How to resolve error 0xc0000005 in Windows

If you have come this far, it is because you have had to deal with an obstacle when using your Windows PC: the error 0xc0000005. This error code is more common than it seems and originates from access violation issues, i.e. access attempts without permission to some memory location on the computer.

Without being a particularly serious error, the truth is that the typical solutions that are applied to problems are not going to be of much use to solve it. other kinds of errors. The key, as always, is detect the origin of the failure, which in most cases is due to installing a program or running an application. Sometimes, it is also related to problems during Windows startup.

What exactly is error 0xc0000005?

Error 0xc0000005 is an old acquaintance of the Microsoft operating system. It is not only produced in Windows 11, but also in previous versions, going back even to Windows 7. It may appear accompanied by an explanatory text or simply as a brief error message, without further information.

There are three situations in which it can appear, stopping the process that is running abruptly and leaving us standing with a lot of questions:

• During the Windows installation process, with the following message: «Windows installation encountered an unexpected error. Check whether the installation sources are accessible, and then restart the installation. Error code: 0xc0000005.
• When trying to open a certain program. In this case, we can read this: «The application could not be started correctly (0xc0000005). Click Accept to close the application.
• When an application access violation occurs: "0xc0000005: Access violation while reading location..."

And not only that. This error can also occur when we update windows, interrupting the process and without giving us any reason, since in this case there is usually no message. This is the most complicated situation to resolve. Complicated, but not impossible.

Most common causes of this error

The way in which this error manifests itself often lets us know where its origin is. Explanatory texts, when they exist, usually provide us with valuable clues. In any case, there is a list of the most common causes that give rise to this type of failure in Windows. They are:

• The presence of Corrupt or incompatible drivers that cause memory access conflicts.
• Errors in the System Files or the Windows Registry.
• RAM memory problems, such as attempts to access some faulty or unavailable memory location.
• Virus or malware infections. The damage that these intruders can cause to the system usually causes errors in the system files, which cannot be accessed normally.
• software problems: incorrectly installed or damaged applications.
• Windows updates installed incorrectly or incompletely.
• Incorrect settings of the operating system.

Solutions for error 0xc0000005 in Windows

Once we have reviewed the most common causes, we see What can we do to solve error 0xc0000005 in Windows. Depending on how and when the error message appeared, we will choose one alternative or another:

Disable Data Execution Prevention (DEP)

It is a valid trick when it comes to problems when a program tries to access a specific memory resource. Sometimes, it is enough to uninstall and reinstall said program. If this doesn't work, we can try disabling data execution prevention (DEP). This is how to do it:

1. First we go to Start Menu and we open the dialog box "Run".
2. There we write "Sysdm.cpl" and press Enter.
3. On the System Files page we go to the tab "Advanced Options".
4. Then we select "Performance".
5. Then we click "Setting".
6. We open the tab “Data Execution Prevention” and there we mark "Enable DEP for all programs and services except those you select."
7. Finally, we click on "Add" and we look for the .exe file of the program that caused the error.

Perform a malware scan

When the problem is caused by a virus or malware, it is not a bad idea to resort to Windows Defender to perform a complete and in-depth malware scan. If the infection is especially severe, it may be more advisable to use external paid services and use their malware scanning tools.

Miicrosoft also offers other solutions of this nature. One of them is MSRT (Malicious Software Removal Tool), which updates automatically and scans the system in the background without the user having to do anything.

Create Windows hard drive partitions

When error 0xc0000005 occurs when trying Windows, there are most likely defective or incompatible partitions on the hard drive that will host the operating system. To resolve this, we have the option to delete the partitions and create new ones by following these steps:

1. First We select the partition intended for Windows installation and we click on "Delete".
2. Then we perform the same operation with the partition named “System Reserved”.
3. After deleting all the partitions, the installation wizard will show us the item “Unallocated space on disk 0”, which we must select.
4. Then we click on "New", after which the wizard calculates the available space.
5. We press "Apply" so that at least two new partitions are created.
6. Now we click on one of the partitions (the one with the most storage space) and start the installation by clicking "Next".

Other solutions

In addition to those mentioned, there are some other solutions we can try and that can be useful depending on the origin of the error:

• Update device drivers that may be outdated.
• Repair BCD file, also called startup configuration.
• Replace defective hardware, if any.
• Disable the AppInit_DLLs mechanism in the Windows registry.
• Replace the defective RAM memory.