How to fix DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION Error in Windows 10?

One thing that has persisted across all versions of Windows was the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), and Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 are no strangers to them. One particular bug is causing many users to experience difficulties lately and that is DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION.

For those of you who have witnessed this error, you may be wondering what it is and how to fix it. Today I will try to shed some light on this issue and help you solve the problem of DPC WATCHDOG violation in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.

Problem

The DPC Watchdog Violation error is usually caused by driver issues.

WHAT CAUSES DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATIONS ERRORS?

In some cases, this problem occurs along with other BSODs, and they all have a common cause. If you check the official Microsoft website you will find some information about this DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error and it looks like this:

This error indicates that the DPC observer was executing, either because it encountered an awaited procedure call (DPC) or because the system was spending a long time at an interrupt request rate DISPATCH_LEVEL (IRQL) or higher. The parameter value 1 indicates whether the DPC has expired or the system has accumulated over a long period of time at IRQL DISPATCH_LEVEL or higher.

Windows 8 should have stopped working because it got no response from the hardware component, its drivers, or related programs.

The most common hardware component in question is the drive, and Windows crashes when the drive becomes unreadable (similar to unplugging the data cable of a hard drive while it is in use). In some cases, the problem may be hardware incompatibility or even a viral infection.

Here is a short list of reasons why DPC WATCHDOG violations may be committed:

HDD becomes unreadable
SSD firmware not updated
Old or damaged drivers
BIOS that has not been updated
Hardware incompatibility
Hardware was not installed correctly
Overclocking is not done properly (in this case, reset the BIOS)
Malicious software

Here are several ways to resolve DPC Watchdog Violation error:

Solution 1: check your cables

As you can see, there are a number of causes for the DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error, but fortunately, most of them can be ruled out without any effort.

For example, the first thing you should do is check all of your computer’s data / power cables. In some cases, if they are not connected correctly, the system may read that the disk is not available and a failure will occur.

If all cables are intact and properly connected, you might want to go ahead and test the drives to see if they are working properly.

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Solution 2: Replace the iastor.sys driver

Microsoft suggests replacing the driver that is causing this error message, that is, the iastor.sys driver, with the storahci.sys driver.

Right-mouse click the Start icon> select Device Manager.
Expand IDE ATA / ATAPI controllers.
Now select the controller named “SATA AHCI” (for ex, “Standard SATA AHCI Controller”). To make sure you have selected the correct controller, right-mouse click the controller, go to Properties, mouse click the Driver tab, and then Driver Details. Make sure iastor.sys is in the driver list and mouse click OK.
On the Driver tab> select Update Driver
Select browse my computer for driver software.
Select “Let me pick” from a list of device drivers on my computer.
Choose a standard SATA AHCI controller.
Mouse click Next, then Close and restart your computer.

Solution 3: Check your drive

There are a number of utilities that you can use to check all health-related aspects of your drives. For more information on the best tools you can install to check the health of your hard drive, check out this list.

If you have a solid state drive, you can look for a firmware update (if you haven’t updated it to begin with). Note that if you update the SSD firmware, you will most likely lose all data from it.
If you want to quickly check your disk for errors, follow the steps below (for Windows 10 and Windows 7).
On Windows 10, you can run a disk check using the command line.
Run command line as administrator and type chkdsk C: /f then hit enters. The letter of your hard drive partition with replaces C.
As a reminder, if you don’t use the /f option, chkdsk will display a message stating that the file needs repair, but will not fix any errors. The chkdsk D: / f command detects and fixes logical problems affecting your disk. Also run the / r option to fix physical problems.
In Windows 7, go to your hard drive> right-mouse click the drive you want to check> select Properties> Tool. In the Error Checking section, mouse click Check.

Solution 4: Update your drivers

Updating all the drivers on your computer is another option when you encounter DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION. Check your components for make and model then check their website for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 compatible drivers.

If you don’t have drivers for Windows 7, 8, or Windows 10, contact them for more information.

In the Updates section, you should also check your motherboard developer’s website for BIOS updates. When the BIOS expire and you add new hardware or operating system, sometimes the BIOS do not work properly.

Solution 5: Remove all external devices connected to your PC

Your PC may throw the error as a result of hardware conflicts. If you have installed a new external hard drive, SSD drive, scanner, or printer on your computer, you may want to remove them to see if the problem will go away.

To determine the device causing the problem, connect one device after the other. If the error persists after connecting one of the devices, unplug it to correct the error. Then try other devices that you own.

Solutions 6: Update Chipset Driver

Many users who have experienced DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION surveillance violation were able to correct the error by changing their SATA AHCI controller device. This happens to be one of the most effective ways to fix the problem.

Follow these simple steps:

Press the Windows Key + X key on the keyboard and select Device Manager from the options provided
In Device Manager Window, found IDE ATA / Atape controllers and mouse click to expand it
Now right mouse click on SATA AHCI Controller and select Properties
To check if the correct driver has been selected, mouse click Drivers and then mouse click Driver Details
Check if iaStorA.sys is in the list and mouse click OK to continue
Simply update the driver software
Mouse click Update Driver
Pick Browse my driver software
Select from a given list of device drivers as shown on my computer
Now select the Standard SATA AHCI Controller and mouse mouse click next.
Reboot your PC for the changes to take outcome
If the error persists after rebooting your PC, try the next method
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Solution 7: Update SSD firmware

Many people nowadays are using SSD in their computers as it offers high performance and is easier to carry. However, if the SSD firmware has not been updated to its latest version, you may encounter the BSOD error.

If you have seen this error, you can try updating the device firmware. It’s not too complicated to do. You can download the latest version of the SSD firmware from the manufacturer’s official site.

Here are the steps you need to follow to update the SSD firmware:
Press Windows Key + R and type MSC and press Enter
Alternatively, you can press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager from the options
From Device Manager, expand Disk drives
Write down your SSD Model Number
Visit your SSD manufacturer’s website and search for the latest version of SSD firmware
Download and install SSD firmware
If this solution doesn’t work for you, try the next solution.
Again install the display driver in safe mode
You can also repair the DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error/problem by reinstalling the display driver in safe mode.

These are the steps you must to follow in order to remove error:

Mouse click the Start menu button and type Run in the search tool to open the Run dialog box
Type msconfig in the dialog box from the keyboard and hit Enter
Open the Boot and Secure Boot check and select Network
Now mouse click OK and select Restart
The pc will start in Safe Mode
Now go back and open Windows Key + X to Device Manager and select Device Manager from the options
Find and Expand Display Adapters
Mouse click on the display adapter and select Uninstall
Check the box next to Remove the driver software for this device and mouse click OK
Restart your PC for the changes to take effect and check to see if the problem is gone.
Run CHKDSK Utility
You can also check disk for errors by running CHKDSK

Solution 8: Run a full scan system

It requires you to scan your PC for viruses more frequently, even if you don’t see the BSOD error. But if you encounter this error, you should run a full system scan to see if it can detect any malware that might be the cause of the problem.

Many antivirus programs have an excellent reputation for searching and finding all types of viruses, malware, and other external threats. How to perform a system scan depends on the antivirus program you are using.

However, most of them have a user-friendly interface; so you should see a full system restore button somewhere in the user interface.

Solution 9: Restore system and settings

If the error has been encountered after installing a driver or modifying anything in the software on your computer, you can perform a system restore. This move will restore your PC to its previous state by undoing all the changes you have made.

In case the culprit is something that you have recently installed or modified, running a system restore should fix the problem on your Windows 7, 8 or 10. This method might help you fix the problem if you have recently installed the software and it is suspected that it could be the cause of the problem.

The system recovery feature allows you to restore your PC to its previous, well-performing settings without losing data, except for some customization features and settings.

Conclusion

I hope you will find your solution. If not contact us by writing comment on our article.