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Exception Access Violation usually refers to Windows exception code 0xc0000005: an app or system process tried to read, write, or execute memory in a way Windows rejected. The code is a symptom, not a diagnosis—it does not by itself prove that your RAM is bad or that you have malware.
Start by separating an app crash from a Windows failure: does just one app or game close, do several unrelated apps crash, or does the PC show a blue screen or fail to start? The answer determines the safest fix to try first.
First, identify what is crashing
Before changing settings, note the exact error and when it appears. Record the affected app and version, whether the crash happens at launch or during a particular task, any named module or file path, and whether other programs are affected. Also note recent Windows or driver updates, new apps, mods, overlays, antivirus or VPN software, and changes to BIOS, memory settings, overclocking, or undervolting. If Windows displays a blue screen, record its stop code and any driver name.
- One app or game crashes: Begin with that app, its files, plug-ins, overlays, and related drivers.
- Several unrelated apps crash: Check Windows files, drivers, background software, memory, storage, and malware.
- A blue screen appears or Windows will not start: Treat this as a system-level failure; use Safe Mode or Windows Recovery Environment if needed.
A “faulting module” in an error message or Event Viewer is a useful clue, but not proof that the named DLL caused the underlying problem. It may simply be the component that was involved when the crash occurred.
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Try the low-risk fixes first
- Restart Windows. A restart can clear a temporary fault and ensures pending updates or repairs can complete.
- Install Windows updates. Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, then install available updates and restart.
- Update the affected app. Use its official publisher, Microsoft Store, or game launcher. For a game, use the launcher’s verify or repair-files option if available.
- Update only relevant drivers. Prioritize the hardware involved in the crash or a driver changed just before it began—for example, graphics, chipset, storage, or audio. Get drivers from Windows Update, your PC maker, or the component manufacturer, not generic third-party driver-updater sites. If the problem started immediately after a driver update, consider rolling that driver back instead.
Changing several drivers at once makes it harder to identify which change helped or caused a new problem. Microsoft’s stop-error guidance likewise recommends checking updates and the driver implicated by the failure.
If only one app or game crashes
Repair or reset a supported Windows app
In Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Find the app, select its More menu, then choose Advanced options > Repair, if those options are available. Repair aims to fix the installation without removing all app data. If that does not help, Reset may clear the app’s data and settings. Not every app provides these controls.
Repair or reinstall desktop software
For traditional desktop programs, use the publisher’s repair option if it offers one. Otherwise, uninstall and reinstall the app from its official source. Back up saves, profiles, licenses, and custom settings first. For games, remove recently added mods, injectors, unofficial patches, reshade tools, and third-party plug-ins or overlays, then verify the game files before reinstalling.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTest permissions and compatibility
For one test, right-click the app and choose Run as administrator. If it works only with elevated permissions, that points toward a permissions issue; administrator access does not repair invalid memory access, so do not treat it as a general fix. For older software, try its supported Windows compatibility settings or ask the publisher whether a Windows 11-compatible build is available.
Temporarily turn off overlays and software that hooks into apps, such as game-launcher or Discord overlays, GPU recording tools, RGB and hardware-monitoring utilities, audio enhancers, virtualization software, or recently installed security tools. Treat this as a diagnostic test. Do not leave security protection disabled: re-enable it promptly and use the vendor’s documented update or exclusion procedure if a conflict is confirmed.
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Repair Windows system files
If multiple programs are affected—or an app crash began alongside other signs of Windows corruption—run DISM and then System File Checker. Open Terminal, Command Prompt, or PowerShell as administrator and enter:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowWait for DISM to finish before running SFC. Restart if prompted, then test again. DISM repairs the Windows component store; SFC scans protected Windows files and attempts to repair them using that store. Microsoft describes this sequence in its Windows troubleshooting guidance.
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- Corrupt files were repaired: Restart and see whether the crash returns.
- Some files could not be repaired: Run DISM again and, if comfortable with advanced diagnosis, review the CBS log. Persistent corruption may require Windows recovery options.
Check whether background software is conflicting
A clean boot starts Windows with nonessential third-party services and startup apps disabled. It is useful when Windows starts normally but a background program may be interfering. It is different from Safe Mode, which starts a more restricted Windows environment.
- Sign in with an administrator account, search for
msconfig, and open System Configuration. - On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services first, then select Disable all.
- Open the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager. Disable enabled startup items.
- Restart and test the affected app.
If the error stops, re-enable services and startup items in groups, restarting and testing between groups, until you narrow down the conflict. Common candidates include antivirus or endpoint-security software, VPN clients, GPU overlays, audio enhancers, RGB or motherboard utilities, backup and sync clients, virtual-machine software, anti-cheat systems, and recently installed startup programs.
When finished, restore normal startup and re-enable items you disabled. Follow Microsoft’s clean-boot instructions; in particular, do not disable Microsoft services indiscriminately.
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If Windows crashes: use Safe Mode and investigate drivers
Safe Mode loads Windows with a limited set of files, drivers, and services. If the failure disappears there, a third-party driver, service, or startup component becomes more likely, although Safe Mode alone does not identify which one.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →If Windows starts normally, go to Settings > System > Recovery. Beside Advanced startup, choose Restart now, then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Choose Safe Mode, or Safe Mode with Networking when network access is necessary. If Windows will not start, Windows Recovery Environment may appear after repeated failed starts, or you can reach it with Windows installation media. See Microsoft’s guides to Startup Settings and the Windows Recovery Environment.
From Safe Mode, remove a recently installed app or disable a startup component. If the error followed a driver change, roll back or uninstall that driver, then install a stable version from the PC or hardware maker. When graphics problems recur, use the GPU manufacturer’s documented clean-install or cleanup procedure. Change one thing at a time. A DLL associated with graphics, audio, security software, or an overlay can point to a relevant component, but it does not establish the root cause.
If Windows blue-screens, prioritize the displayed stop code and any named driver rather than treating the event as an ordinary app crash. Microsoft’s stop-code troubleshooting guide explains how to investigate implicated drivers and system failures.
Check memory, storage, and malware when crashes are broader
Test memory
- Search for and open Windows Memory Diagnostic.
- Choose Restart now and check for problems.
- After Windows restarts, look for the result notification. If none appears, check Event Viewer for the memory diagnostic result.
If the test reports errors, return memory overclocking, XMP/EXPO, undervolting, and custom timings to default. Reseat or test removable RAM only if you are comfortable doing so and the device maker permits it. Persistent errors warrant help from the PC or memory manufacturer. A clean result on one run does not rule out intermittent memory, motherboard, heat, or power problems. Microsoft includes Windows Memory Diagnostic among its blue-screen troubleshooting steps.
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Check the file system and drive
If crashes involve installers, loading files, or apparent file corruption, open an administrator command prompt and run:
chkdsk /f C:Because Windows is using the system drive, you may be asked to schedule the check for the next restart. This checks and repairs file-system errors; it is not a complete SSD-health test and cannot prove that a drive is physically healthy. If storage failure is suspected, use the drive maker’s diagnostic tool or the PC maker’s hardware diagnostics as well.
Scan for malware
Run an appropriate scan in Windows Security. If a second-opinion on-demand scan is useful, Microsoft Safety Scanner is another option; use Microsoft’s official Safety Scanner guidance. Avoid “DLL fixer,” registry-cleaner, and generic “PC repair” utilities: they may add unwanted software or make it harder to identify and recover from the real problem.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use Event Viewer to gather crash details
For a recurring app crash, right-click Start and open Event Viewer. Go to Windows Logs > Application and inspect entries at the crash time. Record the faulting application, faulting module, exception code, fault offset, and timestamp. Compare the entry with recent app or driver changes and with the vendor’s support information.
For a blue screen, note the displayed stop code and any driver or module name. Event Viewer can help you narrow down what was involved, but it does not by itself prove why the access violation occurred. Microsoft recommends checking system logs and named modules as clues in blue-screen diagnosis.
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Undo a recent change before resetting Windows
If the problem began right after a driver, app, Windows update, or system-settings change, undoing that change may be less disruptive than reinstalling Windows. Depending on the timing, consider uninstalling the recent update or using System Restore to return to a suitable restore point. Go back may be available for a limited period after a major Windows version upgrade. Back up important files before recovery operations. Microsoft’s Windows recovery-options guide maps common failures to options such as System Restore, update removal, Startup Repair, and Reset.
If Windows will not start, use Windows Recovery Environment for Startup Repair, Safe Mode, update removal, or System Restore as appropriate. Try Startup Repair for a startup failure; it is not a universal remedy for an app-only crash.
Reset or reinstall Windows only as a last resort
Before a reset or clean reinstall, back up documents, browser data, password-manager access, app settings, and game saves. Confirm that you can access software licenses and installation media, and record your BitLocker recovery information if device encryption is enabled. Identify or disconnect external drives so you do not select the wrong disk.
Windows 11 Reset offers a Keep my files choice, but that is not a full backup: applications and settings are removed. A clean reinstall from installation media is more destructive and normally removes files, apps, and settings. A reset costs less setup work than a clean reinstall, but either can be disruptive. If the error returns on a clean Windows installation, investigate drivers, firmware, RAM, storage, GPU, motherboard, power, overheating, or an app-specific defect rather than assuming Windows files were the only cause.
Quick troubleshooting order
- Record the exact error, affected app, timing, and whether there is a blue screen.
- Restart, update Windows and the affected app, and update or roll back only relevant drivers.
- Repair, verify, or reinstall a single affected app; remove mods and overlays for testing.
- If several apps are affected, run DISM followed by SFC.
- Test a clean boot for third-party conflicts; restore normal startup afterward.
- Use Safe Mode for system instability, then check memory, storage, and malware where indicated.
- Try System Restore or recovery tools before a Reset or clean reinstall.
Contact the app or hardware vendor, or a qualified technician, if unrelated apps keep crashing after a clean boot, memory diagnostics report errors, blue screens repeat, a proprietary driver or anti-cheat system is implicated, or important data may be at risk.
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