Fix DPC_Watchdog_Violation Blue Screen Error In Windows 10, 8.1, 7!

Windows 10 error “DPC_Watchdog_Violation” was first documented when Windows 8 was released. Microsoft has patched the error with its updates at that time. But again Windows 10 users are complaining about the blue screen of death.

Many of you who don’t know, DPC stands for Deferred Procedure Call. According to Wikipedia “A Deferred Procedure Call (DPC) is a Microsoft Windows operating system mechanism which allows high-priority tasks (e.g. an interrupt handler) to defer required but lower-priority tasks for later execution.”

Many of the Windows 10 users are encountering this DPC Watchdog Violation error because of the incompatible SSD drivers.

As this Windows 10 error is sudden you will lose your unsaved data when it occurs. So it’s very much suggested to fix DPC Watchdog Violation error after you first encounter it.

If you are in a middle of something and your Windows 10 OS encounter Watchdog Violation error, you will see a blue screen with the below error text on it.

“Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We are just collecting some error info, and then we will restart for you. (0{eeeb0e2d6787882f8a086655c0dbbec42722c1a7a4f0a32712f9a540aa28dc16} Complete). If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION“

This error can be easily fixed if you correctly perform the instruction below. After researching for many hours I have found a few methods that can help eliminate this Watchdog blue screen error.

Also Read: Fix Connections To Bluetooth Audio Devices And Wireless Displays In Windows 10

Let’s see what are those methods to troubleshoot this very severe and irritating error.

What Is DPC Watchdog Violation Error Windows 10

As I said before, once this error occurs you will see a blue screen as shown below(This is the actual screenshot of the error):

The flaw is with the IDE ATA/ATAPI controller installed with Windows 10. You can easily fix this error by simply using a different driver.

Microsoft has also given value to this Windows 10 bug i.e. 0x00000133. Please be aware that DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION is a Windows error and not a Virus as many users think of it.

I will keep this guide to the point and will try to explain the fixes in detail. This will also help the users those are not from the technical background. So please bare with me.

Identify DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION Error Windows 10 Using Event Viewer

When you encounter this error, Just restart your Windows 10 system. After restarting we need to check some event logs with the help of Event Viewer.

You can skip this step if you want to, but it’s good to know which driver or update caused this Watchdog error.

1# To check event viewer logs press  Windows logo key and X at the same time on your keyboard. And then select Event Viewer.

2# There are 3 panels in Event Viewer. On the left side of the panel, click Windows Logs, and then System. That’s where all system errors or warnings get stored as a readable text.

3# The middle panel of Event viewer will have some entries/logs in the form of Error | Warning and Information. Check the latest one marked with Warning or Error.

The above event logs show that the source of the error is DistributedCOM. In some cases it will the source will be DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION. 

I know not all of you can read the Event Viewer logs as it is very technical. But you surely try the below fix.

Windows 10 DPC Watchdog Violation Fix

Follow the instructions below to fix this error right away. Please be very cautious while doing this fix.

1# Navigate to Windows Settings > Search For Device Manager

2# Now open IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers section.

3# Select the controller that says ‘Standard SATA AHCI Controller‘ and right click on it, Select Properties.

4# A new window will open. Select the Driver Tab and then Driver Details.

5# Make sure that the driver listed is “iaStorA.sys“. Then click OK.

6# After you have identified the driver installed. Click on Update Drivers.

8# Select the second option “Browse my computer for driver software”

9# Select “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer“.

10# Select Standard SATA AHCI Controller and click Next.

11# In few seconds Windows 10 will install the latest drivers for Standard SATA AHCI Controller. You have to restart your system for the changes to take effect. This is really important. Make sure to save all your unsaved work before you restart your system.

That’s it! this will surely solve the blue screen of death error aka DPC Watchdog Violation error.

If this does not work for you, run Windows 10 update to fully update your system. We do have a guide for it on our website. And if none worked for you then go for the clean install of Windows 10. Make sure to backup your data before you begin for a clean install.

Bonus: You can troubleshoot other blue screen errors too with this> Microsoft Windows Blue Screen Error Troubleshooter

Also Read: Use my sign in info to automatically finish setting up my device after an update

Over To You…

There are many paid software available in the market that claims to fix DPC Watchdog Violation In Windows 10 for you.

Why Pay, when you can do it on your own in just 11 clicks and few seconds?

If you are stuck somewhere while doing this Watchdog fix, do let us know in the comments section.

Is there any other Windows 10 error that is bugging you a lot? Do let us know and we will surely come up with a descriptive article to solve that particular error.

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