Just patch Win2k3 SP1 and upgrade to A64. When "Data Execution Prevention"(DEP) is enabled, build 1299 cause VS (VS6, VS2003)to crash. Build 1297 work fine. If disable DEP, both work fine.
Have also 2003 SP1. When I look at the DEP settings dialog I see that my CPU doesn't support DEP so it is implemented in software. Have you both - fwid & support - running DEP in hardware or software? Maybe only one of the two implementations causes the crash. If I see fwid talking of A64 I assume he has a recent processor which might have DEP hardware support.