Fix: DPC Watchdog Violation Error On Windows 10 [Solved]

DPC watchdog Violation BSOD error is a common error in the Windows OS.

Blue screen errors are very frustrating to deal with. Although Microsoft released an update to fix this issue but you may still get this error.

You may get this error when there is any conflict between software, hardware and corrupted system files.

If you are facing the same error, follow this article and learn how to resolve the issue.

How To Fix DPC Watchdog Violation Error

Table of Contents

Follow the instructions given below to solve the DPC watchdog violation error on your Windows 10.

Preliminary Step: Booting Into Safe Mode

In safe mode, the system will start with only essential windows processes. So to reboot into the safe mode, follow the steps given below:

Press and hold the Shift Key and click on the Restart option.

After the PC restarts, you will be directed to the Advanced Startup Recovery menu.

Select the Troubleshoot option.

Click on Advanced options, and then choose Startup Settings.

Click on the Restart option.

After restart, enter 4 or 5 (you can also enter function keys F4 or F5) from the keyboard to start windows in Safe Mode or Safe mode with Networking.

Now perform the steps below to fix the DPC watchdog violation on Windows 10 error.

1. Remove All The External Devices

We previously told you that you may get Watchdog Violation blue screen error due to hardware conflicts.

If you have installed any external devices recently like a scanner, printer, webcam, etc, disconnect those from your PC, and then restart your computer.

Now connect the devices one by one and check which device was causing the problem.

2. Run Event Viewer

Running Event Viewer is not going to fix the error, but it will help you to identify the device or the driver causing the problem. So try it.

To run event viewer follow the steps given below:

Press Windows Key + X and select Event Viewer from the list.

In the Event Viewer window, click on Windows logs.

Next, select the System as shown below and double click on it to expand the list.
Scroll down on the Event list to find the entry that is showing the error or warning message.

Now you will be able to check the details about what went wrong at the particular time range.

This way you will be able to identify what was giving you the error.

3. SFC Scanning

After Event Viewer identifies the problem, let’s fix it by running an SFC scan.

SFC scan will check for corrupted or missing system files and repair them.

To run this method, you have to follow these steps-

Type cmd in the windows search bar.

Right-click on the first option and click on Run as Administrator.

After the command prompt opens, type or copy-paste the following line of commands press Enter to run them.

sfc/scannow

Restart your PC and after the PC opens, check if the issue is resolved.

4. Use Chkdsk Utility

If the SFC scan could not fix this BSOD error on Windows 10, then the problem can be related to disk corruption.

To fix it, use the check disk utility. Follow the steps to do so:

Enter cmd in the Windows search box and right-click on Command Prompt option. Select Run as administrator.

In the elevated Command Prompt window, copy & paste the following command:

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

Hit the Enter button.
And press Y to check the disk health. Restart your PC to initiate the scan.

Here ‘C’ represents the system drive letter. So, remember to replace it accordingly.

5. Use System Restore

If you have a system restore point before the error starts appearing, then you can simply revert back to the earlier state and get rid of this error.

To perform it, you have to follow these steps.

Type System Restore on the Windows search bar.
Select the 1st result.

After opening the window, click on System Restore.

On the next window, select Choose a different restore point, and after that click on Next.

In the next window, you have to choose the time and date at which point you want to roll back your system.
Select the restore point prior to this error and click on Next.

Click on Finish to complete the process.

6. Fix Standard SATA AHCI Controller Driver

If your SATA AHCI controller drivers are not updated, then it can also trigger watchdog violation blue screen error.

So, check that from the device manager and update the driver.

Press Windows key + X.
Choose Device Manager from the pop-up window.

Click on IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers to expand it.
Right-click on it and select Properties.

Jump to the Driver tab and click on Drivers Details.

If you find the driver file is listed as iastor.sys, then you need to update the driver to fix the issue.

Now choose the Update Driver option from the window.

Select Search automatically for drivers option.

Select Standard SATA AHCI Controller and then click on the Next button.

Follow the instruction on the running wizard to complete the process.
Click Close and then restart the PC.

7. Update SSD Drivers

Outdated SSD drivers can also trigger this BSOD error, so update the driver from disk drive section to fix the issue

But, before you update the drivers, make sure that you backup all the important data.

To update the driver, follow these steps:

Press Windows + X.

Select the Device Manager option.

Select Disk drives and expand it.

Right-click on the SSD driver and then select Update driver.

Choose Search automatically for drivers and follow the on-screen instructions.

After the installation, restart your PC.

8. Update Windows

An outdated version of the OS can cause many technical errors, so keep it updated.

To update your Windows, follow these steps:

Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows Key + I and selecting Update & Security.

Next click on the Windows update option.
Select Check for updates and then Windows will offer if there is any available updates. If yes, then download and install it.

Finish the process. Restart your PC and check if this process has fixed the DPC watchdog violation blue screen.

9. Run Antivirus Scan

If the system is infected with a virus or malware, it can be detected and monitored by an in-depth system scan.

To run the antivirus scan, you have to follow the steps given below –

Type Windows Security on the Windows search bar and click on the 1st option.

Next, choose Virus & threat protection.

In the next window, select Scan Options.

Click the Full scan box and then click on Scan Now option to scan the entire system for malware and viruses.

Scanning may find out the proper cause which causes the DPC watchdog violation blue screen error on Windows 10.

10. System Reset

If you are still facing the watchdog violation blue screen error after performing all the above solutions, then perform a system reset.

To do it, follow the steps given below:

Open the Windows Setting by pressing the Win + I hotkeys from the keyboard, and select the Update & Security option.

Click on Recovery from the left panel and select the Get started option from the right side.

Choose the Remove Everything option from the next window.

Warning: Before selecting Remove Everything option, make sure to backup all your important data.

On the next window, select Cloud download option if you have proper internet connection.
If you don’t have an internet connection, then go for Local reinstall.
Now follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.