Fix DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 10: A Complete Guide

Do you encounter a DPC Watchdog Violation error on your Windows computer? If yes, this guide is only for you. Here, we will talk about what is DPC Watchdog Violation and how to get rid of the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error.

The blog covers the following:

What is DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION on Windows 10?

DPC stands for Deferred Procedure Call whereas Watchdog signifies Bug Checker. On the computer, Bug Checker assists in monitoring the background performances and windows processes. The check value of this Bug Checker is about 0x00000133.

If the Bug Checker waits a bit longer than the usual microseconds then it indicates a violation error. As a result, your screen displays the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error message with the Blue screen.

Most users find it troublesome to resolve this error. However, this common is a common error on Windows computers and can be eliminated easily.

Causes of Windows DPC Watchdog Violation Error

Windows DPC Watchdog Violation error can be caused in several ways. For instance, your computer restarts automatically without letting you save the data you were working on. Those who are wondering how does this error cause their computer can go through the following factors:

Missing Video Card Driver: If you have not downloaded the video card driver and are watching videos online, this is obvious to see DPC Violation Watchdog on Windows 10.

Outdated Device Drivers: Corrupted or old versions of drivers can also cause Blue screen error.

Incompatible Hardware: If the external hard drivers are not supported by your Windows computer, it is common to encounter a DPC Watchdog Violation error.

Similarly, there can be other factors that lead to unwanted errors. Even if you update the software on your PC or the driver file is not supported with the current Windows version, you might find the DPC Watchdog Violation error on your screen.

The reason could be anything. Here, we will teach you to eliminate or stop code DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows computers. Continue reading to discover the best methods.

How to Stop DPC Watchdog Violation?

If you are concerned about how to fix DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 then don’t worry. We are bringing you some effective methods that will help you to eradicate unwanted errors. Let’s go through these methods one by one.

Method 1: Detach Connected External Devices

First of all, remove all the external devices that are connected to your computer. It can include a printer, external hard drive, scanner, or external SSD. However, you may leave your mouse and keyboard connected.

Users reported that after removing the external devices, the error disappeared. To be sure which drive is actually causing BSOD error, you can try plugging in one device at a time and check for the issue. This will help you to identify the corrupted device that needs to be replaced.

Method 2: Check for the Corrupted System Files

Another DPC Watchdog Violation fix is to check for the system files that are corrupted. Due to the corrupted files, your system may not react properly. As a result, it leads to the DPC Watchdog Violation Blue screen error.

Therefore, you should verify the system files. If you find them corrupted then you need to resolve this problem by running the command. Let’s understand how to get this task done.

Open the “Command Prompt”.Make sure you launch it as an administrator.
Type the following command in the “CMD” window:

CHKDSK C: /F /R

Press the “Enter” key.

Since you have used C: in the command, it cannot initiate the Check Disk process as Drive C is being used by your Windows system. However, this will prompt you to schedule the process when your PC reboots. If you want to agree, type Y and hit the Enter key.

Once you are done following these steps, you can restart your device. Thereafter, your computer will start verifying your system files after reboot. At this moment, make sure you are not turning your PC off.

Method 3: Upgrade Firmware of SSD

Due to the old version of Solid State Drive (SSD), you are likely to encounter DPC Violation Watchdog on Windows 10. To eliminate this error quickly, you should download and install the new firmware version. This can be done directly through the manufacturer’s website.

In some cases, Windows PCs are unable to handle SSD correctly until you update the firmware. In this scenario, you should check the model number of the SSD so that you can download the compatible and latest version of the SSD based on the model.

Check the model number of SSD using the following steps:

Launch the “File Explorer” by using “Windows” + “E”. keys.
Click right on “My Computer” located on the left.
Select the “Manage” option.

Note: You may also find This PC instead of My Computer depending on the Windows version you are using.

Now, in the “Computer Management” window, click on the “Device Manager”. It must be located on the left.
Check the type of SSD and its model number in the list of “Disk drives”.

Now that you know the model number of the SSD, you can download the compatible and latest version of the firmware. For that, you can visit the manufacturer’s website. Then, look for the file to download and install the firmware on your computer.

Method 4: Check for Hardware Compatibility

If you are using the external device for so long, there are instances that you encounter violation errors. This happens because some drivers might not be compatible with the software or hardware you are using currently. Therefore, you should check the compatibility that is causing errors.

To check the compatibility of hardware, you can do the following:

In case you use multiple devices then, you can try plugging in the device one after one. This will help you to check the compatibility of each device. Meanwhile, you can detect which device is causing the error.
Then, you can check the specification and replace the device taking care of the compatibility.

When you use the compatible external devices, you will not be bothered by any violation error.

Method 5: Run SFC Command

If on HP Pavilion, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error is bothering you then running the SFC command will help you. By running this command, you can scan your system files and fix them, if required. Below are the following steps that you can follow:

Open the “Command Prompt”. Make sure you launch it as an administrator.
Type the following command in the “CMD” window:

SFC /scannow

Press the “Enter” key.

Once this command is entered in the CMD window, it starts scanning the system files and fixing errors if it finds any. After the process is finished, you can restart your system. This will surely resolve your error with this effective DPC Watchdog Violation fix.

Method 6: Launch Event Viewer

By running the Event Viewer, you can detect the cause of DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 10. To understand how to run Event Viewer on your computer, you can follow these steps instructed below:

Launch the “Run” dialog box by using the “Windows” + “R” keys together.
Type in “eventvwr.msc” in the text field.

Click the “OK” button.
When the “Event Viewer” window opens, find the “Windows Logs” on the left.
Select the “System” option.

Here, you will see the logs showing Errors and Warnings. After finding the cause, you can perform the right troubleshooting method. This is how you can identify and diagnose the cause of this violation error.

Method 7: Update Driver to Standard SATA AHCI Controller

If the cause of this error is linked with the memory or storage device of your PC then this method is needed to perform. Here, we will update the driver and change it to the SATA AHCI Controller.

This driver has the duty to exchange data between the storage devices. By changing the SATA AHCI driver, you can stop code DPC Watchdog Violation. To do so, you can follow the steps mentioned below:

Press “Windows” + “X” keys on your keyboard.
Select the “Device Manager” option from the menu.
When the “Device Manager” window opens, click on the “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers”.
Now, expand this feature to view the “SATA AHCI Controller”.
Right-click on it and select the “Properties” option.

Tip: To determine that you have chosen the correct controller, you can switch to the Driver tab and click on the Details. Then, check if there is iaStorA.sys in the list of drivers. After that, click the OK button to exit the Driver details window.

In the “SATA AHCI Controller Properties” window, go to the “Driver” tab.
Click on the “Update driver” option.
Then, select the “Browse my computer for driver software” feature.
After this, click on the “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”.
Then, select the “SATA AHCI Standard Controller”
Click on the “Next” button.

When you are done following these steps, you can reboot your computer. This will surely fix the DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 10.

Special Tip: To avoid such errors in the future, you can follow this procedure every time you update your Windows.

Method 8: Detect Issue with BlueScreenView

When you encounter DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 10, a file is automatically created. This minidump file is generally stored in C:\Windows\Minidump folder. The detail is available in the Event Viewer along with the STOP code and parameters.

To read this information, you can install BlueScreenView from Nirsoft. Once you run this software, it starts looking for the minidump file available on your computer and views information. This is a great way to diagnose the cause of the BSOD error.

Method 9: Restore Windows System

If on HP Pavilion, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error occurred then you can try restoring the Windows system. This will help you to resolve the issue that took place on your PC. To do so, you need to switch your PC into Safe Mode so that you can restore your system to the previous state. To understand the procedure, you can follow these steps:

For Windows 7 and Windows 8.1

If you are Windows 7 or 8.1, the upcoming steps are for you.

Click on “Start”.
Type “System Properties” to open it.
Click on “System Protection”.
Go to “System Restore”.
Hit the “Next” button.
Select the desired restore point.
Click the “Next” and “Finish” button.

This will restart your system and the process of restoring a Windows system will initiate.

For Windows 10

Those who run Windows 10 can have more options for advanced recovery. This helps you to clean install your operating system. In addition, you can choose Reset this PC recovery feature. Let’s know how to do this.

Launch “Settings” on Windows 10.
Go to “Update & Security”.
Select the “Recovery” located on the left.
Choose the “Get Started” option located under “Reset this PC”.
Then, click on “Keep your files”.

Thereafter, you can follow instructions on your screen. This will reset your PC and the violation error will be resolved.

Tip: You can repair a Windows computer using a bootable USB/DVD flash drive. Make sure the drive has the Windows.ISO image file.

Method 10: Uninstall Problematic Program

Some of the software affects the functionality of a Windows PC. Due to this, you may find violation errors. In this guide of DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 10 2019 and 2020, we will suggest you remove the software that is causing errors. Let’s know how to do that in the following steps:

Press the “Windows” + “R” key together to open the “Run” dialog box.
Type in “Control Panel”
Press the “Enter” key.
In the “Control Panel” window, go to “Uninstall a Program”.
Check the list of installed software.
Pick the one you find suspicious and uninstall it.

After you remove the program, you can restart your device and check if the violation error has been resolved.

Method 11: Run Full System Scan

Due to viruses, your computer may be infected by violation errors. In case, you are not able to identify what is causing this error, you can simply run the full system scan.

You can scan your system thoroughly with the help of third-party antivirus software. This will detect the hardware and fix the issues automatically.

Alternatively, Most of the user disable Windows Defender. you can use Windows Defender in order to scan your system. To understand better, you can walk through the following steps:

Click on “Start”.
Type in “Windows Defender” to launch it.
Click on the “Shield icon” located on the left.
When a new window opens, click on the “Advanced scan” option.
Then, check the “Full Scan” option.

This will initiate the process of a full system scan. After identifying the malware on your computer, you can remove it immediately.

Method 12: Run Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

Older programs such as software and hardware might not be supported on the current operating system. If you want to know how to stop DPC Watchdog Violation then you can try running the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. Look for the following steps to know the procedure.

Launch “Windows Settings” on your computer.
Go to the “Update & Security” section.
Click on the “Troubleshoot”.
Click on the “Program Compatibility Troubleshooter”.

This will run the troubleshooter on your computer and checks for the compatibility level. Thereafter, you can update the hardware and software accordingly so that all the components can work efficiently.

Method 13: Update Device Drivers

If you are wondering what is DPC Watchdog Violation on your Windows PC, then you should check your device drivers. The device drivers can be corrupted or outdated.

If they are corrupted, you should replace them. If your drivers are running the old version then you should update drivers them immediately. In case, your system has no drivers installed or is corrupt then you can download the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s website. Make sure that you install the compatible drivers for your Windows computer.

Method 14: Update Operating System

Just as you update device drivers to make your system work effectively, you should also try updating the operating system. Windows keeps sending new updates for your PC. If you do not install them, this is possible that you encounter unwanted errors.

Therefore, you can update your Windows in order to stop code DPC Watchdog Violation. For that, you can go through the following steps:

Open the “Settings” app.
Go to “Update & Security”.
Click on the ”Check for Updates” option.

This will start looking for new updates for your device. If there is any update available, you can download it immediately. This should fix your problem.

Method 15: Use Advanced Repair Tool

Another method to fix violation error is to use an Advanced Repair Tool such as Restoro. This tool helps you to detect issues and repair them.

All you have to download and install the tool then you can follow these steps:

Launch “Restoro” on your computer. This will start looking for problems that are causing the DPC Watchdog Violation error.
Go to the “Details” tab to view information.
Set action by expanding the ”Recommendation” tab and select “ignore” or “clean” either.
Then, click on “Start Repair” located at the bottom.

In case, something is preventing your PC from not working properly, this tool will make it work.

Bonus Tip to Remove DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION Error?

Users reported that after following a number of DPC Watchdog Violation fixes, they are not able to boot up Windows computer. This happens in a loop where you boot up your PC and it shows a BSOD error. Then, it restarts and the process repeats.

If you are in this scenario then we have some effective solutions for you. All you have to perform these steps in Windows Safe Mode. Let’s know how you can access Safe Mode in Windows 10 and Windows 7.

Safe Mode in Windows 10

To enable Safe Mode, you have to prepare Windows installation media such as a USB bootable device or DVD installation. Some time windows didn’t recognized the USB device to solve the problem you just follow the simple guide. Then, you can boot up.

You can perform this method when you get a BSOD error and you cannot access Windows PC. If you are able to access your device easily then you can go through these steps to get into Safe Mode.

After you boot up, select “Repair my computer”.
Click on “Troubleshoot”.
Go to “Advanced options”
Select “Startup Settings”.
Click on “Restart”.
Press “F5” to “Enable Safe Mode with Networking”.

Safe Mode in Windows 7

To enable Safe Mode on Windows 7, you can perform these steps mentioned below:

Press “F8” once your computer restarts. It might sound like a beep.
Use the “Up” and “Down” keys in the “Advanced Boot Options”.
Then, choose “Safe Mode” or “Safe Mode with Networking”.
Hit the “Enter” key.

Once you are in Safe Mode, you can access your computer and boot up easily. This will help you to remove the violation error.

In brief

If you find it hard to deal with the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error, this guide will help you to resolve it easily. Here, we have provided effective troubleshooting methods through which you can fix errors. The methods we discussed can be performed on Windows 10, 8.1, and 7.

Apart from this, learn to solve service error 1053 on Windows computer.