Application Error code 0xc0000005 is also known as Access Violation error. This is a common problem experienced by Windows users, regardless of operating system version. Application Error 0xc0000005 is broad and can be caused by a number of different problems.

The error usually appears when trying to run an a program or application (as implied in the error name). It prevents users from starting various applications and programs and states that the application was unable to start correctly. At this point, all you can do is close the pop-up error window by clicking “OK” – Windows then terminates (closes) the application. This obviously prevents you from running that particular application in Windows. Additionally, the error can occur, not only when trying to launch an app or a program, but also when trying to use certain built-in Windows tools. So, the error can occur when trying to perform a number of different tasks.

There are various causes of this problem, such as third-party antivirus programs triggering Application Error 0xc0000005. Additionally, it is possible that the Windows system registry is corrupted, thus making the system and associated programs behave abnormally. There might also be problems with installed drivers – they could be corrupted, incorrect, or faulty. Some programs might have been updated or installed incorrectly, or the operating system infected by malware or a virus. Clearly, there is no single reason for Application Error 0xc0000005, and there are a number of different ways to fix it. In this guide, we describe possible ways to fix the issue.

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Scan Your System For Malware

First, simply scan the system for malware and viruses. Malware often prevents the system from accessing various programs, applications, and tools. It is a good idea to scan your system from time-to-time. You can use Windows Defender (built-in antivirus program), which protects your computer against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Or you can run another third-party antivirus suite if you have one installed. To run a full system scan using Windows Defender, type “virus” in Search and click on the “Virus & threat protection” result.

In the Virus & threat protection window, click “Advanced scan”.

Select “Full scan” and click “Scan now”. This will start scanning your system for malware. If there are any viruses found, delete them.

You can choose a virus and malware scanner from our Top anti-malware list. The list consists of well known top spyware removers and will help you choose the right software for your computer’s protection.

Temporarily Disable Your Antivirus

On the other hand, antivirus programs can affect various files and programs and also cause the Application Error 0xc0000005. To ensure that installed third-party antivirus software is not the cause of this error, temporarily disable it and check if the error persists. If disabling (or uninstalling) the antivirus software helps, we recommend that you switch to another antivirus program.

Fix Registry

Application Error 0xc0000005 might be caused by a corrupted operating system registry. These corruptions usually happen when certain programs are installed or uninstalled incorrectly. One example of an incorrect installation is attempted installation of a program over the same previously-installed program, without deleting the old one first. To fix this kind of registry problem, you must remove (or fix) redundant and duplicate registry entries. We recommend that you attempt to fix registry entries using third-party software called CCleaner.

CCleaner is a small, effective utility for computers running Microsoft Windows. It cleans junk and issues that accumulate over time: temporary files, broken shortcuts, and other problems. It protects privacy, cleans browsing history and temporary Internet files, allowing you to be a more confident Internet user and less susceptible to identity theft. CCleaner can clean redundant files from various programs, thus saving hard disk space, remove unneeded entries in Windows Registry, help uninstall software, and select which programs start with Windows. Download cc cleaner.

When downloaded, install CCleaner and open it. Select “Registry” on the left pane and click “Scan for Issues”. It will find various registry issues on your computer. To clean or fix them, click “Fix selected Issues…”. Close CCleaner when it has finished fixing the registry and see if you still receive the Application Error 0xc0000005.

Check RAM

It is possible that Application Error 0xc0000005 is caused by bad RAM memory, or one of the RAM sticks is damaged. If you know how to attach and detach RAM, then we recommend that you check these components. First, ensure that the computer is turned off and unplugged from the power source. If one of the sticks is causing the problem, find out which one by attempting to start Windows without one of the sticks present and see if the error persists. Do this with different RAM sticks removed in a process of elimination. If during the process the error is eliminated, you will know which stick is causing the error and needs to be replaced.

Run System File Checker

System File Checker is a Windows utility that allows users to scan for corruptions in system files and restore them. This guide describes how to run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe) to scan system files and repair any missing or corrupted ones. If a Windows Resource Protection (WRP) file is missing or corrupted, Windows may not behave as expected. For example, some Windows functions might fail or Windows will crash. The “sfc scannow” option is one of several specific switches available for the sfc command, the Command Prompt command used to run System File Checker. To run Command Prompt, type “command prompt” in Search, right-click on “Command Prompt“, and select “Run as administrator” from the drop-down menu to run it with administrator privileges. You must run an elevated Command Prompt to perform a SFC scan.

In the Command Prompt window, type the “sfc /scannow” command and press Enter to execute it. System File Checker will start and should take some time to complete the scan (about 15 minutes). Wait for the scanning process to complete and restart the computer. See if the Application Error 0xc0000005 persists.

Update Faulty Drivers

It is possible that some of the installed drivers are faulty or corrupt. Commonly, printer and video drivers cause Application Error 0xc0000005. A device driver is software that informs the operating system and other software how to interact with particular hardware. It is rather like a translator between software and hardware, since they often are created by different manufacturers, companies, or people. The driver facilitates smooth communication between hardware and software. In most cases, computers are unable to send and receive data correctly without drivers. If the appropriate driver is not installed, the device might not function properly. If this is the case, you need to get updated/new drivers for the hardware. To update drivers, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting the “Device Manager” result from the contextual menu or type “device manager” in Search and click the “Device Manager” result.

In Device Manager, you will see a list of devices connected to your computer. If you know which drivers are causing the problem, you can update those drivers only. Expand the device category and right-click the device, and then select “Update driver” from the drop-down menu.

You will be asked if you want to search for updated driver software automatically or to browse your computer for driver software. If you select the first option, Windows will search your computer and the Internet for the latest driver software for your device. If you select the second option, you must locate and install the drivers manually. Using this option requires having previously downloaded drivers on your computer or USB flash drive – it is a longer process, since you will have to download all of the latest drivers for all devices manually by visiting the device manufacturers’ official websites. We recommend that you to select the first option and follow the instructions.

If you do not wish to spend time updating all drivers (and you are not sure which one is causing the error), you can update and install new drivers using third-party software such as Snappy Driver Installer. Snappy Driver Installer (SDI) is a powerful free driver updater tool for Windows that can store its entire collection of drivers offline. Having offline drivers gives Snappy Driver Installer the ability to have access to fast driver updates, even if there is no active Internet connection on your computer. Snappy Driver works with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and also works with Windows XP. Drivers are downloaded through Snappy Driver Installer in ‘driverpacks’, which are simply collections (packs) of drivers for various hardware such as sound devices, video cards, network adapters, etc. It can also show duplicate drivers and invalid drivers. It separates the updates that require you to restart your computer so that they are easier to distinguish.  Alternatively, look for other automated driver update software online to update all drivers together.

Restore Your System

Finally, we recommend System Restore to return to the state prior to Application Error 0xc0000005. System Restore reverts everything to a saved restore point, but first, you must have one recorded. If a restore point does not exist on your computer, System Restore has nothing to revert to. To use this tool, you must have created restore points. With a created restore point, this feature will bring your system back to the previous working state, without affecting your files and data. If you have any system restore points that were created before you started experiencing problems with Application Error 0xc0000005, you might be able to fix the problem by performing a System Restore. To restore your system, launch Run. To start it, press the Windows Key + R and type “rstrui.exe”. In the Run dialog box, press Enter or click “OK”.

In the System Restore window, click “Next”.

If there are restore points created, you will see a list of them. Mark the “Show more restore points” checkbox, which should display more restore points. Select the restore point that suits you best (depending on the time created etc.) and click “Next”.

Confirm the restore point. Your computer will be restored to the state prior to the event detailed in the “Description” field. If you are happy with your choice, click “Finish” and the system restore process will begin.

We hope one of the above methods solved the Application Error 0xc0000005 problem. If you know of other solutions to this problem, not mentioned in our guide, please share them with us by leaving a comment in the section below.

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