Protection fault n eeds rectifying

[Alfie-123]

Protection fault in print preferences  

0x00007FF8AD4238A0 protection fault

Exception code   0xc0000005

Drivers are up to-date I believe

Printer will not print at all

Help  

[Jerry_57]

Hi @Alfie-123,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I hear that the Exception Code 0xc0000005 is a Windows Access Violation. When this crashes your print preferences and stops printing, it usually means a background file conflict (like DEP) or corrupted print drivers are blocking the spooler.
 

Step 1: Deep Driver Clean & Reinstall:
 

Standard driver updates sometimes leave behind corrupted registry keys. A deep clean is required:
 

1. Disconnect your HP printer from your PC.
    
2. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features and uninstall all HP printer software.
    
3. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers, right-click your HP printer, and select Remove Device.
    
4. Press Windows Key + R, type printui.exe /s and hit Enter.
    
5. Go to the Drivers tab, find any HP entries, click Remove, and select "Remove driver and driver package".
    
6. Restart your PC, then download and install the clean, updated drivers directly from the HP Customer Support page [0.1].

Step 2: Fix Data Execution Prevention (DEP) Conflict:
 

Sometimes Windows' built-in memory protection clashes with HP printer software, causing the 0xc0000005 exception.
 

1. Press Windows Key + R, type sysdm.cpl and hit Enter to open System Properties.
    
2. Switch to the Advanced tab and click Settings under the Performance section.
    
3. Go to the Data Execution Prevention tab.
    
4. Select Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.
    
5. Click Add and navigate to your main printer executable files (usually found in C:\Program Files\HP or your specific application you are printing from, e.g., Adobe, Word). Add them to the exception list.
    
6. Click Apply and OK, then restart your PC.
    

Step 3: Run Windows System File Checker:
 

Corrupted OS files can trigger spooler crashes.
 

1. Click the Windows Start button, type cmd.
    
2. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
    
3. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
    
4. Wait for the scan to finish, restart your PC, and try printing again.

I hope this will help.

 

Take care and have a good day.