Invalid access to memory location in Windows 11/10

This article discusses solutions to fix the Invalid access to memory location error in Windows 11/10. You may see this error on your Windows computer in different scenarios, like while opening a program, installing or uninstalling a program, updating a driver, installing Windows Updates, etc. Some users also reported this error in video games, like Valorant. Because this error occurs in different scenarios, there are multiple causes to blame.

Invalid access to memory location in Windows 11/10

If you see the Invalid access to memory location error in Windows 11/10, use the solutions provided below:

Run the program as an administrator
Check your drivers in the Device Manager
Empty your Startup folder
Repair your system files
Uninstall and reinstall your graphics card driver
Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Repair Microsoft Office (if applicable)
Uninstall the latest Windows Update
Are you using a disk encryption software?
Restore your system
Perform an In-place Upgrade

Let’s see all these fixes in detail.

1] Run the program as an administrator

If Windows is showing you this error message while installing or launching a program, try to run it as an administrator. To do so, right-click on it and select Run as administrator. If this works, you can make it always run as administrator.

2] Check your drivers in the Device Manager

Faulty or corrupted device drivers can also cause this error on Windows 11/10. You should keep all your drivers up to date. Drivers can be updated in different ways. Open the Optional Updates page in Windows 11/10 Settings. If an update for your driver(s) is available, it will be shown there. Install the driver updates (if available) and restart your computer (if required).

If the driver updates are not available on the Optional Updates page, open the Device Manager to check for faulty drivers. Follow the steps provided below:

Expand the branches in the Device Manager one by one.
Check if any driver is showing a warning sign. If yes, uninstall it.
To uninstall a driver, right-click on it and select Uninstall device.
When you are done, restart your computer.

After restarting your computer, check if the problem persists.

3] Empty your Startup folder

Windows opens the files placed inside the Startup folder automatically on system startup. Clearing the Startup folder has helped some users. You can also try this.

Open the Run command box (Win + R).
Type shell:startup. This will open the Startup folder.
Move the files inside it to another location. This action will empty the Startup folder.

Now, check if the problem persists.

4] Repair your system files

Corrupted system image files cause various issues on a Windows computer. This may be one of the causes of the “Invalid access to memory location” error. Hence, we suggest you repair your system files using the System File Checker and DISM tools.

5] Uninstall and reinstall your graphics card driver

Some users experienced this error while updating their NVIDIA graphics card driver. However, this error can occur on any computer as is not associated with the graphics card of a particular brand. If this is the case with you, uninstall the graphics card driver completely by using a third-party utility, like DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller). Before you uninstall your display driver, first, download its latest version from the official website of the manufacturer.

After uninstalling the driver, run the installer file to reinstall the driver.

6] Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

According to the error message, the cause of this issue may be associated with your system’s RAM. A Windows computer shows some signs that indicate faulty RAM. Windows Memory Diagnostic is a built-in tool in Windows computers that allows users to run a memory diagnostic check. If the tool detects errors, you should contact your computer manufacturer to fix the problem.

7] Repair Microsoft Office (if applicable)

If Windows shows you this error message while launching a Microsoft Office application, repairing Office can fix the problem.

8] Uninstall the latest Windows Update

Some users reported that the issue started occurring after installing the Windows Update. If this is the case with you, you can uninstall the latest Windows Update, This should fix this error.

9] Are you using a disk encryption software?

According to the reports, some disk encryption software were found causing this problem. Sophos Safeguard is one such software reported by the users. If you are using any third-party disk encryption software, uninstalling and reinstalling the software can help. Before you uninstall the software, do not forget to decrypt your disk and other encrypted content. You can also contact the disk encryption software support (if available) for further assistance.

After uninstalling the disk encryption software, install the affected program and see if the error occurs.

10] Restore your system

You can restore your system to the previous working state by using the built-in tool, System Restore. While using the System restore, select the Restore Point before which the problem did not exist.

11] Perform an In-place Upgrade

If nothing helped you, perform an In-place Upgrade to repair your system. This method will reinstall the Windows OS without uninstalling the currently installed Windows OS. Hence, your data will not be deleted. However, you can create a backup before proceeding.

Read: Fix VALORANT Invalid Access to Memory Location error.

How do I fix the error 0x800703e6?

The error 0x800703e6 is a Windows Update error. It can occur due to multiple causes like corrupted system image files, antivirus conflict, etc. To fix it, you can try running the SFC and DISM scans, resetting Windows Update Components, etc.

What is invalid access to memory location when installing driver?

The Invalid access to memory location error may occur while installing or updating a driver due to the corrupted driver installer file or corrupted system image files. Repairing the system files can help fix this issue.