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ERROR_INSTRUCTION_MISALIGNMENT
What this result means
ERROR_INSTRUCTION_MISALIGNMENT is a Windows system result. The processor attempted to execute an instruction from an address that does not meet the architecture alignment requirements. This usually points to a damaged control-flow target rather than an ordinary data-alignment problem.
Why it can appear
- a corrupted return address, function pointer, vtable, or jump table redirected execution
- binary patching or generated code emitted an invalid entry address
- mixed instruction-set modes or architecture assumptions selected the wrong target
- memory corruption modified executable code or unwind state
Troubleshooting steps
- Capture a crash dump with registers, faulting address, module map, and nearby bytes
- Verify whether the address falls inside a valid executable section and on a legal instruction boundary
- Inspect the call stack for corruption and validate indirect-call targets
- Check JIT, hook, instrumentation, and hot-patching components
Correct recovery and handling
Treat this as a software-integrity or memory-corruption defect. Restarting may hide the symptom but does not repair the cause. Update or remove the faulty module and use memory diagnostics when hardware corruption is plausible.
Related and easily confused conditions
Data misalignment errors involve reading or writing operands; instruction misalignment concerns the address from which the CPU fetches code. The distinction changes what evidence to collect.
References
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