If you encounter Error 0xc0000005 when you try to launch a program on your Windows 10 computer then this means that Windows was unable to process the files and the configuration correctly needed in order to run the program properly. You can encounter this kind of error with an installed program and even as the installer for a particular program. To fix this error, this post will provide you with some potential fixes that might help.
Error 0xc0000005 occurs due to Access Violation which happens when a user tries to open a program and this error code may be accompanied by any of the following three error messages:
- The application was unable to start correctly
- Access violation Exception Error
- Windows Installation Error
To fix this error, you need to follow the given options below carefully but before you do that, you can try to use System Restore Point first to put your computer back to its previously known stable state.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
- Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
- After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
After performing System Restore check if Error 0xc0000005 is now fixed or not. If not, then make sure to use the options given below to resolve the problem.
Option 1 – Update or rollback drivers
If the System Restore didn’t work, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
- Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
- Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
- After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
- Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
- Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 2 – Try running the System File Checker Scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing Error 0xc0000005. SFC is a built-in command utility which helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
- Tap Win + R to launch Run.
- Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
- After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
- Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Now restart your computer.
Option 3 – Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool
Since this error could be caused by some issues in the memory, you can try running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and see if it helps.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
- After that, it will give two options such as:
- Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
- Check for problems the next time I start my computer
- Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.
Note: After you select the option, your PC will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.
Option 4 – Try recreating the Boot records
If your system files are infected and modified by some malware, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting Error 0xc0000005 since this error can also be due to malware. To fix this, you can try to recreate the boot records on your computer. How? Follow these steps:
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
- After that, type in each one of the following commands below and hit Enter right after you input each one of them.
- Del D:WindowsSystem32xOsload.exe
- Del D:WindowsSystem32xNtKrnl.exe
- Del D:WindowsSystem32Driversoem-drv64.sys
- attrib c:bootbcd -h -r –s
- ren c:bootbcd bcd.old
- bootrec /rebuildbcd
- After you input the listed commands above, it will recreate all the files needed inside the boot record.
Option 5 – Try turning off Data Execution Prevention or DEP
You might want to turn off Data Execution Prevention or DEP if it could be the one that’s blocking your process to run a particular program. To disable DEP, refer to the steps below.
- Type “cmd” in the Start Search and then right-click on Command Prompt from the results and select Run as Administrator.
- After that, type the following command and hit Enter to disable DEP:
bcedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff
Option 6 – Try to fix Registry
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Next, type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- After that, go to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows
- From there, double click on LoadAppInit_DLLs located at the right side of the panel and change its value from “0” to “1”.
- Now restart your computer.
Option 7 – Try checking RAM
You can also check RAM physically and see if it is in an operable condition. You might want to consider replacing it and see if it fixes the error.
Option 8 – Try to disable your antivirus program temporarily
Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer might help in resolving the error since there is a good chance that it’s blocking the program from execution due to suspicious behavior. Just don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.
Option 9 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State
There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing Error 0xc0000005. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.
- Log onto your PC as an administrator.
- Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
- From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
- Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
- Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
- Click Disable all.
- Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
- From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Option 10 – Try resetting Windows 10
To fix this error, you can try resetting Windows 10. Doing so won’t get rid of any file in your system – instead of erasing all your media files and documents, this reset option resets all the system settings and files.