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[Diablo 2] Unhandled Exception:Access Violation (c0000005) Crash help

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Posted by: OTS Staff

<font color="#FFFFCC">Diablo 2 - Unhandled Exception:Access Violation (c0000005) Crash</font>
<font size="1">Solutions compiled by <b>Ion Silverbolt</b></font>


<font color="#FFFFF"><b>Introduction</b></font>

The Unhandled Exception c0000005 error has existed since the Diablo 2 Beta test and continues to plague many users still today. Even after installing all the latest updates and trying all the usual fixes, some users still get this crash. It also doesn't discriminate either. Anything from a k6-2 to a Pentium 3 system can be a target.

First, we'll cover what Blizzard says about it. After this section, we'll go into dark territory and explore some advanced fixes that have been successful.

The standard procedure for fixing this error appears on Blizzard's Website here and cover's most of the basics. It doesn't go into detail much about other causes of this error other than maybe using an old driver. We'll cover all the known ones we have discovered here for you and offer the proper fix or diagnostic to determine the exact cause. The order will be from easiest to hardest fix.


<font color="#FFFFF"><b>OverView</b></font>
  • <a href=#a title="Driver issues that may cause this problem and solutions.">Driver Issues</a>
  • <a href=#b title="Steps to free system resources which may help eliminate problems.">Low System Resources</a>
  • <a href=#c title="Steps to identify heat as a problem and how to solve it.">Overheating</a>
  • <a href=#d title="Identifying various CD problems and issues with CD-ROM's and DVD-ROM's and how to fix them.">CD Read Problems</a>
  • <a href=#e title="Find out how to identify if your memory or CPU is causing you to crash.">Memory and CPU Issues</a>
  • <a href=#f title="Find out how to check your resources and remove IRQ conflicts which have been known to cause this problem." >IRQ Conflicts</a>
  • <a href=#g title="Explores complicated possible causes and solutions. This section is theoretical.">Complicated Possibilities</a>
  • <a href=#h title="Final thoughts about this issue.">Conclusions</a>

<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=a>Driver Issues</b></font>

Seems to be a cause of this error. Steps you should do in this order are:
<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=b>Low system resources</b></font>

This cause is easily overlooked. Many of us are used to running a lot of apps at once with no problems. Diablo 2 however seems to be very stressful on a computer in just about every aspect. It will gobble up any amount of memory it can get a hold of. The swap file is no exception. If your hard drive space is getting low or your system resources are getting low, this can trigger this error. Here are the possible fixes..
  • 1. Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL and shut down everything on your computer before playing Diablo 2 except systray, explorer, and any other application that may be critical such as a mouse driver like point32. Rnaap should remain if you are online. You might even want to try and create a hardware profile just for playing Diablo2. Make the new hardware profile with nothing loaded but just what you need to play Diablo2. After a clean boot with all your system resources free, you just might be able to avoid this error. Or at least postpone it hopefully.

    2. Diablo 2 uses all the memory it can get a hold of. Including the virtual kind. If your hard drive is getting low on space, it can cause this error to trigger. Here's what Blizzard recommends for swapfile settings and what steps to take before setting your swapfile.

    - Blizzard swapfile size recommendations

    A program that may help with freeing memory resources is a program like MemTurbo or some other memory defrag utility. This has proven to be helpful. Especially if you have memory leaks from poorly written drivers and other applications.

<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=c>Overheating</b></font>

This seems to be a common cause for this error. Diablo 2 stresses not only the CPU, but also the graphics card, the CD-ROM or DVD drive, the memory, and even the chipset. This stress can cause quite a lot of heat in your case which in turn can cause computer componants to start misbehaving. If you're getting hard lockups along with this error, then heat may well be your cause for this error. Here's the fixes..
  • 1. Try removing the lid to your case and playing. This won't hurt anything. Just be careful you don't dump something in it while it's exposed. With the lid off, it will keep heat from building up inside your case. If the error stops showing up, then overheating probably is your problem. An extra case fan or something like this is a good purchase to help with excess system heat.

    2. Underclocking the CPU - I personally don't like the idea of underclocking anything in my system but a lot of users have found this to be a successful solution to this error. I recommend you try this step before buying extra cooling while your case lid is off however. Although heat seems to be a major factor, there seems to be evidence that indicates underclocking is successful in removing this error for other reasons besides heat in some cases. In either case, give this step a try if step 1 didn't help you.

    Check your motherboard manual on how to do this. If one is not available, check your motherboard manufacturer's website. Or check your computer brand names website for any possible motherboard manuals in PDF format. If you still can't find any info, post in our forums and one of our techs will assist you.

<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=d>CD Read Problems</b></font>

This has been a cause of this error as well as many others people are having now. It is especially a problem with some types of DVD-ROM drives and especially the Kenwood and Delta CD-ROM drives. Here's what you can do..[list]1. Get the latest Bios/Firmware update for your model of CD-ROM from your CD-ROM manufacturer if one is available. Kenwood drives are commonly problematic with Diablo 2 CD's.

2. Try copying the D2CHAR.MPQ and the D2MUSIC.MPQ files from the Diablo II Play Disk into your Diablo II directory on your hard drive. This should help lower CD access and read time and also might help keep this error from being triggered. Or at least less often. The less stress you put on your CD-ROM the better.

3. If you have somekind of DVD software installed such as WinDVD or PowerDVD, uninstall them and try re-installing. These types of programs have been known to cause Diablo 2 installation problems. Uninstall them and then try re-installing Diablo 2.

<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=e>Memory and CPU Issues</b></font>

In some cases(especially memory), bad or incompatible RAM and CPU errors can trigger this error. Here's the causes and solutions..
  • 1. Overclocking can be a cause for this error. Diablo 2 stresses the CPU and everything else a lot more than most applications do. Whether the crash is from heat, cache errors, or memory errors, try running at default clockspeed to see if the error halts. If so, you might need better cooling.

    Overclocking can create a lot of other hard to see problems such as cache and memory errors too which have nothing to do with heat. If the game runs ok at default clock, try upping system settings a little at a time until you find the sweet spot.

    2. Memory problems can vary quite a bit and what causes them as well. Here's some ways to check if memory is your problem.

    - Try slower memory timings in your CMOS setup. Check your motherboard manual about different memory settings. Also,I recommend you take a look at Speed_Demonz BIOS Optimization guide if you want to read up more on different settings in BIOS.

    - Corrupted memory or incompatability problems between memory modules and motherboards has been a cause for this error. I highly recommend the memory test program available from here.

    - If you have less 64 megs or less of memory, then that can also cause problems and also poor performance. Check the <a href=#b>Low Resources</a> Section of this guide for help on this. The MemTurbo program there is also a good idea.

    4. CPU problems are usually not a problem, but if you're overclocked or have some cache on your motherboard or processor going bad, CPU errors can occur. Assuming you have tried the default clockspeed, try running some CPU tests to see if your CPU might be the problem. One found here should work.

<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=f>IRQ Conflicts</b></font>

Although a lot less common of a problem than it used to be, IRQ conflicts can still cause problems. Some users have gotten rid of this error by removing resource conflicts. Newer motherboards are less suseptible to this problem and handle IRQ sharing better, but they still can occur.
  • 1. Check your motherboard manual for information about which PCI slots share IRQ's and which IRQ they share with another slot or device. For example, the PCI slot next to the AGP port always uses the same IRQ as the AGP card.

    A lot of times you have to share an IRQ with something. There just isn't enough of them around. The best rule of thumb I have found is to keep video and network cards from sharing an IRQ with something else. The sound card is also good if possible.

    2. Enabling or Disabling ACPI might help if your system supports ACPI. Some older motherboards require a BIOS flash to support ACPI however. (Note: Windows 2000 users cannot enable/disable ACPI without re-installing Windows 2000 as it is embedded within the Hardware Abstaction Layer.)

    Here's an example of what an ACPI setup looks like in system information. All PCI cards will share the same IRQ. This is what ACPI is supposed to do and it generally is the best option to have ACPI enabled provided your hardware and operating system supports it.

    Some drivers especially for older PCI cards however don't have ACPI compliant drivers. If so, you may try disabling ACPI and removing as much IRQ sharing as possible.

    To free up IRQ's, check your motherboard manual about which slots share IRQ's. If you need more help about IRQ conflicts, try Microsoft's Knowledge Database and search for IRQ Conflicts.

<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=g>Complicated Possibilities</b></font>

This section is theoretical and shouldn't be taken as advice. If you have the means to try these solutions without cost, then go for it!

The cause of this error even after many attempted fixes still can occur on some systems. All alot of us can do is hope that the Diablo 2 1.04 patch will fix this problem.

While there are many variations of systems that this error gets created in, it seems most have NVidia cards. You could speculate that this is caused by many things such as Blizzard's lack of proper Direct 3D support, to power consumptions that high end 3d Graphics cards put on the system. It seems more of a driver issue with NVidia to me since some drivers work and some don't when it comes to Diablo 2.

A Theory I have of why underclocking is working for some as well as not using the CD-ROM drive is possibly power comsumption. With graphics cards sucking up a lot more wattage than they used to and systems getting loaded down with a lot of extra peripherals, Power supplies and substandard or outdated motherboards are paying the price.

For example, no one should be running an Athlon system without a 300Watt Power Supply. The new Pentium 4 will require a 400Watt Power Supply! And graphics cards alone can suck up a lot of wattage.

Anyone using a power supply below 250 Watts should consider that a possible cause of problems. ESPECIALLY if you're using anything less than a 300 Watt Power Supply for an Athlon based system. Even with older Pentium 2's and K6-2's and 3's, a high-end video card might be all it takes to put the power supply over the edge. Also, motherboard issues with certain AGP graphics cards are always a possibility. It might be worthwhile to check your motherboard manufacturer's website for any problems with your AGP card and the model of your motherboard. If there are any known problems, they may know about it.

If you want to keep check of system heat or keep track of voltages, a utility called Motherboard Monitor (v5.01) might help. If voltages are dropping below acceptable levels, this utility might detect it. Be aware though that utilities aren't always right. But it might help you look in the right direction if it finds anything wrong.


<font color="#FFFFF"><b><a name=h>Conclusion</b></font>

It is probably best to wait and see if any future patches from Blizzard will address the majority of these crashes. This page will be updated as often as we find out about new or possible fixes.

If you have anything you would like to add or know of anything that can help in this matter, please post about it in our Forums We'll be very happy you did.


 
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