FIX DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION error in Windows 11 (Solved)

If Windows 11 crashes to a blue screen with error DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION, continue reading below to fix the problem.

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is one of the most frustrating problems users face when using their Windows devices. One of the most notable bsod errors is the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION with error code 0x00000133.

DPC Watchdog is a bug checker for monitoring processes in the background and in the foreground. The DPC_Watchdog_Violation error occurs when the bug checker must wait for more than 100 microseconds without receiving a response from the deferred procedure call (DPC), causing the BSOD error and computer shutdown.

What Can Cause the DPC_Watchdog_Violation error on Windows 11?

• A Faulty Hardware device: such as a printer, a game controller, or a removable USB drive can cause Windows 11 to crash with a blue screen.
• Corrupt or missing system files can also cause the DPC_Watchdog Violation error. At this case, repairing the system files can fix the issue.
• Old or Outdated driver(S) has been identified by users as a major cause of DPC Watchdog Violation error. This issue can also emerge when important drivers are missing on a device. Graphics cards from Nvidia or AMD needs to be constantly updated to avoid this issue.
• Programs running on the background could also cause bsod errors. (e.g. a third-party antivirus program such as AVAST, AVG, etc..).

How to FIX the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error on Windows 11.

To fix the DPC Watchdog Violation error (0x00000133), follow the methods below according your case/scenario:

Scenario 1: The PC Starts in Windows after the DPC Watchdog Violation error but the problem occurs again.

• Method 1. Check Installed Hardware & Software.
• Method 2. Change the SATA Controller driver.
• Method 3. Repair System Files with SFC & DISM tools.
• Method 4. Check Hard Disk for errors.
• Method 5. Repair Upgrade Windows 11.

Scenario 2: The PC Cannot boot into Windows after the DPC Watchdog Violation error.

• Method 6. System Restore.
• Method 7. Repair Windows 11 with SFC & DISM tools.
• Method 8. Reset this PC.
• Method 9. Clean Install Windows 11.

Scenario 1: How to fix DPC Watchdog Violation error if Windows 11 can start Normally or in Safe Mode.

Method 1: Remove External Devices and Uninstall Background Programs.

Faulty hardware, drivers or programs running in the background may be the cause of the DPC Watchdog violation error. So, apply the below steps and see if the problem persists:

1. Ensure that all pending updates are installed on the computer.
2. Uninstall any third-party antivirus or other programs running on the background.
3. Update the Display Adapter's drivers. (If you have recently updated the VGA drivers, proceed and install a previous stable driver version).
4. Disconnect External Devices: Unplug all external hardware devices such as Printers, Game controllers, or USB drives and check if the problem persists. If so, go to step-5 below.
   If not, reinsert each disconnected device every 2 hours to identify the culprit causing the blue screen error. When you find the problematic device, visit the manufacturer’s website and see if there is available an update driver for it.
5. Uninstall Programs: Check the programs you installed on your device during the period when the DPC_Watchdog_Violation error occurred and uninstall them. Then reinstall them one-by-one to find the culprit.

Method 2: Replace the SATA Controller driver.

Many users reported that by changing the SATA controller driver they were able to fix the DPC_Watchdog_Violation error.

1. Right-click at Start menu and select Device Manager.

2a. In Device Manager, expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.

2b. Now notice the name of the SATA Controller/Driver and proceed as follows:

• If it is Standard SATA AHCI Controller skip to method-3, because this is the recommended compatible driver for the Windows 11.
• If you see another controller model (other than the "Standard SATA AHCI Controller"), right-click on it and select Properties.

3. Select the Driver tab, then click on Driver details.

4. Check the value of the driver files and if it ends with storeahci.sys (as seen in the image below), skip to Method 3. However, if the value is different from what is in the image, continue to the next step.

5. At the Driver tab, click Update Driver.

6. In the new window that appears, select Browse my computer for drivers.

7. Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computers.

8. In the Model section, check Show compatible hardware, select Standard SATA AHCI Controller, then click Next.

9. The new controller will be installed and you will get a prompt to restart the PC to effect the changes. Select Yes.

Method 3: Repair Windows 11 System Files with SFC and DISM tools.

The next method to solve the DPC_Watchdog_Violation bsod error, is to check and repair Windows system files from command prompt.

1. On the search bar type CMD and select Run as administrator

2. In the cmd window, type the command below and press Enter.

• Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

3. Be patient until DISM repairs component store. When the operation is completed, (you should be informed that the component store corruption was repaired), give this command and press Enter:

• SFC /SCANNOW

4. This may take a few minutes to complete. Restart the PC once it is done and check if everything works fine now.

Method 4: Check Hard Disk for problems.

The next method to fix the issue, is to check the hard disk for errors and to repair them, using the CHKDSK command. To do that:

1. Launch command prompt as administrator

2. In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.

• chkdsk c: /x /r

3. You will get a prompt to schedule the disk check the next time the system restarts. Press Y (to select Yes) and restart your device to scan and repair the disk errors.

4. Upon restart let Windows to complete the check and repair process and after entering Windows, check if the problem persists.

Method 5. Repair Upgrade Windows 10.

If the SFC and DISM tools fails to fix the issue, the repair upgrade is your best option to repair Windows 11 without losing your files.

1. Visit Microsoft Windows 11 download page and at 'Create Windows 10 Installation Media' section, click Download tool now.

2. Open the downloaded MediaCreationTool.exe file. Then select Accept to agree to the applicable notices and license terms.

3. Choose Upgrade this PC now and click Next. The latest version of Windows 10 will begin to download.

4. A new window will appear asking you to Choose what to keep. Select Keep personal files and apps, and click Next.

5. Finally, click Install to start the installation/repair process of Windows 10, without losing your data.

6. During the process your computer will restart several times. There is nothing to worry about. Wait until the installation is complete and enter Windows.

Scenario 2: How to fix DPC Violation error if Windows 11 Cannot Start.

When Windows can't start normally because of the DPC_Watchdog_Violation error, it's a bit more difficult to overcome the problem, but don't worry, here are some methods to fix the problem.

Method 6. Repair Windows 11 with System Restore.

"System Restore" is the first and recommended option to fix the DPC Violation error by restoring Windows 11 to a state where it was working perfectly. To do that:

Step 1. Enter in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

If Windows cannot start you have to repair Windows from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). To enter in WinRE use one of the following two ways:

1. Force your PC to boot into WinRE: Restart your computer and when the manufacturer's logo appears, hold down the power button for 5 seconds to turn off the computer. Once it shuts down, turn it on again. Repeat this process 3-4 times and then wait for the "Automatic Repair" screen to appear. When this done, click Advanced Options, and continue below to repair Windows 11.

2. Boot your PC from a USB Windows 11 installation media: If you don't own a USB Windows 11 installation media:

1. From another PC, create a Windows 11 installation media on an empty USB drive (at least 8GB).
2. Power on the affected computer and boot from the USB Windows Installation media.
3. Click Next at the first screen and then click Repair your Computer > Troubleshoot.
4. Continue below to repair your computer.

Step 2. Run System Restore from the WinRE options.

1. On WinRE Advanced options, click System Restore.

2. If prompted, select an account with administrative privileges, type a password for that account and click Continue.

3. At System Restore screen, click Next. *

* Note: If you receive the message that "no restore points have been created on your computer…" skip to next method.

4. Select Show more restore points and select a date that you know your computer was working correctly, and then click Next.

5. Click Finish and Yes again to start to restore process.
6. Now wait until the restore process is completed. During the restore process, your computer will restart several times and when it's done, you should enter in Windows without problems.

Method 7. Repair Windows 11 System Files from WinRE.

1. Follow the step-1 in method-6 above to enter in WinRE.
2. In Advanced Options menu, select Command Prompt.

3. In command prompt, type the following command and press Enter.

• bcdedit

4. Notice the drive letter of Windows OS partition (e.g. "osdevice –> partition=C: ")

5. Then give this command and press Enter:*

• chkdsk  X: /r /x

* Note: Replace the red "X" in the above command with the drive letter you noticed above in the OS partition.*

* e.g. In this example the OS partition has the letter "C", so the command will be:

• chkdsk  C: /r /x

6. When the CHKDSK process is completed, give this command: *

• SFC /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=X:\ /OFFWINDIR=X:\Windows

* Note: Where "X" in the above command, is the drive letter of the OS partition you noticed before. (Don't forget to add a space between \ /)

e.g. In this example the OS partition has the letter "C", so the command will be:

• sfc /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=C:\ /OFFWINDIR=C:\Windows

7. When the SFC scan process is completed, give the following command to create a scratch directory on the Windows drive. *

• mkdir X:\Scratch

* Note: Change the drive letter X according to the drive letter of the OS partition (e.g. "C" in this example).

8. Then give this DISM command to repair the Windows image:*

• DISM /Image:X:\ /ScratchDir:X:\Scratch /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

* Note: Where "X" in the above command, is the drive letter of the OS partition you noticed before. (Don't forget to add a space between \ /)

e.g. In this example the OS partition has the letter "C", so the command will be:

• DISM /Image:C:\ /ScratchDir:C:\Scratch /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

9. Wait for DISM to repair any corrupted files and then close all open windows and turn off your PC.
10. Try to boot to Windows normally and check is the problem is solved.

Method 8: Reset Windows 11 to default state.

The next method to fix the DPC Violation error, is to reset Windows 11 to default state, by using the Reset the PC, option.

1. Force your PC to boot into WinRE by following the instructions in step-1 on method-6 above to enter in WinRE. *

* Note: The Reset this PC option is not available if you started from a USB Windows installation Media.

2. Click Reset this PC in Troubleshoot screen.

3. At the next screen choose Keep my files. *

* Please Note: All applications and settings will be removed if you continue and you will need to reinstall your programs when the process is complete.

4. If prompted, select an account with administrative privileges, type a password for that account and click Continue.

5. If you PC is connected to Internet, select Cloud download, otherwise choose Local reinstall.

6. Finally, let the Reset this PC tool to reinstall Windows.

Method 9. Clean Install Windows 11 & Check Hardware.

If none of the above methods doesn't resolve your problem, then your final option is to backup your files and to perform a clean installation of Windows 11.

* Final notes: If you experience the same error after clean installing Windows 10, this indicates a problem with a device driver or a hardware problem. In such a case, proceed as follows to find the culprit:

1. Check the memory (RAM) for problems to make sure it's okay.
2. Install Windows on another hard drive, preferably an SSD

That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

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Konstantinos Tsoukalas

Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).

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