How to Fix EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION Error in Windows 11/10?

Users have been getting the EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION error message while trying to open up an application. As it turns out, this problem is not restricted to a specific application but it can occur with almost any application on your system. For some users, the error message appears when they are trying to install Java on their systems. The problem in question pops up when the application that you are attempting to run tries to access a protected memory address. In this article, we are going to show you how to get rid of the error message mentioned so just follow through.

As it turns out, in some cases, when you stumble upon the EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION error, you might find the problematic file that is causing the issue. Like we have mentioned, this error message can appear on any application which includes games as well. Multiple users have experienced the said issue while trying to launch a game. In some cases, the issue in question can be triggered by the third-party applications that are running in the background. While this is a pretty common cause of such issues, it can be easily resolved by simply removing the problematic software. With that said, let us get started and show you the different ways that you can implement to resolve the problem that has been mentioned. So, without further ado, let us jump right into it.

Disable Discord Overlay

The first thing that you should do when you encounter the error message in question is to turn off Discord overlay. This is especially for when you are trying to launch a game and unable to do so due to the error popping up again and again. Discord offers an in-game overlay that allows you to quickly access the application from within the game using a shortcut. In addition to that, you can also see avatars and names of the other users that are on call with you.

This has been reported by other users who were facing a similar issue and it happened to be caused by the Discord overlay. To turn off the Discord overlay, follow the instructions that are given down below:

1. First of all, open up the Discord client on your PC.
2. Then, on the Discord client, make your way to the settings menu by clicking the gear icon next to your username.

   

3. On the Settings menu, on the left hand side at the bottom, go to the Game Overlay option.

   

4. Once you are there, turn off the Enable in-game overlay slider.

   

5. After you have done that, go ahead and launch the app again to see if the error message still appears. 

Turn off User Account Control

As we have mentioned, some users come across the problem mentioned while trying to install Java on their computers. Not only Java, you can use this method even if you are encountering the error message on other applications. User Account Control is essentially a security feature that notifies you when a program on your computer tries to make any changes or when you wish to install an app on your system. 

We would recommend you to turn off UAC temporarily only and then turn it back on once you have used/installed the app that was causing the problem. To turn off User Account Control, follow the instructions given down below:

1. To start off, open up the Control Panel by searching for it in the Start Menu.

   

2. On the Control Panel window, go to System and Security.

   

3. Once you are there, click on the Change User Account Control settings option under Security and Maintenance.

   

4. On the new window that appears, move the slider all the way down and then click the OK button.

   

5. After doing that, User Account Control should now be disabled. See if the error message still appears. 

Add Program to Data Execution Prevention Whitelist

Data Execution Prevention or DEP is basically a security feature from Microsoft that monitors and protects certain regions of your memory and also prevents them from executing malicious code. When you have DEP enabled, all the data regions are non-executable by default. 

One way you can try to solve the error message in question is by whitelisting the said app in data execution prevention. To do this, follow the instructions down below:

1. First of all, open up the Control Panel by searching for it in the Start Menu.

   

2. Go to System and Security once the Control Panel opens up.

   

3. Once you are there, click on the System option provided.

   

4. On the next screen, click on the Advanced system settings option provided.
5. This will open up the System Properties window.
6. Under Performance, click the Settings button.

   

7. After that, switch to the Data Execution Prevention tab. 
8. There, choose the Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select option.

   

9. Follow this up by clicking the Add button.
10. Navigate to the program that is giving you the error and select the open it up. 
11. After you have done that, click the Apply button and then hit OK.
12. Finally, try launching the app again to see if the problem is still there. 

Perform a Clean Boot

Finally, if none of the above methods have worked out for you, then the issue in your case is probably being caused by the interference of a third-party application. The third-party apps on your PC can usually cause such issues and they can be easily resolved by uninstalling them. However, the difficult part is finding the culprit app that is triggering the issue. 

If this case is applicable, what you can do is perform a clean boot. This will start your operating system with only the required services running in the background. This means that all the third-party apps are disabled on startup. If the issue is not there any more after you perform a clean boot, then it is evident that the issue is being caused by a third-party app. You can figure out which app is causing the problem by enabling the services one by one. To do this, follow the instructions given down below:

1. First of all, open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows key + R buttons on your keyboard.
2. In the Run dialog box, type in msconfig and hit the Enter key.

   

3. On the System Configuration window that comes up, switch to the Services tab.
4. There, tick the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox provided.

   

5. After that, click on the Disable all button and then hit the Apply button.

   

6. Once you have done that, switch to the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager option provided.

   

7. On the Task Manager window, choose each app one by one and click the Disable button.

   

8. After doing that, go ahead and restart your PC. 
9. Once your system boots up, try opening up the app to see if the problem is still there.