to download the latest version of MSRT directly from its website.

The fourth solution is: run a Windows memory diagnostic and replace the damaged memory if necessary

If error 0xc0000005 continues to cause access problems despite the solutions described so far, consider that it could be a hardware failure or, more specifically, a RAM problem. In this case, the only solution is to replace the faulty memory with a new one.

Note: Replacing RAM requires knowing how to open the computer case, identify the RAM slots, and remove or insert the corresponding modules. If you do not have the necessary technical knowledge, we recommend that you seek the help of a computer technician to replace the memory on your machine.

First, you need to check if the access error is actually due to a faulty memory module. To do this, There is a solution built into the system itself: Windows Memory Diagnostic, which can be opened from the Start menu under Administrative Tools or from the search box.

Double click on the tool to open it and Select “Restart now and check for problems”. The computer will shut down and restart to run a memory diagnostic. Once the diagnostic is complete, Windows will restart normally. A message will appear in the information bar (bottom right corner) with the results of the test, indicating whether any memory problems were detected or whether the memory is functioning normally.

How to fix error 0xc0000005 when opening programs?

This message, like the annoying 0x0c00005 access violation error, appears when you try to open a program. In these cases, it is not even possible to start the program, only the message “The application cannot start correctly” appears.

The quickest solution may be reinstall the affected programs, as important files required for them to work may have been lost during installation or upgrade and need to be recovered.

It may also be helpful to scan your system to make sure it is not infected with malware (see the third solution for connection errors). If neither malware nor the program itself is causing the 0xc0000005 error, the following steps will likely resolve the problem.

The first solution is: update the device driver

If you get the 0xc0000005 warning when running the program, it could be due to a missing or outdated device driver. By default, Windows automatically searches for the latest drivers for your hardware, but the operating system cannot always find the latest version.

Even when hardware is replaced, Windows often has trouble installing the correct drivers. Therefore, You should always check that your system and hardware are compatible.

Through the Device administrator, which can be opened from the control panel (icon view), you can get a list of installed hardware at any time. To find and install new or updated drivers for a particular device, you have two options: go to the manufacturer's website and download them, or use the built-in search function in Device Manager.

To open it, right-click on the desired hardware component and select “Update Driver.” Finally, you can search for available drivers online or on your computer.

Second solution: repair the BCD file

Another possible cause of error 0xc0000005 when trying to open a program is an error in the configuration data of Boot, usually caused by a malware infection. However, in this case, it is not enough to simply remove the malware, since even after removal the erroneous entries remain in the system boot database.

These include the files Bootloader-PfadexOsload.exe and xNtKrnl.exe, which must also be removed to fix the error.

Tip: The currently configured bootloader paths can be checked at any time from the command line. commands, running it as administrator and typing the command “bcdedit”.

To remove incorrect boot paths and restore the boot configuration data to its original state, You will need a Windows installation media (CD, DVD or memory USB) which can be used to run the command line outside of the normal environment. To do this, boot your computer from the media of your choice and follow these steps:

• Click "Next" in the language settings, and then click “System Restore Settings.”
• Click on “Troubleshooting”, “Advanced Settings” and “Symbol of the system» (Windows 10, 8) or «Recovery tools…», «Next», and «Command Prompt». (Windows 7).
• On the command line, Enter the following commands in sequence. If necessary, replace the letter D: with the letter corresponding to the disk drive on which Windows is installed:
  • from D:\windows\system32\xntkrnl.exe
    from D:\windows\system32\xosload.exe
    from D:\windows\system32\drivers\oem-drv64.sys
    attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s
    ren c: \ boot \ bcd bcd.old
    bootrec / RebuildBcd
• Restart the computer and enter your digital license key or Windows ID (Windows 10) when prompted to reactivate Windows.

Error 0xc0000005 during Windows installation: Best solutions

The Windows Setup Wizard is so simple that you can easily use it even without any computer knowledge. However, things often get complicated when you get the error message 0xc0000005 during this process. In this case, the installation media may be corrupted. If you have other media, try using it for the installation. Otherwise, you can use the following two strategies.

The first solution is: erase and partition the Windows hard drive

If error 0xc0000005 occurs during Windows installation (especially during a new installation), it may be caused by damaged or incompatible partitions on the hard drive where the operating system will be installed. This can be resolved by deleting these partitions and creating new ones. To do this, select Custom installation (for advanced users) and follow the steps below:

• Select the partition dedicated to the Windows installation (marked as “Primary”), click Delete and confirm this action.
• Repeat this operation for the partition marked as “Restricted System” and all other partitions belonging to previous Windows installations.
• After deleting all partitions, the Setup Wizard will display “Unallocated space 0”. SSelect this entry and click Create.
• The setup wizard will automatically calculate the maximum amount of disk space. Confirm by clicking on “Apply”. This will create at least two new partitions.
• Ignore the partition with the “System Reserved” attribute and instead Click another partition (with much more disk space) to install it as a Windows installation disc.
• Start the installation by clicking Next. (Next).

Second solution: replace the faulty hardware

The 0xc0000005 error during a Windows installation could also be caused by faulty hardware. In this case, first you need to check the underlying memory: Check with the Windows Memory Diagnostic mentioned above (the fourth solution for access errors), especially if this is a new installation replacing another Windows system that is still running.

Please note that the cause of the error may be not only the memory, but also the hard drive on which Windows is installed: if it is not working properly, the installation will probably be aborted, but possibly with an error code other than 0xc0000005.

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