How to Fix “Error Code 0xc000005” in Starfield on PC?

The error code 0xc000005 in Starfield occurs when the system is not able to process the game files or settings on your PC. This refers to an access violation where the game process does not have the required permissions to source the resources it needs, or something in the background is blocking the game from running properly.

This can be caused by an antivirus program on your machine, or your user account missing the needed permissions to the game files. We will be showing you how to resolve the error code in Starfield in this article quite easily, so just follow through. 

1. Run Starfield as Administrator

The first thing that you should do when fixing the 0xc000005 error code is to run Starfield as an admin. Since the issue is related to an access violation, running the game with administrative rights can allow it to access the resources it needs without any interference.

This can also potentially fix any file read and write permissions with the game process as well. To run the game as an admin, follow the instructions below:

1. First, open the File Explorer and navigate to the installation folder of the game. If you have the game on Steam, you can do this by right-clicking the game and selecting Manage > Browse local files.

   

2. In the installation directory, right-click on starfield.exe and select Properties.

   

3. Then, click on the Compatibility tab.
4. Select the Run this program as administrator checkbox.

   

5. Finally, click Apply and hit OK. 
6. See if that resolves the issue.

2. Disable Third-Party Security App

Another potential cause for the 0xc000005 error code in Starfield could be the security program on your system. Antivirus programs are notorious for interfering with other processes running in Windows, which can cause them to malfunction at times.

If the antivirus program on your PC is blocking the game process access to files that it requires to start, you will end up with the 0xc000005 error code. In such a situation, you will need to disable the antivirus program to see if that gets rid of the issue.

In case the problem goes away when you disable your antivirus, you will need to add the game process to the whitelist. This will stop the security program from interfering with the game process, and or blocking the access that the game needs. If this does not resolve the issue, move to the next method below.

3. Take Ownership of the Game Folder

One of the reasons that you can encounter the issue in question is when your user account does not have the required permissions over the game. As such, when you launch the game, the process inherits your permissions and it is unable to access its own files properly.

In such a situation, you will need to take ownership of the game folder on your PC to resolve the issue. To do this, follow the instructions below:

1. First, open the File Explorer window and navigate to the installation folder of Starfield.

   

2. Then, right-click on the folder and select Properties.
3. Switch to the Security tab and click on Advanced.

   

4. After that, click on the Change option next to Owner.

   

5. In the Enter the object name to select field, type in your user account and click Check Names.

   

6. Click OK.
7. After that, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects checkbox.
8. Finally, tick the Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object checkbox as well.

   

9. Click Apply and OK. 
10. Now that you have taken ownership of the game files, see if the problem persists.

4. Repair Starfield Installation Files

A corrupt or damaged installation can also lead to the error code in question when starting the game. In such an occurrence, you will need to repair the game’s installation files on your PC to resolve the issue. 

This is simple to do as the clients you use come with utilities that allow you to scan and repair the game files. The process can slightly differ, depending on the platform, Xbox app or Steam, you are using. Follow the instructions for your platform to do this. 

Steam

1. Open the Steam client and navigate to Library.
2. Then, right-click on Starfield and select Properties.

   

3. Navigate to the Installed Files tab in the Properties window.
4. After that, click on the Verify integrity of game files option.

   

5. Wait for it to finish and see if the problem is still there.

Xbox Game Pass

1. First, open the File Explorer and navigate to the installation folder of the game.

   

2. Inside the installation directory, right-click on starfield.exe and select Delete.
3. Then, open the Xbox app and go to Starfield. 
4. Click on the More menu (three dots) and select Manage.

   

5. After that, switch to the Files tab.
6. Finally, click Verify and Repair to initiate the scan.

   

5. Delete Starfield Shaders

Starfield stores generated shaders on your computer for the sake of improving performance as you play the game. This shader cache is stored in the local AppData directory of your system drive. In some instances, the shader cache can get damaged which causes the game to crash on startup, resulting in the 0xc000005 error code.

As such, you will need to clear out the cache to resolve the issue. This is rather simple to do, follow the instructions below:

1. Open the Run app on your PC with the Win key + R shortcut.
2. Then, type in %localappdata%\Starfield and press Enter.

   

3. In the File Explorer window, delete the Pipeline.cache file. 
4. Once you do that, launch the game to see if the issue persists. 

6. Remove DirectX Shader Cache

The DirectX Shader cache on your computer is helpful as it reduces the load times with rendering the textures and graphics in your game. However, if the shader cache is corrupted, it can cause the game to throw up the error code in question.

In such an instance, you will need to use the Disk Cleanup utility to clear the DirectX Shader Cache on your PC. Use the instructions below to clear the DirectX shader cache:

1. First, open the Start Menu and search for Disk Cleanup.

   

2. Select the system drive, usually C: and click OK.
3. After that, select the DirectX Shader Cache checkbox and click OK.

   

4. You can untick the rest of the options.
5. Once you do that, open the game and see if the error code is still there.

7. Reinstall Starfield

In case the error code persists after the above methods, you will have no choice but to reinstall the game on your computer. In some instances, the issue with the game installation files cannot be resolved by repairing them.

As such, uninstalling the game and performing a fresh install should overcome the issue. This is especially helpful as it is able to reinstall all of the dependencies and write the game to your drive with the proper permissions. This will allow you to surpass the access violation error. To uninstall Starfield, follow the instructions below.

Steam

1. Open the games library in the Steam client.
2. Then, right-click on Starfield and select Manage > Uninstall.

   

3. Click Uninstall on the follow-up prompt to do so. 
4. After that, install the game again and see if the problem persists.

Xbox App

1. Open the Xbox app by searching for it in the Start Menu.
2. Go to Starfield and click on the More menu (three dots).
3. Then, select Manage.

   

4. After that, select the Uninstall Game option on the General tab.

   

5. Reinstall the game to resolve the issue.

The error code 0xc000005 should go away after you follow the solutions above. The error code is associated with an access violation which can be resolved by running the game with the proper permissions and ensuring a background app, such as your antivirus, is not blocking the game.