Hardware DEP settings

Hardware DEP uses the processor to mark memory so that code cannot be executed from data regions. When code attempts to execute in these marked areas, the processor generates an exception. Hardware DEP is enabled as the factory default setting. This feature is turned on or off in the computer BIOS settings.

To determine if your hardware supports DEP, refer to the hardware manual or contact your hardware manufacturer.

For more information on Data Execution Prevention, see the Microsoft Knowledgebase article.