hey, thanks for the help. i tried what you stated. and i am now getting a new error. this is what it is saying
Unhandled Exception: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION reading address 0x000000dc060025b4
UnrealEditor_Core!_mi_heap_realloc_zero() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\ThirdParty\mimalloc\2.0.0\src\alloc.c:622]
UnrealEditor_Core!FMallocMimalloc::Realloc() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\HAL\MallocMimalloc.cpp:157]
UnrealEditor_Core!FMemory::Realloc() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Public\HAL\FMemory.inl:134]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!stbds_arrgrowf() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\stb_ds.c:120]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!maybe_expand_macro() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:3446]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!preprocess_string() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:2357]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!process_include() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:3845]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!process_directive() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:4260]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!preprocess_string() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:2345]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!process_include() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:3845]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!process_directive() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:4260]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!preprocess_string() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:2345]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!process_include() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:3845]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!process_directive() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:4260]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!preprocess_string() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:2345]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!preprocess_file() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\stb_preprocess\preprocessor.c:5073]
UnrealEditor_ShaderPreprocessor!PreprocessShader() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderPreprocessor\Private\ShaderPreprocessor.cpp:790]
UnrealEditor_ShaderCompilerCommon!UE::ShaderCompilerCommon::ExecuteShaderPreprocessingSteps() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderCompilerCommon\Private\ShaderCompilerCommon.cpp:2075]
UnrealEditor_ShaderCompilerCommon!UE::ShaderCompilerCommon::ExecuteShaderPreprocessingSteps() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Developer\ShaderCompilerCommon\Private\ShaderCompilerCommon.cpp:2097]
UnrealEditor_RenderCore!FInternalShaderCompilerFunctions::PreprocessShaderInternal() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\RenderCore\Private\ShaderCore.cpp:1658]
UnrealEditor_RenderCore!FInternalShaderCompilerFunctions::PreprocessShaderInternal() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\RenderCore\Private\ShaderCore.cpp:1678]
UnrealEditor_RenderCore!PreprocessShader() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\RenderCore\Private\ShaderCore.cpp:1855]
UnrealEditor_Engine!FString::operator*'::2’::<lambda_1>::operator()() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Engine\Private\ShaderCompiler\ShaderCompilerJobCache.cpp:1540]
UnrealEditor_Engine!FShaderCompileUtilities::ExecuteShaderCompileJob() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Public\Tasks\TaskPrivate.h:904]
UnrealEditor_Engine!UE::Tasks::Private::FTaskBase::TryExecuteTask() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Public\Tasks\TaskPrivate.h:527]
UnrealEditor_Engine!LowLevelTasks::TTaskDelegate<LowLevelTasks::FTask * __ptr64 __cdecl(bool),48>::TTaskDelegateImpl<LowLevelTasks::FTask::Init<UE::Tasks::Private::FTaskBase::Init’::2'::<lambda_1> >'::13’::<lambda_1>,0>::CallAndMove() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Public\Async\Fundamental\TaskDelegate.h:171]
UnrealEditor_Core!LowLevelTasks::FTask::ExecuteTask() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Public\Async\Fundamental\Task.h:627]
UnrealEditor_Core!LowLevelTasks::FScheduler::ExecuteTask() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\Async\Fundamental\Scheduler.cpp:387]
UnrealEditor_Core!LowLevelTasks::FScheduler::WorkerLoop() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\Async\Fundamental\Scheduler.cpp:724]
UnrealEditor_Core!LowLevelTasks::FScheduler::CreateWorker'::2’::<lambda_1>::operator()() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\Async\Fundamental\Scheduler.cpp:188]
UnrealEditor_Core!FThreadImpl::Run() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\HAL\Thread.cpp:69]
UnrealEditor_Core!FRunnableThreadWin::Run() [D:\build++UE5\Sync\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\Windows\WindowsRunnableThread.cpp:159]