MultiMedia: Troubleshooting Invalid Page Fault (IPF) and Exception Errors (Part 1) (280305)

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Exception Errors

An exception error signifies that something unexpected has happened within the Windows environment, typically an improper memory access. For example, an application or a Windows component might read or write to a memory location that has not been allocated to it (memory that it does not "own"), potentially overwriting and corrupting other program code in that area of memory.

Fatal exception errors are typically of the form: where <XY> represents the actual processor exception from 00 to 0F. The xxxx:xxxxxxxx represents the <code segment pointer>:<actual address where the exception occurred>.

Fatal exception errors are codes returned by a program in the following cases:

• Access to an illegal instruction is encountered.
• Invalid data or code is accessed.
• The privilege level of an operation is invalid.

When any of these occurs, the processor returns an exception to the operating system, which in turn is handled as a fatal exception error. In many cases the exception is non-recoverable, and the system must be restarted or shut down, depending on the severity of the error.

For more information about fatal exception errors, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Illegal Operation Errors

Illegal operation errors are typically of the form: If you click Details, the following error message appears: where <Program> refers to the program you are using and <module name> refers to another program or component of a program and <address> is the area of memory where the problem occurred.

After you click OK, the program is shut down.

When an invalid page fault occurs, an unexpected event occurs in Windows. An invalid page fault typically indicates that a program improperly attempted to use random access memory; for example, when a program or a Windows component reads or writes to a memory location that is not allocated to it. When this occurs, the program can potentially overwrite and corrupt other program code in that area of memory.

For more information about illegal operation errors, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Kernel Errors

Kernel errors are invalid page faults that occur between an application and Windows. A typical error message is similar to the following example:

If you click Details, you receive the following error message: After you click OK, the program is shut down.

For more information about troubleshooting kernel errors, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Getting Clues from the Error Message

The first clue to the cause of an IPF is in the IPF error message that is displayed. The error message is similar to: If you click Details, the following error message appears: After you click Close, the program is shut down.

Note the module name that is listed. For example, is the module name a printer driver file, a video driver file, a sound card device, an antivirus program, or some other non-product component? If you can gather clues about the component that is causing the IPF, then you can target the specific cause of the problem.

If the module name does not sound familiar or if you are unsure which component it is a part of, you can query in the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the module name. You can search the Microsoft Support Web site from the following Web address: After you get to the Search Support page, use query parameters specific to your error message. For example, if you received an invalid page fault in module "UNKNOWN", use the following parameters to query for information:

1. In the Search (KB) box, select the name of your game.
2. In the For solutions containing box, type ipf in module unknown.
3. In the Using box, select All the words entered.

NOTE: If you do not see the Using box, click Show Options.

For more information about contacting Microsoft Technical Support, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Getting Clues from When the Error Occurs

Sometimes, noting when the error occurs can help determine the cause of the problem. For example, does the error occur when starting or running the game? The goal is to find clues to the cause of the problem and resolve it quickly by trying the most likely solutions first.

Determining the Scope of the Problem

A key part of troubleshooting IPFs is to determine how widespread the problem is. Try to answer the following questions: The following sections discuss each question and possible resolutions.


Is the Problem Reproducible?

Can you make the error occur again in a reasonable amount of time? To solve an IPF, try a solution and then attempt to make the IPF occur again. If the error goes away, you can assume you have solved the problem. If the error still occurs, you need to continue troubleshooting the problem.

If the error is not easily reproducible, try each solution one at a time. After you try one solution, go back to the game and work with the program for a while until you feel comfortable that the problem has been solved.

If the problem has not been solved, try another possible solution. Along the way, keep track of the solutions you have tried and their results. Remember, if the IPF occurs when you do specific things in the game, you may get some clues about which solutions to try first.



Does the Problem Occur in Other Applications?

If the problem occurs in other applications, most likely the problem is not with a specific program you are running but with Windows, a component of Windows, or a piece of software that is running in the background. Although some of the troubleshooting tips and possible solutions in this article may help, the focus of this article is to resolve IPFs that are in the game.




Are There Specific, Known Issues Causing This Problem?

Some known issues with games may cause IPFs under specific circumstances. For more information about specific causes of IPFs in these programs, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: where <program name> is the name of the game program in which the IPF occurs.

For more information about finding articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If none of the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base describes your problem, please continue troubleshooting your problem using the information in this article.


Does the Problem Only Occur at a Particular Time?

For example, does the problem occur when you start the program or does the problem occur when you run the program or run the program Online?



Does the IPF happen during installation of the program?

For more information about how to troubleshoot CD-ROM read errors, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If the game fails to start correctly, continue troubleshooting using the steps in the following article: