The Windows operating system provides several levels of virus protection so that even ordinary users can not worry about malware infection on the computer. One of the security features is DEP (Data Execution Prevention) - completion of data execution. The feature is enabled by default on Windows, and it is necessary to automatically close programs that try to perform actions from areas of RAM designated as not executable.
There are situations in which the DEP function does not work correctly. Because of it, the user cannot start the application or game he needs, because the error "The instruction to the address has accessed the memory at the address" appears on the screen. In such a situation, you can disable DEP for a single program or deactivate a protective function at the system level. Both options will be discussed below.
How to disable DEP for all programs in Windows
Important: Disabling DEP for all programs on Windows increases the risk of data loss when a computer becomes infected with a virus.
To turn off DEP at the operating system level, thereby completely canceling the function of completing data execution, you need to use the command line. Run and write the command in it:
Bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx AlwaysOff
Note: To turn it back on after disabling DEP through the command line, you will need to enter and apply the following command:
Bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx AlwaysOn
How to disable DEP for a single program
Since disabling DEP for all programs and services in Windows is dangerous, it is recommended to deactivate the function of completion of data execution for a separate application, which generates the error "Instruction to address addressed to memory at address". You can do this in two ways - through the registry or performance options.
Disabling DEP through the registry
The registry allows you to disable the DEP function for a particular application by setting a ban on a specific executable file. To do this, you must:
- Press the keyboard shortcut Windows + R on the keyboard to launch the Run line. Write in it regedit and press Enter, after which the registry editor will open;
- Next, on the left side of the menu, go to the following sections:
Note: Some versions of the Windows operating system may not have the final Layers section. In such a situation, you will need to create it yourself. To do this, open the AppCompatFlags section on the left side of the screen and right-click in the list of its string parameters. In the pop-up window, select "Create" - "Section" and name it Layers. After that, you can go into it and continue executing the instructions. 
When the registry changes are saved, you need to restart the computer and you can try to run the program for which DEP was disabled.
Shutdown via performance parameters
Some users are more comfortable working with the familiar Windows interface than with the registry. For them, Microsoft also provided the ability to disable DEP. You can disable the protective function through the performance parameters:
After completing the necessary settings, you will need to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
DEP in Windows is a kind of “fuse” of the system, which includes specialized hardware and software technologies that scan the RAM and its contents and, in the event of a threat, can stop the operation of malicious code.
DEP perfectly blocks many viruses that are oriented to work in the system’s RAM, after which it starts the process of executing its own codes. For the user, this is as follows: if DEP registers improper use of RAM, an error message appears on the screen, and the malicious program forcibly ceases to work. This is very important for the operating system.
How to disable DEP on Windows Xp / 7/8
In order to disable DEP in XP, you need to go to Start-Settings through the administrator account, then in the Control Panel find the "System" section.
In the window that appears, you need to make the Advanced tab active, in which click on the "Performance Settings" button.
In the new dialog box, open “Data Execution Prevention” and type a valid password from the OS admin account. In the same dialog box, you can disable DEP for a specific program, just select the checkbox next to its name or add it to the list via the "Add" button.
For versions 7 and 8 of Windows, the easiest and quickest way to disable DEP is through the command line. To get quick access to the command line, just type “cmd” in the Start menu search bar. Cmd needs to be run only as administrator (right-click on cmd and select the appropriate item), if necessary, enter the requested password.
In the black window that opens, enter the special command:
bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx AlwaysOff.
As a result, a message appears indicating that the operation completed successfully. It remains only to reboot the system.
How to enable dep in Windows Xp / 7/8
For XP, the process of enabling DEP is similar to the process of shutting down - it is enough to return the checkmark to the Enable item in the same dialog box of the performance parameters menu. If selective deactivation was performed, then disabled programs from the list in the same settings window are activated.
In the case of Windows 7 and 8, the command entered in cmd changes to:
bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx AlwaysOn.
Keep in mind that DEP may not be supported at the hardware level by the computer processor. This mainly applies to outdated processors and most single-core processors from Intel. In such cases, DEP works exclusively at the software level, limited to basic Windows services and programs.
Deactivating DEP will help in the case when, due to a conflict in the system, the application required by the user does not start. However, it should be borne in mind that with DEP disabled, the computer becomes more vulnerable, therefore, a conflicting application must first be checked by an antivirus if there is no full confidence in its reliability.
As you know, the issue of computer security has been acute for quite some time. Developers annually create more and more new security tools, which, unfortunately, are not very well correlated with the work of an ordinary user at a laptop. We are talking about persistent errors and system conflicts that arise in certain utilities just because of some means of protecting the system. One such is DEP. In this article, we will detail how to enable or disable DEP in Windows. Let's get started. Go!
If necessary, you can disable Data Execution Prevention (DEP).
The name DEP means Data Execution Prevention, translating literally it turns out - data execution prevention. The essence of this function is to prevent the execution of code that is executed in non-executable areas of memory. Thus, DEP prevents the attack of virus software in one of the directions. But often this useful function only interferes with users, provoking various errors during the operation of certain programs or games.
There are several ways to turn off DEP. The first (suitable for Windows 7 and 8.1) - turns off this feature for all Windows services and utilities. First go into command line mode with administrator privileges, and then write the following command and press Enter to start execution:
bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx AlwaysOff
Now restart your laptop for the new settings to take effect. If you suddenly need to enable the function to prevent data execution, then run the same command, just replace “Off” with “On”.
If you do not want to turn off DEP completely, putting the system at risk (which is reasonable), deactivate this function for a particular utility or several utilities that have problems. There are two approaches to solving this problem. The first - by changing additional system parameters, the second - through the Windows registry.
If you prefer the first option, open the Computer Control Panel and select the "System" section from the menu, or simply right-click on the "My Computer" icon and click on the "Properties" item. 
Click on the "Advanced System Settings" item, and then go to the "Advanced" tab. 
Next, use the "Options" button from the "Performance" section. Now go to the "Data Execution Prevention" tab and check the appropriate item depending on whether you want to activate or deactivate DEP. After making changes to the OS settings, restart the laptop.
Exactly the same thing can be done by editing the Windows registry (for advanced users). First, use the Win + R hotkeys to go to the Run window and write (without quotes) regedit. Once in the Windows registry, open the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" section, and then "SOFTWARE". Next, navigate to the Windows NT folder. There is a section "CurrentVersion", and already in it - "AppCompatFlags". You are almost there. While in “AppCompatFlags”, look for the “Layers” folder, if one is missing, create it. Now you need to create the so-called string parameters for those utilities for which you want to turn off DEP. The name of each string parameter should be the full path to the exe file of a particular utility or game. Set the value to "DisableNXShowUI".
Done. After making changes to the system, you should restart the computer.
Despite the fact that, as a rule, deactivating DEP does not lead to any serious consequences, you should remember that this is an important component of the computer security system that was invented for a reason, so keep in mind that the refusal to use this function remains with your discretion and responsibility for the possible consequences will also be only you.
Now you know how to enable or disable the DEP function in Windows. As you can see for yourself, there is nothing difficult. A similar problem can be solved literally in 5-10 minutes. Write in the comments if this article helped you, share your opinion and experience with other users, and ask questions on the topic if you are interested in something.
If, when you launch a program on your Windows computer, you receive the message “Data Execution Prevention - Microsoft Windows. To protect the computer, this program was closed by the system ”, then you know, the DEP (Data Execution Prevention) function has worked, it is also the function of preventing data execution. The usefulness of DEP is undeniable, but what if you are confident in the program you are running or the installed one includes a similar function? Then annoying system notifications should be turned off.
Step 1. Run the command line as administrator. To do this, in the Start menu, enter cmd, right-click on the command line shortcut and select " Run as administrator».
Step 2. At the command prompt, enter the following command:
- bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx AlwaysOff
Step 3. Click Enter. If you did everything correctly, the message "Operation completed successfully" will appear.
Step 4. Restart your computer.
Done! After you turn on the computer, the Data Execution Prevention function will be turned off. It will be impossible to activate it through the properties of the computer system. In order to enable the function if necessary, execute the following command through the command line:
bcdedit.exe / set (current) nx OptIn
After that, restart the computer for the changes to take effect.