Troubleshooting: Access violation at address 00000000 read of address 00000000

Access Violation,  Illegal Operation messages, Invalid Page Faults and General Protection Faults. The name of these errors may vary, but the nature of the error is usually the same. These problems are generally caused by a lack of system resources (low memory), out of date video drivers, and sometimes a corrupt swap/paging file.

If you experience crashing problems on a regular basis while using Legacy, the following instructions should help resolve the problem:

1. Make certain your computer meets minimum system requirements for memory (RAM).  One indication of low memory problems is that Legacy runs fine for a time, but after a while starts locking up. Often all you need to do in this situation is restart your computer.
2. Shut down other applications to eliminate conflicts with other programs and free up memory.
3. ScanDisk and Defrag your hard drive to help resolve a possible a corrupt swap/paging file. (Click Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools. Run ScanDisk first; then run Defrag.) 
4. Update the drivers for your computer's hardware.

Reboot your computer

Often all that is needed is to reboot your computer and the problem won't repeat.

Shut down other applications

The problem may be the result of a conflict between Legacy and some other program that you have running on your computer. The best solution is to shut down any other applications that you may have running before you run Legacy. Other programs can interfere with the Legacy or use up system resources needed for it to run. These applications include, but are not limited to screen savers, virus scanners, Web browsers, media players and system monitoring programs.

To shut down all other applications:

1. Find your Windows taskbar. This is the gray bar where your Start button is located.
2. For every button on the taskbar except for the Start button, right-click once and then left-click on Close.
3. Do the same for each of the icons in the System Tray (the recessed area at the right end of the taskbar). If there is no option to Close or Exit the application, proceed to the next step.
4. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously on the keyboard to bring up the Windows task manager.
5. You will see a list of programs that are still running. The only two programs that need to be there are Explorer and Systray -- do not shut these down. For everything else, click once to highlight the program you want to close, and then click on End Task. 
6. The task manager will close as you click End Task, so you will need to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete again if you need to terminate  other programs.
7. Once you have closed down all of the applications on your system, except Explorer and Systray, try Legacy again.

Update the drivers for your computer's hardware

The following error message may indicate a need for updated drivers:

"This Program has performed an Illegal Operation and will be shut down"

This errors most frequently occurs when Windows encounters a conflict with a driver in use in your system. Click on the Details button for more information about the error message. If the error is an invalid page fault in module kernel32.dll, it is indicative of a malfunctioning driver. Generally, the driver in question will be the one used by the video card. However, if error happens during printing it's a print driver. (Don't be fooled into thinking that just because other applications seem to work fine that it can't be a driver.)

Since hardware manufacturers update their drivers frequently, the problem is resolved by visiting the manufacturer's website, then downloading and installing the updated drivers. Every manufacturer has its own method of updating device drivers. When contacting a manufacturer to get a driver, you must also get their instructions for updating their drivers.

Please note: If you have a name-brand system, that company's website is the best source for drivers. If your system has been upgraded over time, and several of the components have been replaced, it may be necessary to visit the individual manufacturers instead to update these drivers.

To do this, it is necessary to know what the hardware in your computer actually is. Here's an easy way to do it:

1. Click the Windows Start button
2. Select Settings, then Control Panel.
3. Double-click the System icon.
4. Click the Device Manager tab. This will show you a list of devices attached to your computer. 
5. Click on the plus sign (+) next to the categories labeled "Display Adapter" and "Sound, video and game controllers". This will show you the type of hardware in your particular computer.

Double-clicking the indented line will give you more information about the hardware, such as the manufacturer's name. Write this information down, as manufacturer and model numbers may vary even within the same model of computer.  If you have difficulties please consider professional computer assistance.

Windows 95 users ONLY

Seriously consider upgrading to a more stable version of Windows.

If the kernel32.dll error occurs while you are using Legacy in Windows 95, this problem could be caused by a Windows 95 bug present in early versions of Windows 95. Microsoft posted an update at their Web site which resolved the problem. In order to determine which updates you need, right-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop, select Properties, and click the General tab.

If you have the version of Windows 95 on the left, you should follow the instructions on the right:

4.00.950 Install Service Pack 1 first, then install the Kernel 32 Update.
4.00.950a Install the Kernel 32 Update.
4.00.950B Service Pack 1 and Kernel Update not needed.
4.00.950C Service Pack 1 and Kernel Update not needed.

NOTE: The kernel update should only be applied if you have already installed Service Pack 1 for Windows 95. If you have Windows 95 version 4.00.950 (with no letters after the number), you should first visit the following page for information on downloading and installing Service Pack 1:

Windows 95 Service Pack 1

If you have Service Pack 1 installed, you will have Windows 95 version 4.00.950a. In that case, you should install only the Kernel 32 Update.

Windows 95 Kernel 32 Update

Important: The location of Microsoft's updates may change. Please perform a search for Windows 95 Service Pack 1 and Windows 95 Kernel 32 Update at www.microsoft.com