Unwind Skipped on Exception – Access Violation 0xC0000005

Issue

You received an error similar to the following:

Unwind skipped on exception – access violation 0xC0000005

In addition to the error message, you might see the following text in the AutoCAD Command line after you've attempted an action such as running a schedule on a Work Area:

error: Unknown exception occurred

; warning: unwind skipped on unknown exception

Cause

This error can result from:

• A bug in the way AutoCAD handles repeated information requests. If you leave AutoCAD running for several days without shutting down your computer, you'll inevitably receive this error.
• A corrupt drawing
• An issue with an object, such as a hatched area

Solution

You can both resolve and prevent this error by: 

• Shutting down and restarting your computer periodically – generally a best practice for optimal AutoCAD and general computer performance. We recommend shutting down when you leave work each day.
• Following our steps to clean your drawing and all Xrefs – and making it a future habit to clean all drawings you receive from others.

Are you seeing the Unknown exception occurred text (listed above) in the AutoCAD Command line in addition to the error? Or are you seeing the error after attempting a specific action such as running a schedule on a Work Area? You may be experiencing an issue with an object in your drawing, such as a hatched area.

If so, you can address the issue by isolating the object causing the error. To do so, systematically delete certain objects and repeat the action that caused the error. For example, if you're trying to run a schedule on a Work Area, try deleting objects such as blocks or hatched areas from the Work Area (one object at a time) and running the schedule again each time. Once you can perform the action (e.g., running the schedule) without seeing the error, you've removed the object that's causing the error.

If a block or hatch is causing the error, you can simply re-place the block or re-draw the hatch. These steps have solved the issue in past cases.