How to fix a general protection fault

Note: It is not uncommon to randomly experience a General Protection Fault (GPF), you should not need to troubleshoot GPF errors unless they are occurring frequently.

Remove all TSRs

Disable or unload any TSRs or programs currently running before running the program causing the GPF.

• How to remove TSRs and startup programs.

Delete all program temporary files

Delete all temporary files that may still be residing on the hard drive from currently or previously running programs.

• How to remove temporary program files.

Run ScanDisk and Defrag

Run ScanDisk and run Defrag on the hard drive as it could be possible your hard drive may have an issue causing the swap file or data files to become corrupt or invalid.

Verify your computer has more than 200 MB available

If your computer is running low on hard drive space, your Windows swap file will be unable to increase in size when needed. This situation can cause programs to be swapped between memory and the hard drive more frequently, which can lead to more GPFs.

• Determining available hard drive space.

Recently installed software or hardware

If you have recently installed new software or hardware uninstall or reinstall that software or hardware to verify it is not causing your issue.

• Uninstalling Windows software.

Disable external cache

If your CPU utilizes external cache disable it temporarily to verify if it is causing your GPF error messages. If this option is available it can be disabled through CMOS Setup.

If this resolves your issue it is recommended that you contact the manufacturer of your computer, motherboard manufacturer, or CPU manufacturer for additional recommendations.

Tip: In some cases a BIOS update designed for this problem can also resolve cache related issues.

Disable Power Management and screen savers

If you are receiving GPFs when the computer is inactive for extended periods, disable Power Management and screen savers to ensure that they are not causing your issue.

• Power management help and support.

Operating System issue

Windows related files can cause a General Protection fault. For example, a General Protection Fault with Explorer and KRNL386.EXE. Reinstall Windows to resolve the issue with Windows related files.

Bad memory or other bad hardware

If you have followed all of the above recommendations and continue to experience GPFs there may be bad or failing hardware inside your computer. Often bad memory is the primary cause for random GPFs.

• How can I test my memory to determine if it is bad?