Let us begin by explaining what is DPC Watchdog Violation and what does it mean. DPC refers to a Deferred Procedure Call, which is a MS Windows system that allows high-importance tasks to delay lower-priority tasks to execute later. As a consequence, essential and critical tasks can be processed and completed faster. DPC Watchdog Timer is a problem-detection mechanism meant to handle Deferred Procedure Calls issues. For example, it can identify DPC routines that run for too long, or cases when certain routines run back-to-back persistently. If DPC time-out error detection is enabled, the mechanism notices routines that exceed the specified time limit. As a consequence, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x133) error occurs. The error belongs to the group of Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart errors, including Kernel Security Check Failure, Video Scheduler Internal Error and others.
Common causes of DPC Watchdog Violation Error
Users report that the error constantly bothers Windows 10/8/8.1. The common causes of DPC WATCHDOG error are listed below. Note. If your computer gets into a reboot loop, you need to first start your PC in Safe Mode. We hope that the methods we provided helped you to resolve the DPC Watchdog Violation on Windows 10, 8 or 8.1 successfully. If you have any other method to solve the issue, do not hesitate and share it with our community in the comments section below.
Method 1. Remove external devices connected to your PC
You can fix DPC Watchdog Violation Windows 10 Error simply by removing or disconnecting all external devices such as hard drives, printers, SSDs, scanners.
Method 2. Fix faulty system files automatically
You might be dealing with DPC Watchdog Violation error in case there are some specific damaged or corrupted Windows 10 or 8 files. To fix the issue, you’ll need to run a single command via Windows Command Prompt with Administrator’s rights. In case the scan doesn’t find any corrupted files, you can close the window and try another fix. If there are some corrupted files, restart your PC for changes to be applied.
Method 3. Run CHKDSK command
You can also check and fix disk errors on Windows 10 to fix DPC Watchdog Violation error by running CHKDSK command. Here’s what you need to do:
Method 4. Update SATA AHCI Controller Driver
Updating SATA AHCI Controller can fix DPC Watchdog Violation error instantly. Follow these easy steps to apply this fix.
Method 5. Install the latest version of SSD Firmware
One of the reasons that cause DPC Watchdog Violation error could be outdated SSD Firmware version that you’re using. To fix this, you’ll need to update it. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Method 6. Uninstall recently added programs
If you have noticed that DPC Watchdog Violation BSOD error started appearing after installing several new programs, try uninstalling them one by one and then monitor whether your PC still triggers the discussed error. It has been noticed that the issue often arises if the user installs two programs with identical functionality, which can lead to the error. For example, if you install two system cleaners or antivirus programs that run similar processes at once, they might conflict which one should run first, causing the DPC_Watchdog_Violation.
Method 7. Find the cause of DPC Watchdog Violation via Event Viewer
Windows Event Viewer is a software which allows checking a history of application and system messages, such as error or crash details, warnings, and other messages. Therefore, you can use it to detect the issue that caused the DPC Watchdog Violation Blue Screen of Death on Windows 10 or 8 so you can investigate the issue in detail.
Method 8. Restore Windows to previous state
One of the easiest ways to fix DCP Watchdog Violation error on Windows is use a system restore point. This brings back your computer to state prior the changes that started causing the annoying Blue Screen of Death error. Now, you should know that using System Restore point affects programs installed on Windows, system files, registry configurations, reverts any installed OS updates, and can delete files and folders saved on DESKTOP. System Restore won’t affect your antivirus software, Documents folder, or personal files such as photos or emails. Here’s how you can use the system restore options to fix the BSOD problem discussed previously.