Problem! (0xc0000005) memory access violation?

[nightmares_o]

Hi

Ok, so I've been having this memory access violation problem since yesterday, but let me tell you about my computer first. I built it in August 2006:

AMD Athlon 3800+ 2.4ghz socket am2
Asus M2N-E mobo
2 x 1gb corsair ddr2 ram
sapphire radeon x1900 512mb
creative soundblaster audigy2 zs
seagate barracuda 7200 320GB hd

After I built it, it ran smoothly for about a month, but then it started having blue screen of death errors with a few different messages (page fault in non paged area, irql not less than equal, etc..) and different files specified in the messages ("atikvmag.dll, win32k.sys, ati3dvag.dll, npfs.sys, Lmouke.sys, dxg.sys, etc..). The errors happened about once a day, but I wasn't really concerned because everything seemed to be running fine otherwise. I regularly update graphics/sound drivers and run ad aware. I don't know if any of this is related to my current problem, but it probably is.

Anyways, to the problem... Yesterday morning I was thinking that I should run the disk defragmenter because I have never used it since I built the PC in August, so I defragged my C drive (I have the C drive as my operating system (windows), E as my pagefile, and F for applications) and left the defragmenter running while I went to class. When I came back, I had a new blue screen of death error (driver_overran_stack_buffer) so I rebooted like I always do. At this point I realized that some of my programs no longer worked. Windows Media Player opened but was unable to play any songs. Norton Antivirus seemed to be working, but I couldn't open the "protection center" (error msg: unable to start the integrator"). Microsoft Word didn't work (error msg: word has encountered a problem and needs to close). Also, none of my large games worked(Counter-Strike: Source, Age of Empires III, Battlefield 2, Rainbow Six Vegas). For Word and all of the games, the error that I get immediately after trying to open them is "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000005). Click on OK to terminate the application" (then I click OK and the box appears again with the same message, and then goes away after the second time). I figure that all of these errors must be related, but I don't know why they are happening.

I've tried alot of things to fix them, and im hoping not to have to reformat everything. I tried updating graphics drivers (maybe they became corrupt somehow even though I updated them 1/10/07) but the install program now has an error as well and I don't know how to install them manually. I tried running all kinds of anti virus programs and spyware detectors in safe mode (ad aware, panda software, trend micro) and my system appears clean. I've used Hijack This. I ran memtest86 which said that my ram had no errors. I tried disabling startup processes, and I tried reinstalling the programs that had errors (reinstalling Windows Media Player worked, but reinstalling the games/MS word did not work).

Any help you can give me is much appreciated

Thank you

[nightmares_o]

No one knows anything about this problem?

[patio]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/w2kmsgs/1121.asp

[nightmares_o]

Thanks for the response

The link you gave is not my exact error message (mine is 0xc0000005), and the link is for windows 2000 (I have XP)

Also, the link assumes that the user just installed new hardware (I didn't)

Any other thoughts on my problem?

Thanks again

[GX1_Man]

OK, so now we know you are running XP, though we still do not know what version or what service pack.

First I would test the RAM (www.memtest86.com for a free download) and then test the hard drive with the free diagnostics from the appropriate hard drive maker's site. Even if those turn out fine, I would format the drive and reinstall Windows with the history of frequent and multiple BSOD errors.

[nightmares_o]

Thanks for the reply

I'm running XP home edition, 2002 service pack 2.  I've already tested the memory for 10 hours with memtest and found no errors.  I'm going to test the hard drive with the seagate diagnostic tool tonight.  And yes, I will reformat sometime within the next week if I can't find a solution.

Thanks again

[GX1_Man]

Though people often resist the format and reinstall route, it is often easier AND faster than sorting out the other issues. How long have you been at this already?

If this were a sudden and recent occurrence I would advise differently.

[nightmares_o]

Well, it happened 2 days ago, so I've been at it on and off for 2 days.  But yeah, if i can't fix it in the next 2-3 days I guess I'll try reformatting

[GX1_Man]

After I built it, it ran smoothly for about a month, but then it started having blue screen of death errors with a few different messages (page fault in non paged area, irql not less than equal, etc..) and different files specified in the messages ("atikvmag.dll, win32k.sys, ati3dvag.dll, npfs.sys, Lmouke.sys, dxg.sys, etc..). The [highlight]errors happened about once a day[/highlight],

This is not normal, even for Windows.  

[nightmares_o]

lol

anyways.. I ran a hard drive diagnostic last night and it found these errors:


  File Structure Test Result:  

    Partition 1 (NTFS (32.2 GB) OS)    Result: Failed with critical Errors

    The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
     - One or more errors were found in the index
     - One or more errors were found in metadata file records



    Partition 2 (NTFS (5.3 GB) Pagefile)    Result: Failed with critical Errors

    The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
     - One or more errors were found in metadata file records


    Partition 3 (NTFS (183.4 GB) Applications)    Result: Failed with critical Errors

    The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
     - One or more errors were found in metadata file records


any ideas/fixes?  Thanks

[patio]

That HDD is getting ready to go South for the Winter...backup immediately and get a replacement.

[nightmares_o]

lol that's too bad  So even a reformat won't do anything?

[GX1_Man]

You can try deleting ALL of the partitions and creating new ones and formatting them, but I certainly wouldn't trust that drive.  

[nightmares_o]

Yeah, I'm going to try an XP repair install and then if that doesn't work, a full reformat/reinstall and use seagate's disc editor to fill my HD with zeros.

I'll report in later this week with results.  Thanks for your help so far

[GX1_Man]

We'll leave the light on.