220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 application that crashes with error 'The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000005).' The technician has already run SFC and DISM without issues. What should the technician try next?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume error 0xc0000005 is always a corrupt application or driver issue, leading them to choose reinstallation or driver updates, when in fact it is a classic DEP-related access violation that requires adjusting memory protection settings.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disable DEP for the application.
Error 0xc0000005 is an access violation, often caused by Data Execution Prevention (DEP) blocking an application from executing code in a non-executable memory region. Since SFC and DISM found no system file corruption, the next logical step is to disable DEP for the specific application, which allows it to run without the memory protection that is triggering the crash.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reinstall the application.
Why it's wrong here
Reinstalling the application replaces its executable and DLLs, which would repair corrupted application files. However, if System File Checker (SFC) and DISM already confirmed that protected system files are intact, reinstallation adds little value and does not alter the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) policy enforced on the process. Since error 0xc0000005 is a memory access violation caused by DEP blocking execution from a non-executable page, reinstalling the same incompatible binary simply reproduces the identical crash.
- ✓
Disable DEP for the application.
Why this is correct
Disabling DEP for the application is the correct fix because this error code indicates that Data Execution Prevention has terminated the process after it attempted to execute code from a memory region marked as non-executable. In Windows 10, you can add the executable to the DEP exception list via System Properties > Performance Options > Advanced > Data Execution Prevention, which permits that specific application to run without DEP enforcement. This is a targeted solution that preserves DEP protection for all other processes; note that the GUI exception applies only to 32-bit applications, while 64-bit processes require an application patch or compatibility shim.
- ✗
Update the video driver.
Why it's wrong here
Updating the video driver addresses graphics-related crashes such as display driver hangs or DirectX failures, but it will not alter the application's memory access behavior. Error 0xc0000005 is an access violation that occurs when a program dereferences an invalid pointer or attempts to execute non-executable memory, not a symptom of GPU driver fault. A video driver update is a common general troubleshooting step, but it is ineffective here because the crash is triggered by DEP or memory management, not by rendering issues.
- ✗
Perform a system restore.
Why it's wrong here
A system restore reverts Windows system files and registry settings to a prior state, but the 0xc0000005 error typically indicates a memory access violation caused by a corrupted application installation, a faulty driver, or a damaged DLL dependency—none of which are corrected by rolling back system configuration snapshots. It is tempting because system restore effectively resolves many post-update or driver-induced crashes, and would be correct if the error had appeared immediately after a Windows update or driver installation that the restore could reverse.
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Data Classification Levels
Key term
Region
A region is a distinct geographic location where a cloud provider operates multiple data centers that are connected by low-latency networks and provide cloud services.
Key term
Windows
Windows is a family of operating systems developed by Microsoft that manages computer hardware and software, providing a graphical user interface for users to interact with their devices.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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