How to Fix DPC Watchdog Violation Error in Windows

DPC Watchdog violation is one of the common Windows errors that results in a system crash indicated by a blue screen. Facing this error can be frustrating, especially when you are in the middle of an important task on your computer. DPC Watchdog is actually a bug-checking mechanism for Windows. DPC stands for “Deferred Procedure Call” and “Watchdog” is a monitoring system that checks DPC and other system processes to make sure they are working properly.

When Watchdog detects that DPC or any other process is taking longer than usual to execute, it reports a DPC Watchdog Violation error in the form of the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). This means that Watchdog cannot resolve the error on its own and requires user intervention.

This can happen for various reasons: Incompatibility with the SSD or any external peripherals is usually a common cause. It can also happen due to corrupted or missing drivers. If essential system files get corrupted or deleted, it can lead to blue screen errors like this one. Software conflicts can also cause this issue.

There is no right way to determine the exact cause, so you will need to try a number of solutions to fix it. Fortunately, unlike some other BSOD errors, your Windows does not get stuck in a reboot loop with this one, and you can easily apply the steps to fix the error.

Sometimes, the error can be fixed by following basic steps instead of going straight to advanced solutions. Start by removing all external devices connected to your computer: First, turn off your computer, then disconnect all devices such as USB drives, printers, speakers, external keyboards and mice, and other peripherals. Restart your device and check if the error reappears. If not, connect the external devices one by one to find the culprit.

BSOD errors can also occur due to loose CPU connections. If you are using a desktop computer, make sure that the necessary hardware such as hard drives, RAM, and more are properly connected to the CPU and that no connections have been missed. If you are using a laptop or are not familiar with computer hardware, it is worth checking if you need repairs if none of these solutions help.

Then, after your computer restarts from the blue screen, immediately check for any pending or blocked Windows updates. Outdated Windows may have compatibility issues with peripherals or installed software, leading to such errors. To check for Windows updates, go to Settings > Windows Update and click the Check for Updates button.

Finally, restart your system in Safe Mode. Safe Mode loads only the most essential system processes and applications, allowing you to hold the application or process responsible for the error.

Outdated or incorrect system drivers, especially the SATA AHCI driver, can lead to DPC Watchdog violations. Regularly checking for driver updates is essential to ensure that your system is functioning properly.

Here’s how:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager from the menu.
2. Look for the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers section and expand it.
3. Right-click on the SATA AHCI controller and select Properties.
4. Go to the Drivers tab and click the Driver Details button.
5. Make sure the selected driver is “iastorA.sys”.
   1. If the selected driver is “storahci.sys”, go to the Drivers tab and click Update Driver.
   2. Now select the option “Browse my computer for driver software”.
   3. Then select “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”, select “Standard SATA AHCI Controller” from the list and install it.
   4. After installation, restart your computer.

The problem should be solved now. If it is not, update other system components. Launch Device Manager and look for drivers with a “yellow exclamation mark”. Right-click on them and update.

Sometimes, due to malware attacks or some other reasons, essential system files may get corrupted or even deleted which results in blue screen errors like DPC Watchdog Violation. Due to corrupted system files, your system may get stuck on blue screen and unable to boot. You can still run DISM and SFC commands by following these steps:

1. To start Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), you must restart your system three times.
2. On the screen that appears, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
3. Under Advanced Options, select Command Prompt.
4. Now in the command prompt window use this command to run DISM: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
5. After DISM has successfully executed, run SFC using the following command: sfc /scannow.
6. Once the command has executed successfully, restart the system and check if it has started correctly.

If your system is not stuck on a blue screen and you can boot it properly, simply run the command prompt with administrator privileges and proceed to step 4.

If you experience a DPC Watchdog Violation error right after recent changes or updates to your computer, you can restore it to an earlier saved point. However, this will only work if you have previously enabled System Restore.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. In the Windows search box, type Control Panel and click its icon to launch it.
2. In the Control Panel window, expand the drop-down menu next to “View by” in the upper right corner.
3. Instead of Categories, select Large icons or Small icons.
4. Find the Recovery option and select it.
5. Then select Open System Restore.
6. In the System Restore window, click Next to start System Restore.
7. Select one of the restore points and click Next.
8. Finally, click Finish to restore your system to the selected point.

Once the process is complete, the system will restart. Restoring the system to a previous point should fix the error.