[Solution] Error 0xc0000005 Windows 11/10 — Access Violation Fix

Error 0xc0000005 is an Access Violation error that occurs when a program attempts to read, write, or execute memory that it doesn’t have permission to access. This results in the application crashing immediately or shortly after launch.

This error affects both Windows 10 and 11 and is one of the most common application crash errors. It can affect any program — from system utilities to games and professional software.

Description

The full error message typically reads:

“The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000005). Click OK to close the application.”

Or in a crash dialog:

“Exception code: 0xc0000005 — Access violation reading location 0xXXXXXXXX.”

Error 0xc0000005 maps to STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION in the Windows NT status codes. It means a process attempted to access a memory address that is either unmapped, protected, or outside its allowed address space.

Common scenarios include:

  • Application crashes on launch — The program fails immediately with an error dialog
  • DLL loading failures — A required DLL cannot be loaded or is corrupted
  • Game crashes — Games crash during gameplay, especially with mods or overlays
  • Browser crashes — Web browsers crashing due to plugin or extension conflicts
  • Office application errors — Microsoft Office apps crashing on specific operations

Common Causes

  1. Corrupted application files — The program’s executable or DLLs are damaged.
  2. DLL conflicts or corruption — Missing, outdated, or conflicting shared libraries.
  3. Faulty RAM — Memory errors cause random access violations across applications.
  4. Antivirus interference — Security software blocking legitimate memory operations.
  5. Corrupted Windows system files — Core system DLLs that applications depend on are damaged.
  6. DEP (Data Execution Prevention) — System security feature blocking a program’s memory operations.

Solutions

Solution 1: Run System File Checker

Corrupted system DLLs can cause access violations in multiple applications:

sfc /scannow

If SFC reports corruption it cannot fix:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Solution 2: Check and Test RAM

Faulty memory is a common cause of random access violations.

Run Windows Memory Diagnostic:

  1. Press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, press Enter.
  2. Select Restart now and check for problems.

Check results after reboot:

Get-WinEvent -LogName System | Where-Object { $_.ProviderName -eq "Microsoft-Windows-MemoryDiagnostics-Results" } | Select-Object -First 1 Message

Use MemTest86 for comprehensive testing:

  1. Download from memtest86.com.
  2. Create a bootable USB drive.
  3. Boot from USB and run at least 4 passes.
  4. Any errors indicate faulty memory modules that need replacement.

Solution 3: Reinstall the Problematic Application

If the error affects a specific program, reinstalling often fixes corrupted files:

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Find the problematic application.
  3. Click the three dots and select Uninstall.
  4. Download a fresh copy from the official source.
  5. Install and test.

For a clean reinstall, also remove leftover files:

# Remove app data (replace with actual app name)
Remove-Item -Path "$env:APPDATA\AppName" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item -Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\AppName" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Solution 4: Update or Reinstall Drivers

Outdated drivers, especially GPU and audio drivers, can cause access violations in applications that use hardware acceleration.

Update GPU drivers:

Roll back a recently updated driver:

  1. Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager).
  2. Expand the relevant device category.
  3. Right-click the device and select Properties.
  4. Go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver.

Solution 5: Add the Application to DEP Exclusion List

Data Execution Prevention can sometimes block legitimate applications:

  1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
  2. Go to the Advanced tab.
  3. Under Performance, click Settings.
  4. Go to the Data Execution Prevention tab.
  5. Select Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.
  6. Click Add and browse to the application’s .exe file.
  7. Click Apply and OK.

Or via command line:

wmic process where name="AppName.exe" get ProcessId,Name,ExecutablePath

Solution 6: Check and Repair Visual C++ Redistributables

Many applications depend on the Visual C++ Redistributable. Corrupted installations cause access violations.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Search for Microsoft Visual C++.
  3. Uninstall all versions of the redistributable.
  4. Download and reinstall the latest versions from Microsoft’s website.

Reinstall all commonly needed versions:

# Download VC++ Redistributables (2015-2022 combined)
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\vc_redist.x64.exe"
Start-Process "$env:TEMP\vc_redist.x64.exe" -ArgumentList "/install /quiet /norestart" -Wait

Solution 7: Disable Antivirus Temporarily

Third-party antivirus can interfere with application memory operations:

  1. Open your antivirus settings.
  2. Disable real-time protection.
  3. Test the application.
  4. If it works, add the application to the antivirus exclusion list.
  5. Re-enable real-time protection.

Add exclusion in Windows Defender:

Add-MpExclusion -Path "C:\Path\To\Application"

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