Cannot insert any external file.

[SMI]

Hello all.
System is a Mechanical Desktop 2005 on Windows 2000. The software is installed as part of the Inventor Series 9 package.
System is stable - there is another identical system in house.

Since 5-23 the system has have had several AutoCAD Error logs that are the following:
FATAL ERROR: Unhandled Access Violation Reading 0x000c Exception at 5ebdd534h.

I have searched SEVERAL CAD forums for this error, and can't find any relief. The symptoms are as follows.

Any block inserted into a drawing will close AutoCAD immediately upon insertion.
Any XREF attached in any manner will will close AutoCAD immediately upon insertion.
Recover, AMRecover, and Audit all find 0 errors.

Due to this being a 3D Model, and MDT2005's capabilities, I cannot save back to a prior release.

Any suggestions or advice?

Once these drawings are corrupted the only workaround that we have found is to Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste as Block into a new drawing. One thing this unfortunately does is loses all of the layout tabs.

Will provide answers to any specific questions as I possibly can.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[CADTutor]

First you need to determine whether the problem is with the drawings or with AutoCAD. Do the same drawings result in the same errors on the other identical system? If not, it's your installation, if yes, it's the drawings.

If your installation is at fault, an uninstall and reinstall may be required. If the drawings are at fault, there may be little you can do unless you are able to source uncorrupted versions of the same files.

[SMI]

I apologize for not thanking you for your speedy reply sooner.

The problem seemed to have subsided for a brief moment, but has returned.

The problem is no doubt in the files. We have tried an uninstall/reinstall just short of totally stripping the registry of all Autodesk values. I have considered this - but that is a painstaking process that is a absolute last resort.

The problem is - the files that are being xref'd in aren't corrupted. It is apparently the files that are being xref'd into (even though they don't show any errors).

I don't know what or why this persons system is acting different than our others - but it is causing problems. I think it would probably be easier to start with a clean system and install than anything else. I think it is a system error/install error that is imbedded into the registry that isn't coming clean with an uninstall - therefore a reinstall isn't overwriting the problem, and the same error is taking place.

Thank You for your time.