Microsoft Reader Error Message: Unhandled Exception 0xC0000005: AV

When you start Microsoft Reader on a desktop or a laptop computer, you may receive the following error message:

This behavior can occur if both of the following conditions are true:

• Less than 300 megabytes (MB) of space is available on your system hard disk (the hard disk on which Microsoft Windows is installed).
• Less than 300 MB of space is available on the hard disk on which the Microsoft Reader software is installed.

To resolve this issue, increase the amount of available hard disk space on your system hard disk and the hard disk on which the Microsoft Reader software is installed.

To do this, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Install the Microsoft Reader Software on the System Hard Disk

If the Microsoft Reader software is installed on a hard disk other than the hard disk on which Windows is installed, uninstall the Reader software and then reinstall the Reader software on the system hard disk.

NOTE: The default installation folder for the Reader software is which is the system folder on most computers.

Install the Reader Software on a Different Hard Disk

If more than one hard disk or hard disk partition is installed in your computer, install the Reader software on a hard disk that contains at least 300 MB of available space.

For information about how to determine the amount of available space on each of your hard disks, please see the "More Information" section of this article.

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Empty Folders That Contain Temporary Files

To empty folders that contain temporary files, use the appropriate method for your version of Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft Windows 98 and Microsoft Windows 2000

Use the Disk Cleanup utility:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
2. In the Drives box, click the hard disk that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
3. Under Files to delete, click to select the following check boxes, and then click OK:
   • Downloaded Program Files
   • Recycle Bin
   • Temporary Files
   • Temporary Internet Files

Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT 4.0

Manually delete the temporary files, and then empty the Recycle Bin:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Internet or Internet Options.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Under Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files, and then click OK.
5. Under History, click Clear History, and then click Yes.
6. Click OK.
7. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
8. Click Restart in MS-DOS mode, and then click OK.
9. At the command prompt, type set, and then press ENTER.
10. Note the path on the "TEMP=" line.
11. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line
    cd \temp
    del *.tmp
    where temp is the path that you noted in step 9.
    
    NOTE: If you are prompted to confirm the file deletion, press Y.
12. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to restart Microsoft Windows.

On the desktop, right-click Recycle Bin, and then click Empty Recycle Bin. If you are prompted to confirm that you want to delete the files, click Yes.

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Back Up and Delete Unused Files

Make a backup copy of any documents, images, or media clips that you do not use frequently, and then delete the unused files from the hard disk.

For information about how to back up files, click Start, click Help, type backup, and then double-click Backup in the list of Help topics.

For information about how to delete files and folders, click Start, click Help, type deleting files, folders, and then double-click deleting files, folders in the list of Help topics.

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Uninstall Programs That You Do Not Use

To uninstall programs that you do not use:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click a program that you do not use, and then click Add/Remove.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to uninstall the program.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to uninstall any other programs that you do not use.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Reader, version 1.5.

To determine the amount of available space on your hard disk:

1. Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop.
2. On the View menu, click Details.
3. Under the Free Space column, note the amount of available space for each hard disk that is installed in your computer.
4. Close the My Computer window.

For additional information about how to resolve this issue when you attempt to open a purchased eBook on a PocketPC, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: