Fatal Exception Errors

Some errors are so minor that they can be compared to a button falling off of your coat. It isn’t exactly the end of the world, but it is an inconvenience. You have choices: you can sew the button back on or you can get a new coat. For most of us, getting a new coat would be far more expensive than just grabbing a needle and thread and fixing the button. The same concept is true with many of the errors we encounter with our computers. Most errors, even ones that claim to be FATAL, are relatively minor and can be fixed with much less pain than dishing out hundreds of dollars for a new computer.

Fatal exception errors are Windows-based errors. The codes following the term fatal exception error generally communicate the specific error that has occurred by listing a sequence of letters and numbers after the words. A fatal error may state one of following phrases after it:

• Attempts to access to an illegal instruction have occurred.
• An invalid code or data has attempted to be accessed.
• You have insufficient privileges to continue with the operation you are attempting.

The reasons these errors are called exception errors is because when these circumstances arise, the program returns an exception to the computer’s operating system that prompts an error code known as the fatal exception error. The series of letters and numbers after the message is an actual address where the exception occurred. This address provides the information for the error.

There are many conditions that can cause a fatal exception error message, which means that there are as many solutions as there are errors. Until you get the error and its proper address, it can be difficult to provide specific instructions to troubleshoot through the situation. Common causes for the fatal exception error include:

• Settings being wrong,
• Conflicting drivers, and
• Errors with installed programs.

Clean booting your computer is the best first step to solving the issue of fatal exception errors. It is difficult to provide step by step instructions on a clean boot because the instructions vary depending on which Windows operating system is installed on the computer. Regardless of the version, there is the option to perform a clean boot on all Windows-based systems.

This is generally the same until you get to the System Configuration tab. By going to Start, Programs, Accessories and then System Tools you will come to the next step of the process. Under the System Tools menu, a System Information command will lead to the Systems Configuration tab.

Performing this task is a preventative measure. It will not only eliminate fatal exception errors, but may prevent other errors that have been sitting dormant just waiting to surface.

Fatal Error 1603

The word fatal usually puts people into a panic, due to the fact that when we use or hear the word fatal it is not in combination with good news in real life or in the computer world. Fatal errors can often have fatal consequences to your system if they are not addressed.

When you are attempting to run or install an application on your computer, you may receive one of many types of fatal error messages. Two very common fatal error messages are: Fatal Error 1603: Occurred during Installation, and Error 1603: General Windows Installer Engine Error. Increase Disk Space requirement in Setup.ini and try again. These error messages are basically telling you that you don’t have enough space to install or run an application.

The lack of disk space for the size of the application you are attempting to use is the most common reason for Fatal Error 1603. You can check to see if you have enough room on your hard drive by checking the amount of free and used disk space. Start by double clicking on My Computer (Computer in Windows 7). Right click the drive where you are attempting to install the program and select Properties. Click on the General tab and check the boxes where free space is indicated. Make sure that you have enough free space to install the program. As a general rule; double the amount of space that the software indicates is necessary for installation to determine how much you will need to successfully install it.

If you realize after checking that you do not have enough space, you can take one of the following quick and simple steps to increase your disk space:

• Empty your recycle bin. You would be surprised how much space is used up by the files sitting in the recycle bin. Although you have deleted them from your computer, by sitting in the recycle bin, they are still on your computer somewhere.
• Remove installed programs that you are not using. The best way to do this is to uninstall them through Control Panel and clicking Add Remove Programs or Programs and Features (in Windows 7). Select the programs you want to uninstall and click change/remove or uninstall.

If these two options do not provide enough free space, you should try a disk cleanup. You can perform the disk cleanup process by first clicking on My Computer. Select the drive where you are attempting to install the application and right click on that drive. Select Properties and then click on the General tab. Below the boxes where the free space is indicated, there is a Disk Cleanup button. Click the Disk Cleanup button and then click OK to start the cleanup process.

Increasing disk space using one or all of the previous methods is a good first step to remedying Fatal Error 1603.