0xc0000005 Error on Windows 11: 6 Fixes (2026)

The 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 means an application tried to access memory it was not allowed to touch, so Windows stopped it to protect your system. The quickest fix is to right-click the crashing program and choose Run as administrator — if the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 disappears, it was a permissions conflict and you are done in seconds.

If that does not work, this guide walks you through six deeper fixes for the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11, from checking your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic to repairing system files with SFC and DISM. The steps cover both cases where the error crashes one specific app and where it blocks program installation. Every method is written for Windows 11 in 2026, with exact commands in code formatting so you can copy them precisely.

What does the 0xc0000005 error mean on Windows 11?

The 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 is an access violation: a program attempted to read from or write to a region of memory that the operating system had not assigned to it. Windows deliberately crashes the offending program rather than letting it corrupt other software or destabilize the system. You will typically see a dialog saying “The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000005)” — either when launching an app or in the middle of installing one.

On Windows 11 this error shows up in two main situations. The first is application crashes: a game, a creative tool, or a business app closes instantly with the 0xc0000005 code. The second is installation failures: a setup program aborts partway through with the same code. The underlying causes overlap heavily:

Insufficient permissions. The program needs administrator-level access to memory regions or files that a standard user session cannot provide.
Data Execution Prevention (DEP) conflicts. Windows 11’s DEP security feature blocks code from running in memory regions marked as data-only. Legitimate older programs sometimes trip this protection.
Faulty RAM. A failing memory module corrupts the data programs read, producing access violations that look exactly like software bugs.
Corrupted system files. Damaged Windows components — especially the Visual C++ runtime libraries many apps share — cause crashes across multiple programs.
Malware interference. Malicious software hooks into running processes and triggers access violations as a side effect of its tampering.
Conflicting background software. Antivirus tools, overlays, and “optimizer” utilities inject themselves into other programs and destabilize them.

The key diagnostic question is scope: if only one program crashes with the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11, the problem is almost certainly that program or its permissions. If many different programs crash, suspect RAM, system files, or malware instead — and jump straight to Methods 2, 3, and 5.

How to fix the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11: 6 working methods

Work through these in order. Method 1 takes seconds; the later methods dig progressively deeper.

Method 1: Run the program as administrator

When a program needs access to protected memory or system files, running it with elevated permissions resolves the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 immediately. This is the first thing to try because it is instant and completely safe.

Right-click the program’s shortcut or its .exe file.
Choose Run as administrator and confirm the User Account Control prompt.
Use the program normally and check whether the 0xc0000005 error still appears.
If the error is gone, make the fix permanent: right-click the shortcut, choose Properties > Compatibility, tick “Run this program as an administrator”, and click OK.

If you are installing software and the installer itself throws 0xc0000005, run the installer as administrator the same way. Also check that your Windows user account actually has administrator rights under Settings > Accounts > Your info — a standard account cannot elevate no matter what you click.

Method 2: Check DEP settings and test your RAM

Data Execution Prevention is a Windows security feature that can falsely block legitimate programs, and faulty RAM produces identical crash signatures. This method checks both hardware-adjacent causes of the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11.

Part A — Add a DEP exception for the specific program:

Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter to open System Properties.
Go to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Performance.
Open the Data Execution Prevention tab.
Select “Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select”.
Click Add, browse to the crashing program’s .exe file, and add it to the exception list.
Click OK, restart your computer, and test the program.

Part B — Test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic:

Press Windows + R, type MdSched.exe and press Enter.
Choose “Restart now and check for problems”. Your PC will reboot into the memory test.
Let the test complete (it takes 10–30 minutes). If it reports hardware errors, one of your RAM modules is failing and needs replacement — no software fix will help until the bad module is swapped out.

Only add DEP exceptions for programs you trust. Never disable DEP system-wide unless a vendor’s official documentation instructs you to, and re-enable it afterward.

Method 3: Repair system files with SFC and DISM

When the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 hits many different programs, corrupted Windows system files are the prime suspect. The built-in sfc and DISM tools scan and repair them without touching your personal files. Microsoft documents both tools on their official System File Checker support page.

Press Windows + X and choose Terminal (Admin) to open an elevated command prompt.
Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to reach 100% — this typically takes 10–20 minutes. Do not close the window.
If SFC reports that it found and fixed corrupt files, restart your computer and test the crashing program.
If SFC reports it could not fix some files, run the deeper repair: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter. This downloads clean copies from Windows Update, so keep your internet connection active; it can take 20–40 minutes.
After DISM finishes, run sfc /scannow once more, then restart and test.

These two commands are the standard first response from Microsoft support for any widespread crash code, and they resolve a large share of persistent 0xc0000005 cases where the cause is system corruption rather than a single bad app.

Method 4: Update or reinstall the crashing application

If only one program throws the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11, the program itself is usually at fault — an outdated build, a corrupted installation, or a missing runtime library it depends on.

Check for updates inside the application itself (usually under Help > Check for updates) and install the latest version.
If no update helps, uninstall the program via Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Restart your computer — this clears any locked files the uninstaller left behind.
Download a fresh copy from the developer’s official website (never a third-party repack) and reinstall it.
If the program depends on the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, download the latest x64 and x86 versions from Microsoft and install them — missing or damaged C++ runtimes are a classic hidden cause of 0xc0000005 crashes.
For games, also update your GPU drivers from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel directly; outdated graphics drivers are the top cause of 0xc0000005 in games specifically.

Method 5: Scan for malware

Malware that injects itself into running processes frequently triggers access violations as collateral damage. If the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 appeared suddenly across programs that previously worked fine, a scan is warranted before you dig any deeper.

Open Windows Security from the Start menu.
Go to Virus & threat protection > Scan options.
Select Microsoft Defender Offline scan and click Scan now. Your PC will restart into a clean environment where malware cannot hide from the scanner.
Remove anything it finds, restart normally, and test the crashing programs.
As a second opinion, run a free on-demand scan with a reputable tool such as Malwarebytes — install it, scan, then uninstall it if you prefer to keep only Defender for real-time protection.

If malware is found and removed but crashes persist, run Method 3 (sfc /scannow) afterward, because malware often damages the system files it touched on the way out.

Method 6: Perform a clean boot to isolate the conflict

A clean boot starts Windows 11 with only Microsoft services running, which tells you definitively whether a third-party program is causing the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11. Microsoft’s official clean boot guide documents this procedure.

Press Windows + R, type msconfig and press Enter.
On the Services tab, tick “Hide all Microsoft services”, then click Disable all.
Open the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager. Disable every startup item listed there.
Close Task Manager, click OK in System Configuration, and restart.
Test the crashing program. If the 0xc0000005 error is gone, a third-party service or startup app was the culprit.
To find which one, re-enable services in small groups (half at a time works well), restarting between groups, until the error returns — the last group you enabled contains the offender.
Once identified, leave that program disabled or uninstall it, then return to msconfig and choose Normal startup to restore everything else.

Common offenders found this way include aggressive antivirus suites, screen-recording overlays, RGB lighting software, and “game booster” utilities. The clean boot itself changes nothing permanently — it is purely diagnostic until you act on what it reveals.

How to prevent the 0xc0000005 error from returning

Once the 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 is fixed, these habits keep it away:

Keep Windows 11 updated. Monthly cumulative updates include memory-management and security fixes that directly prevent access violations.
Install software only from official sources. Repacked installers from download portals are a leading source of both malware and corrupted program files.
Keep drivers current, especially GPU drivers. Use the manufacturer’s own update tool rather than third-party “driver updater” utilities, which cause more crashes than they fix.
Run periodic SFC scans. Running sfc /scannow every few months catches system-file corruption early, before it starts crashing programs.
Do not disable DEP or UAC permanently. Targeted exceptions for one trusted program are fine; turning off system-wide protections invites exactly the instability you just fixed.
Monitor your RAM health. If crashes ever return across many programs at once, re-run MdSched.exe before assuming software is to blame — RAM degrades over time.

FAQs

Is the 0xc0000005 error a virus?

Not necessarily. The 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 is simply Windows stopping a program that accessed memory improperly — most cases come from permissions, bad RAM, or corrupted files. That said, malware can cause it, which is why Method 5’s offline scan is worth doing if the error appeared suddenly across multiple programs.

Why does 0xc0000005 happen only with one specific game or app?

Single-program crashes almost always mean that program’s own problem: an outdated build, a corrupted installation, a missing Visual C++ runtime, or outdated GPU drivers. Work through Methods 1 and 4 for that program specifically before touching system-wide settings.

Can faulty RAM really cause the 0xc0000005 error?

Yes — it is one of the most common hardware causes. A failing RAM module returns corrupted data when programs read memory, and Windows reports the resulting crash as 0xc0000005. If many unrelated programs crash with this code, run MdSched.exe (Method 2, Part B) before spending hours on software fixes.

What is the difference between 0xc0000005 and 0x80070057?

They are different failure types. 0xc0000005 is a memory access violation — a program touched memory it should not have. 0x80070057 is a parameter error — usually a Windows Update or disk-formatting problem. Our guide to fixing error 0x80070057 on Windows 11 covers that code separately.

Should I edit the registry to fix 0xc0000005?

No. Registry “fixes” for 0xc0000005 circulating on forums are unreliable and can make things worse. Every legitimate cause of this error — permissions, DEP, RAM, system files, malware, software conflicts — is addressed by the six methods above without touching the registry.

Conclusion

The 0xc0000005 error on Windows 11 looks technical, but its fixes are straightforward: run the program as administrator, check DEP and your RAM, repair system files with sfc /scannow and DISM, reinstall the crashing app, scan for malware, and use a clean boot to isolate conflicts. The scope of the crashes tells you where to focus — one program means Methods 1 and 4, many programs means Methods 2, 3, and 5.

Work through the six methods in order and the error will be gone in the large majority of cases. If you hit a different Windows error code instead, our guides to error 0x80070057 and Wi-Fi connected but no internet on Windows 11 follow the same systematic approach.