How to Fix a DCP Watchdog Violation
By Timothy Tibbetts |
A DCP Watchdog Violation is a Windows error that can often be traced back to a few potential problems being as simple as a driver issue to as bad as a failing hard drive. Try these steps to resolve this annoying "Blue Screen of Death."
Because this is a BSOD error, you can't run most diagnostics unless you boot into safe mode, something we will repeat going forward. BSOD errors are always tricky to diagnose, so we're going to pass on everything we know to resolve the DCP Watchdog Violation.
1: Backup Your Data
You might try booting into Safe Mode and backing up your important files before you try anything else. If your drive is failing, you don't want to try other diagnostics until it's too late.
If you can't get into Windows with Safe Mode, it may already be too late, and you'll need to replace your hard drive.
2: External Drives
If you have an external drive connected, disconnect that drive, and try rebooting. If the error goes away, it might be a corrupted or failing external hard drive or flash drive.
3: SSD Hard Drives
If you have an SSD drive, you may need to boot into safe mode and download the SSD tools provided by your drive manufacturer.
Update the firmware if needed and run drive tests to verify your SSD isn't failing.
Popular drive manufacturers software include:
Samsung SSD Magician
Corsair SSD Toolbox
Crucial Storage Executive
Kingston SSD Manager
SanDisk SSD Dashboard
Western Digital SSD Dashboard
OCZ SSD Utility
Intel Solid State Drive Toolbox
4: Disable Your Antivirus
We can't confirm this solution, but some people are reporting that it's a problem with their antivirus. If you can't disable your antivirus, uninstall, and Windows Defender will take over.
5: Update Your Drivers
We're also hearing reports that chipset, video, or sound drivers are causing the error. You can diagnose each driver individually or use Driver Booster. If you used a driver update utility lately, we'd individually download the chipset, sound, and video drivers in that order. Try them one at a time to see if the problem is resolved.
See How to Download the Latest Drivers for Windows for further assistance.
As always, we're here to help everyone. If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment below.
comments powered by Disqus
Because this is a BSOD error, you can't run most diagnostics unless you boot into safe mode, something we will repeat going forward. BSOD errors are always tricky to diagnose, so we're going to pass on everything we know to resolve the DCP Watchdog Violation.
1: Backup Your Data
You might try booting into Safe Mode and backing up your important files before you try anything else. If your drive is failing, you don't want to try other diagnostics until it's too late.
If you can't get into Windows with Safe Mode, it may already be too late, and you'll need to replace your hard drive.
2: External Drives
If you have an external drive connected, disconnect that drive, and try rebooting. If the error goes away, it might be a corrupted or failing external hard drive or flash drive.
3: SSD Hard Drives
If you have an SSD drive, you may need to boot into safe mode and download the SSD tools provided by your drive manufacturer.
Update the firmware if needed and run drive tests to verify your SSD isn't failing.
Popular drive manufacturers software include:
Samsung SSD Magician
Corsair SSD Toolbox
Crucial Storage Executive
Kingston SSD Manager
SanDisk SSD Dashboard
Western Digital SSD Dashboard
OCZ SSD Utility
Intel Solid State Drive Toolbox
4: Disable Your Antivirus
We can't confirm this solution, but some people are reporting that it's a problem with their antivirus. If you can't disable your antivirus, uninstall, and Windows Defender will take over.
5: Update Your Drivers
We're also hearing reports that chipset, video, or sound drivers are causing the error. You can diagnose each driver individually or use Driver Booster. If you used a driver update utility lately, we'd individually download the chipset, sound, and video drivers in that order. Try them one at a time to see if the problem is resolved.
See How to Download the Latest Drivers for Windows for further assistance.
As always, we're here to help everyone. If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment below.
comments powered by Disqus
