In this post, we provide 3 fixes for the DPC Watchdog Violation error. It’s a pretty devastating error- leading to lots of pissed off people:
Thank you for the response. DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error may arise due to incorrect or faulty drivers. To resolve the issue, we suggest that you perform the suggested troubleshooting steps provided by ZigZag3143. Here’s the link: https://t.co/CsDyDME9yd. https://t.co/3qcAsLFkaY
— Microsoft Support (@MicrosoftHelps) January 29, 2018
I just got this laptop a few days ago. I just got a dpc_watchdog_violation blue screen error and the thing shut down. :/
— HGTomato 🍅 (@HGTomato) July 25, 2016
Need help solving blue screen error “dpc watchdog violation”
— aDrive (@aDrive_tK) October 16, 2015
Indeed, this is a really common error that affects Windows 8 and 10 is the DPC Watchdog Violation error. Users of other versions of Windows software are normally free of this error. This error typically occurs when the operating systems are first released and then get automatically fixed later on.
There is a chance, however, that you may still be experiencing this error. So, in case you are either experiencing this problem right now or if you would like to fix it or if you would just like to know how do I fix this problem, in this article we will go over this violation error means, what causes it and how to fix it in the most effective way possible.
3 Methods For Fixing DPC Watchdog Violation Errors On Windows 10/8/7
A popular video provides some simple fixes, though a YouTuber commenter observed:
‘The thing you need to understand with this error is that it can be generated by several different things. But it’s generally related to a driver that’s not operating correctly. Updating all your drivers from the manufacturer website is a smart place to start. But it could also be a problem with Windows that’s making the driver do something wrong. It’s frequently caused by so-called “updates” in Windows 10.’
What Is the DPC Violation Error for Windows?
Knowing what the problem is and what causes this is not really essential when we are just interested in fixing it. However, if you really want to understand the error then it is important to go right back into what causes it and what it means.
To put it simply, this violation error is more often than not the result of a driver issue. Many different drivers can actually be behind this error but usually, it is the driver “Synoptics touchpad” that causes in the majority of cases.
Depending on how technically savvy you consider yourself to be you may want to know a little bit more about this error. Whatever your own personal circumstances, if you would like to know a little bit more detail about it then read on. If, however, you would just like to find out what the best fix for this error is then you might as well skip over the section and go straight to the next one.
The Blue Screen Of Death
Most Windows 8 and Windows 10 users are sadly familiar with it so-called blue screen of death. Unfortunately, this blue screen of death happens so often that some users even refer to it with an acronym: BSOD.
In case you do not know we are talking about here, this coming term comes from the fact that whenever you get an error message, such as the DPC violation, your computer screen goes completely blue. Very often Windows users by restarting their personal computers.
This so-called blue screen of death is not always the same shade of blue. For whatever reason, Windows use different shades of blue for different releases. What is common between all the different Windows operating systems is that they always display an error message.
So why does this blue screen displays? Believe it or not, the screen is actually a good sign. Yes, it does mean that there is a problem but it also means that the computer is halting to a stop in order to prevent any possible damage. Actually, restarting your computer to make it go away.
We said that you are finish get an error message on the blue screen. The most common message is precisely the one we are talking about in this article: DPC watchdog violation.
Sometimes this error messages and company by other information, more often than not a check value. This has no major consequence other then the blue screen means that any prices you are engaged will stop.
The watchdog and the error message is actually checks for bugs computer. So if this watchdog to text anything wrong it would hold your system and display the error message and the so-called blue screen of death.
What Causes This Violation Error?
There is no single reason for this problem. There are many different things that could potentially cause this error. In the section of the article, we will go over the main possible triggers for both Windows 8 and Windows 10.
A Very common trigger for this violation is when your SSD drive (solid state drive) is using a firmware that has become old and is no longer supported by your operating system.
That is by far the most common cause for this error message that there could be others. If that is not what is causing it could also be that one of the hardware components that you are using contains a driver that has become out of date. This could be something easy or simple as a sound card not supporting your version of Windows. So when you try to use the same card or whatever driver that has become our day you get the error message.
Another possible cause, which is a lot less common happen sometimes could be some software that you have installed.
How Do You Fix This Violation?
Fixing it and how to proceed with it will, of course, depend on what is actually causing the problem.
So it is always a good idea to try to narrow down what may be behind this violation. So, if you have skipped over directly to this section you may want to go back and read some of what we wrote in the previous paragraph.
Basically, the problem could be either because of a hardware problem or because of a software problem.
When It’s Hardware
So, let’s start with when the error is related to a hardware problem and then move on to when it is caused by a software problem.
So if you have identified that you are getting this error message because of something that relates to your hardware, the solution could be very simple. The first thing you will need to do in that case to make sure that your firmware is up-to-date.
To do this you will normally need to head over to the official website and look for downloads or support.
Hardware manufacturers normally make their firmware updates available like that. Normally, downloading the most recent version of firmware for whichever component or driver that may be causing the problem would fix it once and for all.
When It’s Software
If, however, you have identified that the problem actually relates to your software you have two basic options.
Uninstall & Reinstall
You can either decide to do uninstall and then reinstall the program or programs that use suspect have been causing this violation.
Bear in mind that you might not need to reinstall the program if you realize through this exercise that you do not actually need it.
It’s always a good idea to have a look at the programs and apps that you have installed in order to identify any programs that could be uninstalled because you no longer need them.
If you do not want to uninstall and, as the case may be, reinstall any programs you have a second option. This option would involve running so-called System Restore.
This is a function available for Windows 8 and Windows 10. This function has been designed to help users to fix any problems that relate to software in general. So it is very often the case that it works great to fix the DPC violation error.
Not Sure If It’s Hardware Or Software?
If you are not sure whether the problem behind this watchdog violation is caused by a hardware or software issue, then the best thing you could do is just try one method first and check if it makes a difference.
If it does not then you should go ahead and try the other one. This is why it is normally referred to as a trial and error and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
Whether you have been able to identify the root of the problem or and have had acted accordingly, there is still a chance that the violation will not be fixed. If that is the case there is still one last thing for you to do. This final method will involve heading over to the control panel known as the action center. Go through this control panel and read for any messages or any recommendations on how to solve problems. This is also a very good way of finding if there is a problem (and not just with this particular issue) and how best to solve it.
If you have tried all of those different methods and still the problem persists, I think we are talking something a little bit more major. If you are confident that you have given a real try to all the options that we have gone through in this article and still this violation error persists, the only thing left to do would be to have a technician take a look. It is important that you exhaust all the other options first, as they are simple and you can do them yourself for free.
Obviously, calling out a technician takes time and costs money. So you want to make sure that is the only option left. it is always worth checking all your options before getting a technician to take a look because, as we have seen, problems are often very easily solved.
Summing Up
If you have any feedback about this article or would like to share your experience dealing with the DPC Watchdog Violation error for Windows 8 and 10, we would love to hear from you. So, please consider leaving us a message in the comment section below!
