Fix DPC Watchdog Violation Error on Windows 10

by

If you are reading this article, you have probably run into DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error. This BSOD (blue screen of death) has been reported by many Windows 10, 8.1 and 8 users. But since it is so common, you can bet that there are a lot of ways to fix this annoying (you have to admit it’s a nice shade of blue though) BSOD and we will be listing them out. Read on if you or someone you know wants to know how to take care of this.

In this article, we will tell you what the DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error is, why it occurs and the measures you can take to avoid this from happening in the future. It is a particularly annoying error because your computer would restart itself without saving your work. But worry no more.

What is DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION Error?

DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION comes with an error check value of 0x00000133. Windows has a bug checker called Watchdog and when it senses a DPC (Deferred Procedure Call) that has been running too long, usually when it is stuck at an interrupt request level (IRQL) of DISPATCH_LEVEL or above.

But what is responsible for this? The most common answer is an old SSD firmware that Windows 8 and above does not support. In fact, if any of your components have an old and unsupported firmware, it can cause this issue. If your graphics card driver is incompatible with the version of windows you are currently using, just launching your favourite game would be enough to bring your mighty PC down to its knees. Some users have even reported

Occasionally, incompatible software can also cause DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION and the BSOD. But do not worry as these problems can be fixed. The methods to do so is given in the next section.

How to Fix DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION on Windows 10?

We have done a ton of research and compiled a list of 6 methods you can follow to fix this pesky problem. These are ordered in terms of how common the fix is so we would recommend following this order. Let’s get started.

Method 1: Switch Your SATA AHCI Controller Driver

This is the most common way users have fixed  the DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION BSOD. If you don’t have storahci.sys as your driver file, you can run into the BSOD. Just follow these steps to get it fixed.

  1. Press Windows and X key together to launch the quick access menu.
  2. Select Device manager from the list of options.
  3. From Device Manager, you can find Standard AHCI controllers under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Right click on it and select Properties.
  4. From the window that pops up, click on Driver details under the Driver tab.
  5. If you see iaStorA.sys listed as the driver, it’s probably time to upgrade.
  6. Pressing OK will take you to the previous window. Here, click on Update driver.
  7.  Windows will ask you if you want to update automatically or select a driver manually. Select the latter.
  8. Now, select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer and click Next.
  9. You will find Standard SATA AHCI Controller highlighted. Just press Next and restart your PC.

Note that if you already had storahci.sys as your driver file, try updating automatically and then restart your computer. You can also watch a video about this using this link.

Method 2: Check the Hardware Connections

If the above method hasn’t fixed the problem in your PC, then an external hardware connected to it might be causing it. Just do a sweep of the data and power cables in your PC. Also check the external storage disks connections. Make sure everything is plugged in tight and secure.Boot up your P and try recreating the steps that cause the BSOD to determine whether t is fixed or not.

Method 3: Check if the Hardware is Compatible

Incompatible hardware can range from anything like an external hard drive to a USB coffee maker. You can always check the hardware manufacturers website for compatible operating systems. But that doesn’t always lead to results. So just follow these steps to catch the problem maker.

  1. Unplug all the external hardware except the mouse and the keyboard.
  2. Restart your computer to see if there are issues.
  3. If there are no issues, connect the devices one by one and restart your PC.
  4. If the BSOD pops up, you have cornered the troublemaker and you can do two things from here on out.
  5. Open up the device manager like in method 1 and find the hardware that is responsible. Right click on it and select update drivers. You can make Windows automatically update it. Alternatively, you can also visit the hardware manufacturers website and download the latest driver.
  6. If step 5 does not work, you are going to have to replace the device.

Method 4: Check if the Software is Compatible

If you have any recent programs installed in the system, then they can (although rarely) cause DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION BSOD. You can uninstall any new programs and see if the problem still persists. You can also use the System Restore to restrore your PC to an earlier point in time when everything worked. To do system restore, just follow these steps.

  1. Search “System restore” and select the corresponding result.
  2. Under System Protection tab, you can find System Restore….
  3. Select your restore point and your PC will restart.
  4. After your computer has been restored, check if the BSOD still appears.

Method 5: Use Event Viewer

This is a great tool that will detect the malfunctioning driver. Then, you can update it to fix the problem. To do so, just follow these steps here.

  1. Just like in method 1, press Windows and X key together to launch the quick access menu and select Event Viewer.
  2. Under Windows Logs on the left side, you can find System. Click on that.
  3. You can find errors and then determine the problem.

Method 6: Use Command-line

  1. Search for cmd and then run it as an administrator.
  2. Grant the permission for Command Prompt.
  3. Type in chkdsk /f/r and press enter.
  4. You will be asked to schedule your disk check when you restart your computer.
  5. Press Y and then enter. Your disk check will start after you restart your PC.

Get ready to wait a lot of time for this to be finished. It can take anywhere from 3 hours to a day so make sure you don’t have any work pending. You can skip it if something important comes up and reschedule it again.

Final Take

So these are the 6 methods you have at your disposal to combat this annoying problem. Hopefully one of these steps have worked for you and you don’t ever have to see DPC_watchdog_violation error again. If you have any doubts or suggestions, please use the comment section to let us know and we will clear it as soon as we can.

Leave a Comment