Data Execution Prevention error

Hi all,

I have windows xp pro sp2 installed on an athlon 2800+ 1gig ram

Lately when I boot up I get a Data Execution Prevention error, it says "to help protect your computer windows has closed this program : Generic Host Process for Win32 services; microsoft corp"

When I close the windows it propmptly pops back up again, sometimes if I restart the computer it goes away, any ideas on how to get rid of this?

You sure you don't have a virus or some other malware running on your computer? You could disable DEP, but it's usually a bad and insecure thing to do so.

You receive a "Data Execution Prevention" error message in Windows XP Service Pack 2 or in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875351

A detailed description of the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) feature in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875352

I have it turned off, it is quite easy to disable:

Go to 'Control Panel' > 'System' > 'Advanced' > 'Startup and Recovery'

Click 'Edit startup options manually'

When notepad opens, find the line with '/Noexecute=*****' on it.
The ***** should read something like 'AlwaysOn' or 'OptIn'
Delete it and write 'AlwaysOff' in it's place, so the line reads:
'/Noexecute=AlwaysOff' (without the quotation marks).

Oh yeah, turn off your buffer overrun protection. That's Really Good(tm).

What was your IP address again?

If you've got DEP, keep it turned on (it is not perfect but it's a damn sight better than nothing), if you feel the need to exclude programs that can be done in the System control panel widget.

If you absolutely have to disable it because of backward-compatibility, then do so, but if you don't have a good justification, don't turn it off. ("I wanna play x, y, z, old software" is pretty weak sauce. )