I'm running a fully updated Windows 11 system with an Intel i9-14900K, an ASUS TUF GAMING B760-PLUS WIFI D4 motherboard, and DDR4 memory. The original 32GB Corsair Vengeance kit was about ten years old, and I replaced it with a lightly used 16GB HyperX Fury 2666MHz kit from another computer. The replacement memory has passed MemTest86, although the older kit caused hard crashes during Windows Memory Diagnostic. XMP is disabled on the original kit because it caused blue screens, while it is enabled on the replacement kit.
I have reinstalled the motherboard and NVIDIA drivers, updated the BIOS, run sfc /scannow, and performed a fresh Windows installation within the last two months. Despite that, Firefox, Palworld, and Demon Castle Story have all recently produced error 0xc0000005. The issue also existed on my previous Windows 10 installation. Since changing the RAM did not resolve it, what hardware or software checks should I try next?
4 Answers
Because this is an application access-violation error rather than necessarily a blue screen, check Windows Error Reporting and Reliability Monitor for the crashing process and faulting module. If Windows is producing actual stop errors, collect the files from C:WindowsMinidump and analyze several of them. The faulting module can help distinguish a bad driver or overlay from broader hardware instability.
A completely clean Windows installation makes ordinary system-file corruption less likely, but a clean boot is still useful. Temporarily disable browser extensions, antivirus extras, RGB and motherboard utilities, GPU overlays, and other startup software. If the crashes happen across unrelated programs even with those disabled and with stock BIOS settings, hardware—especially the 14900K—should move to the top of the list.
The i9-14900K is worth investigating closely. Some 13th- and 14th-generation Intel desktop CPUs have experienced instability and degradation, which can show up as seemingly unrelated application crashes, including access-violation errors such as 0xc0000005. Make sure the BIOS has the latest microcode and that Intel default power limits are enabled rather than unrestricted motherboard settings. If crashes continue, testing with another compatible CPU would be ideal, or contact Intel about warranty replacement.
Passing one memory test does not completely rule out RAM or memory-controller instability. Run several full passes of MemTest86 with XMP disabled, test each stick separately, and confirm the modules are installed in the recommended slots. Also try conservative default memory settings. If the system still crashes with known-good memory at stock settings, the CPU or motherboard becomes more suspicious.
The replacement kit passed MemTest86, while the old kit caused a hard crash during Windows Memory Diagnostic. I’ll retest with XMP disabled and check the modules individually.
The BIOS is already current, but I haven’t been able to test another processor because the local repair shops have closed. The Windows installation is also fresh, and the problem existed before and after moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11.