Memory could not be read error

Hello,
I was hoping someone could lend me a hand with an issue I'm running into. I just finished installing an application, but every time I try to launch it, I get this error message: The instruction at 0X70ef1c9c referenced memory at 0X70ef1c9c. The memory could not be read.

Does anyone know how I can fix this?
I'm running Windows 7, and the software is a cracked version...
Thanks in advance!

analogfox63 said:Windows 7, cracked software...

🤷

Could be anything at this point...

Kill all processes, drivers, antivirus, any active programs or gadgets you can find, then reboot. Run a "clean boot" so it's just Windows and the bare minimum drivers. Give that a shot.

Grab some actual heavy-duty antivirus or antimalware and run a deep scan on the system (maybe Hitman Pro).

Check the drive—run chkdsk to make sure you aren't dealing with bad clusters.

Also, I really hope you're using a version that actually matches your Windows setup: either both are 32-bit or both are 64-bit.

Honestly, it might just be the program itself and whatever "tweaks" were made to it. Try installing it on a different machine and see if it behaves...

maybe give this a shot: just right-click the thing, hit properties > compatibility > check that box for "run this program in compatibility mode for" and just pick Windows XP sp3 > ok, then try launching it again

also, man, you gotta give me more details next time—like, which actual program are we even talking about here?

Thanks for the tip! It turns out the issue was a compatibility conflict; the software was specifically built for much older versions of Windows. For context, it’s actually a specialized textile design program. Anyway, I'm currently hunting around for a more recent version.

Maybe you don't have to. Maybe...

Try going into the program's properties (the last option when you right-click) and look under the compatibility tab. You can set it to run as if you were using an older version of Windows that the software was actually built for. There are a few different options there; if any of that sounds confusing, just ask—just let me know which version of Windows it was originally designed for.

If that doesn't work, your last resort is running a virtual machine (VM) on your current Windows setup. You basically fire up an older version of Windows inside the VM and then run the program within that environment. It might just work. Give Google a search to figure out how to set one up, or find someone who actually knows what they're doing with virtual machines...

Whenever I try running this in compatibility mode for XP, I just get a pop-up stating the program was originally designed for Windows 98, 2000, XP, or NT.

Just set the compatibility mode to XP sp3

Well, turns out a virtual machine was the perfect fix for this issue!!
I really appreciate all the advice everyone shared!😁

I haven't quite cracked this yet—basically, I need to take these drawings and images I'm working on inside a program running on a virtual machine and convert them into PDFs using a virtual printer. Does anyone know how I go about installing a printer in this setup?

The only way I can really help you out is this:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/824366

Go ahead and install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your virtual machine. It comes equipped with a built-in virtual printer, which makes saving files directly to PDF a breeze.
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/

Noah Miller6 said:Just install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your virtual machine; it comes with a built-in virtual printer that lets you save files directly to PDF.
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/

Bravo!!
It's all sorted out, and it works perfectly. A huge thanks to everyone who lent a hand!

The issue is still happening: I launched the program normally, finished my task, but now when I try to restart it, XP mode just won't boot up at all. Do I actually need to install some kind of antivirus specifically for the virtual machine?