Attempt to access invalid address [Fix]

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Key notes

  • Do you keep getting the Attempt to access invalid address error? Our detailed fixes will help you out.
  • You may try to scan your computer for malware or remove the MoveImages DWORD.
  • This System Errors section includes plenty of other risk-free tips to apply when solving similar issues.
  • Lastly, work your way through various problems thanks to the accurate PC expertise from our Windows 10 Errors Hub.
How to fix Attempt to access invalid address

Attempt to access invalid address error message usually appears alongside ERROR_INVALID_ADDRESS error. This is a system error and it can prevent you from running certain applications.

Not being able to run applications is a big problem, so today we’re going to show you how to fix this error on Windows 10.

What can I do when getting Attempt to access invalid address?

How can I fix ERROR_INVALID_ADDRESS?

1. Scan your PC for malware

This error message can sometimes appear while trying to run certain apps. As confirmed by users, the cause is none other than a malware infection.

If you require effective antivirus support that includes high detection of malware, you should know that different antivirus tools out there can eliminate major threats.

Even though you can encounter strong malware that infected your PC you shouldn’t despair. With cutting-edge detection functionality, the virus will be detected and fully eradicated.

Hence you should take precautions when you install potentially harmful programs that contain malware and can infect the entire system.

To be always secured, you should consider the most efficient antivirus software out there and stop any risky malware to damage your PC.

2. Edit your registry

  1. Press Windows Key + R and enter regedit. Press Enter or click OK.
  2. Optional: Modifying the registry can cause system stability issues, therefore we advise you to create a backup just in case. To do that, just click on File > Export.

    Set Export range to All and then enter the desired file name. Choose a safe location and click on Save.
    After creating a backup, you can use it to restore your registry to the previous state in case anything goes wrong.
  3. Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management key in the left pane.
  4. In the right pane, locate and open MoveImages DWORD. If this DWORD isn’t available, right-click the empty space in the right pane, and choose New > DWORD (32-bit Value). Enter MoveImages as the name of the new DWORD and open it.
  5. Set the Value data to 1 and click OK to save changes.
  6. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC.

According to users, this error appears while trying to run Internet Explorer and many other applications. It’s worth mentioning that this error affects all versions of Windows, including Windows 10.

To fix the problem, users are suggesting to make a few changes to your registry. This is relatively simple and you can do it by following the above steps.

Other users reported alternative solutions regarding your registry. Some of them claim that you can fix the problem by renaming a single key in Registry Editor. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Open Registry Editor and create your backup.
  2. In the right pane, navigate to ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution Optionsiexplore.exe key.
  3. Right click iexplore.exe key and choose Rename from the menu. Rename the key to iexplore.old.
  4. Close Registry Editor and check if that solves the problem.

Keep in mind that renaming keys can cause problems with certain features, so be sure to create a backup beforehand. If you notice any issues after modifying your registry, simply run the backup file to restore it to the previous state.

3. Remove the MoveImages DWORD

  1. Start Registry Editor. We already showed you how to do that in Solution 1, so be sure to check it for extra information.
  2. Create a backup of your registry just in case. Deleting values from the registry can cause certain problems, so it’s always a good idea to have a backup ready in case anything goes wrong.
  3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management key in the left pane.
  4. In the right pane, locate MoveImages DWORD, right-click it and choose Delete from the menu.
  5. After deleting this value, restart your PC and check if the problem appears again.

If you’re still having this error, you might be able to solve it by removing MoveImages DWORD from your registry. This is relatively simple and you can do it by following the above steps.

4. Delete the Build folder

Users reported this error while using Axoloti software. According to them, they fixed the issue simply by deleting the Build folder from the Documentsaxoloti directory.

After removing the Build directory, the application should start working without any problems.

If you’re having problems starting certain applications due to this error, you might be able to fix it by changing EMET settings. According to users, simply change EMET settings to Recommended and the problem should be resolved.

How can I fix Attempt to access invalid address in Adobe?

1. Configure EMET

Users reported this problem when using Adobe Reader, and according to them, they are unable to start the application.

The problem is EMET configuration, so if you’re using EMET be sure to turn off / on all options for Adobe Reader in EMET.

Alternatively, you can set EMET to Maximum Security settings to fix this problem.

2. Delete Acrobat Reader values from the registry

  1. Open Registry Editor.
  2. In the left pane, navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution OptionsAcroRd32.exe key.
  3. Right-click AcroRd32.exe key in the left pane and choose Delete from the menu.
  4. Now navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution OptionsAcroRd32Info.exe key.
  5. Right-click AcroRd32Info.exe key and choose Delete from the menu.
  6. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC.

According to users, you might be able to fix this problem by removing Acrobat Reader values from your registry.

Removing values from the registry can cause certain issues, therefore we strongly advise you to create a backup of your registry before using this solution.

After doing that check if the error message still appears. Keep in mind that this solution only applies if you have at least one of the aforementioned keys in your registry. If you can’t find any of these keys, you should skip this solution entirely.

3. Try running the application as an administrator

  1. Locate the problematic application and right-click it.
  2. Choose Run as administrator from the menu.

Some Adobe applications can’t run due to this error, and if you’re having this problem, a quick workaround is to run the problematic application as an administrator.

If this workaround works, you’ll have to repeat it every time you want to start this app. Alternatively, you can set the application to always run with administrative privileges.

To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the problematic application and choose Properties from the menu.
  2. When the Properties window opens, go to the Compatibility tab. Check Run this program as an administrator option and click on Apply and OK to save changes.
  3. After doing that, the application will always start with administrative privileges.

4. Try running the application in the Compatibility mode

  1. Locate the problematic application, right-click it, and choose Properties from the menu.
  2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab, check Run this program in compatibility mode for and choose the desired version of Windows. Now click on Apply and OK to save changes.

Sometimes certain applications aren’t fully optimized for Windows 10 and that can cause this error to appear. To fix this problem, you can run your apps in Compatibility mode.

This is a simple solution, but you might have to experiment with different compatibility options until you find the one that works for you.

5. Update the problematic application to the latest version

There are times when these errors can appear due to certain bugs and compatibility issues.

To ensure that your application is fully compatible with your operating system and bug-free, we strongly advise you to update it to the latest version.

In many cases, the developers are aware of these types of errors, and the problem is usually fixed in the newer version of the software.

If you’re having this problem with any application on your PC, we advise you to update it to the latest version and check if the issue still appears.

6. Turn on User Account Control and run the application as an administrator

  1. Press Windows Key + S and enter user account and choose Change User Account Control settings from the menu.
  2. User Account Control Settings window will now appear. Move the slider to the default position and click OK to save changes.

User Account Control is a useful security feature that prevents applications from performing tasks that require administrator privileges.

Thanks to this feature, you’ll always get a security dialog when trying to perform a task that requires administrator rights.

This is a useful feature, but its security dialogs tend to appear too often, and this is the main reason why many users choose to disable this feature.

However, few users reported that they fixed the problem on their PC by turning on User Account Control. To do that, follow the above steps.

After turning this feature back on, try to run the problematic application as an administrator and check if the error message appears again.

7. Remove your antivirus software

If you’re frequently getting Attempt to access invalid address error message, you might want to try disabling your antivirus.

Users reported some problems with older versions of Bitdefender, so if you’re using this tool you need to disable it and check if the issue still persists.

Several users reported that the cause is the Bitdefender firewall feature, and after disabling it the error was resolved completely.

Speaking of firewall, users reported that Intrusion Detection System (IDS) was the problem, so be sure to disable it as well. If disabling the antivirus doesn’t help, you might have to uninstall it to fix this problem.

Antivirus tools can sometimes interfere with your operating system which can lead to various errors. It’s worth mentioning that antivirus software can leave leftover files even after you uninstall it, so it’s recommended to use a dedicated removal tool.

Almost all antivirus companies have these tools for their software, so be sure to download one for your antivirus.

After removing your antivirus and all its related files, the issue should be resolved. Now you just have to update your antivirus to the latest version or switch to a different antivirus solution.

Even though this error is related to older versions of Bitdefender, other antivirus tools can also cause this error.

Several users reported that Comodo Firewall caused this problem on their PC, so if you’re using that application, you might want to disable it or remove it.

As you can see, different security tools can cause this problem to appear, so even if you don’t use Bitdefender be sure to try this solution with your antivirus software.

8. Install the latest Windows updates

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
  2. Navigate to the Update & security section.
  3. Now click on Check for updates button.

Windows 10 is a solid operating system, but just like any other operating system, it has few bugs and glitches.

These bugs can sometimes cause various system errors, and in order to fix them it’s highly recommended to keep your Windows up to date.

By default, Windows 10 automatically downloads the updates in the background, but sometimes you can miss an important update. To make sure that your Windows is up to date, you can always check for updates manually.

Windows will now check for updates. If any updates are available, Windows will download them in the background and install them once you restart your PC. After updating your system, the issue should be resolved.

9. Uninstall Chrome

  1. Open Google Chrome.
  2. Once Chrome opens, click the Menu button in the top right corner. Choose Help > About Google Chrome.
  3. A new tab will appear and Chrome will automatically check for updates and download them.

After updating Chrome to the latest version, check if the issue still persists. If the error still appears, you might want to remove Google Chrome. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Navigate to the Apps section.
  3. A list of installed applications will appear. Select Google Chrome from the list and click on Uninstall.
  4. Follow the instructions on the screen to remove Chrome.

According to users, one of the causes for this error might be Google Chrome. Several users reported that removing Google Chrome fixed the issue for them, so you might want to try that.

Before removing Chrome, we would strongly advise you to check if Chrome is up to date and install the necessary updates.

If you don’t want to use the Settings app, you can remove Chrome by doing the following:

  1. Press Windows Key + S and enter control panel. Select Control Panel from the list of results.
  2. When Control Panel opens, navigate to Programs and Features.
  3. When Programs and Features window opens, locate Google Chrome, and double click it.
  4. Follow the instructions on the screen to remove Chrome.

After you uninstall Google Chrome, check if the problem still appears. If not, you might want to try reinstalling Chrome or switch to a different browser.

10. Set your antivirus to Game Mode

Users reported this problem with Bitdefender, and it seems there’s a quick and simple solution for this problem.

According to users, you can simply set Bitdefender to run in Game Mode and that will allow you to run Adobe apps without any problems.

Game Mode runs with a different set of rules, so if you have the ability to run your antivirus in Game Mode, be sure to try that and check if the issue still persists.

11. Add the problematic application to the exclusions list

As already mentioned, your antivirus can interfere with your operating system and prevent you from running certain applications.

Users reported this problem with Bitdefender and Adobe apps, but the problem can also appear with any other application and antivirus.

To avoid this problem, you can try adding the problematic application to the list of exclusions.

Almost every antivirus software has an exclusions list, so be sure to add the problematic app to the list and check if that solves the issue.

12. Remove the problematic applications

We already mentioned that in some cases Google Chrome can cause Attempt to access invalid address error to appear. However, Chrome is not the only cause of this problem.

Users reported problems with apps such as Deluxe Shield, so if you have this application installed, be sure to remove it and check if that solves the issue.

Keep in mind that other applications can cause this problem as well, so be sure to remove any recently installed or updated applications.

Users reported that Real Player can also cause this problem to appear, so be sure to remove it. Another application that can cause this error is Anagram, so you might want to remove it as well.

In addition, be sure to remove any suspicious applications. Sometimes certain apps can install unrequired and potentially malicious software automatically, so be sure to remove any suspicious or unknown software and check if that solves the problem.

13. Reinstall the problematic application

If this error message keeps appearing, you might be able to fix it simply by reinstalling the problematic application.

In some cases your installation can become corrupted and that can lead to this and many other errors. Users reported that they fixed this problem with Adobe apps simply by reinstalling them, so be sure to try that.

According to a few users, reinstalling the application to a different drive fixed the problem for them, so you can try that as well.

14. Reinstall .NET Framework

Many applications are built using .NET Framework, and sometimes these types of errors can occur if your .NET Framework installation is corrupted.

If that happens, you won’t be able to run applications that require this framework. To fix the issue, you need to uninstall .NET Framework from your PC and reinstall it again.

.NET Framework is available for free on Microsoft’s website, however, there are several versions available. To fix the problem, you need to download the exact version that Adobe Reader uses.

After reinstalling .NET Framework, the error should be fixed.

How can I fix Attempt to access invalid address in Office?

1. Update EMET

EMET is the common cause for this problem, and if you can’t run Microsoft Office applications due to this error, you might want to try updating EMET to the latest version

. Several users reported that updating EMET fixed the issue for them, so be sure to try that.

2. Delete or change MitigationOption DWORD

  1. Open Registry Editor.
  2. Optional: Create a backup of your registry.
  3. In the left pane, navigate to ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution Options key and expand it.
  4. Locate Office apps on the list. Look for entries such as excel.exe, winword.exe, etc. Once you find the desired application in the left pane, select it.
  5. In the right pane, double click the MitigationOption to open its properties.
  6. Set Value data to 0 and click OK to save changes. Alternatively, you can just delete MitigationOption DWORD from the registry.
  7. Repeat the previous steps for all Office applications.

If you’re using EMET, it’s possible that one of its registry values is interfering with Office apps and causing this problem to appear. To fix this problem, you need to make a few changes to your registry.

After you’re done, close Registry Editor and restart your PC. Once your PC restarts, the problem should be resolved and you’ll be able to run Office applications without any problems.

How can I fix Attempt to access invalid address in Unity?

Update Unity to the latest version

Many users reported this error message with Unity. It seems that this error appears with older versions of Unity, so if you’re having this problem, update Unity to the latest version and check if the error is resolved.

Many users reported that Unity update fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try that.

Attempt to access invalid address can prevent you from running Adobe and Office applications.

This error is usually caused by EMET or by your antivirus software, but you should be able to solve it by using one of our solutions.

More about the topics: System Errors