Attempted to read or write protected memory connecting to SQL Server

Question

This is the error I'm getting:

Failed to connect to server MYSERVER. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt. (System.Data)

I was getting this error while using entity framework to run any query, e.g. any line like this:

var AllRows = context.MyTableRows.ToList();

I thought it was an EF problem, but then I tried to use the Transact Sql Editor in VS2012 to connect to the database so I could query it, and I get the same error when trying to connect.

But I've got other, non-Microsoft querying tools that can connect to the database and query it, without causing the error. So I think the problem is somewhere in the Microsoft drivers, or System.Data.SqlClient, but I can't figure out where the problem is.

Update: I tried connecting in LinqPad to the same server, and when I try to connect it just hangs.

Update: The stack trace is quite long, and looks like this:

at SNIAddProvider(SNI_Conn* , ProviderNum , Void* )
at SNINativeMethodWrapper.SNIAddProvider(SafeHandle pConn, ProviderEnum providerEnum, UInt32& info)
at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ConsumePreLoginHandshake(Boolean encrypt, Boolean trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity, Boolean& marsCapable)
at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, Boolean encrypt, Boolean trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity, Boolean withFailover)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, TimeoutTimer timeout, Boolean withFailover)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, TimeoutTimer timeout)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(TimeoutTimer timeout, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString userConnectionOptions)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, UInt32 waitForMultipleObjectsTimeout, Boolean allowCreate, Boolean onlyOneCheckConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
at System.Data.EntityClient.EntityConnection.OpenStoreConnectionIf(Boolean openCondition, DbConnection storeConnectionToOpen, DbConnection originalConnection, String exceptionCode, String attemptedOperation, Boolean& closeStoreConnectionOnFailure)
at System.Data.EntityClient.EntityConnection.Open()
at System.Data.Objects.ObjectContext.EnsureConnection()
at System.Data.Objects.ObjectQuery`1.GetResults(Nullable`1 forMergeOption)
at System.Data.Objects.ObjectQuery`1.System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<T>.GetEnumerator()
at System.Linq.Enumerable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ObjectQueryProvider.<GetElementFunction>b__2[TResult](IEnumerable`1 sequence)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ObjectQueryProvider.ExecuteSingle[TResult](IEnumerable`1 query, Expression queryRoot)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ObjectQueryProvider.System.Linq.IQueryProvider.Execute[S](Expression expression)
at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.DbQueryProvider.Execute[TResult](Expression expression)

...lines in my app that try to execute an EF query...

Answer 1

I had the same problem after upgrading from .NET 4.5 to .NET 4.5.1. As soon as I tried to access anything using Entity Framework, I got that error. What fixed it for me was running this command (in an admin prompt):

netsh winsock reset

And then restart.

Answer 2

Well, after a week tearing my hair out and trying all sorts of desperate measures, I was finally able to fix this by uninstalling a program that was monitoring network traffic (Cucusoft Net Guard). This program seems to interfere with something in the packet traffic and it was causing my error. Uninstalling this app fixed the problem, but, curiously, turning it off did not. It must have installed a low level filter that was in place and caused the problem even when the app was not running.