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Watchdog.sys Crash: 4 Easy Methods to Fix this BSOD Error

Reinstalling the GPU is a good start

6 min. read

Updated onNovember 7, 2024

updated onNovember 7, 2024

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Let us explore in the guide the Windows Watchdog.sys crash.

Even though the transition to Windows 10 from previous iterations is relatively seamless, specific issues can force you toreconsider the upgrade.

Especially if the error at hand is a critical system error that results inBSoD(Blue Screen of Death).

In this case, we’ll try to focus on the watchdog.sys error in Windows 10 that seems to bother a lot of folks recently.

Since it’s related to GPU/Display drivers, predominantly Nvidia graphics, our main concern goes to false generic drivers provided by Windows updates.

What is a watchdog error?

A watchdog error is a type of error that occurs when a system’s watchdog timer detects that the system is not responding or functioning correctly.

A watchdog timer is a hardware or software component that monitors the system’s activity and triggers a reset or shutdown if the system fails to respond within a specific time frame.

Here are some possible causes of a watchdog error:

How can I fix watchdog.sys on BSOD on Windows 10?

1. Reinstall GPU drivers

The driver updating process can be automated with the help of specialized software such asPC HelpSoft Driver Updater. This tool allows you to scan and update all your drivers, and you can set up automatic scans so that you will be notified when your drivers are going out of date.

⇒Get PC HelpSoft Driver Updater

2. Check for overheating

Amid possible troubleshooting steps regarding software, we strongly encourage you to check the hardware, too.

Even though system errors are rarely provoked by constant overheating, high working temperatures are something you can’t neglect.

The easiest way to determine whether your GPU is suffering from hellish temperatures is to install third-party software likeSpeedFan.

Besides the monitoring, this nifty and free application can regulate the speed of cooling fans.

Download and install SpeedFan, check the temperature, and optimize the cooling intensity toreduce the heating.

In addition, if you’re up to the task, you can unplug the graphics card from the motherboard and power supply and clean it thoroughly.

This process should help you fix the watchdog driver blue screen error on your Windows 10. However, you can also try the following options.

3. Reset BIOS settings

If you’re unable to reset BIOS settings for some unknown reason, you can also change something and change it back. But unfortunately, even the slightest change will force the firmware to rebuild from scratch.

This seems to be a rare but occurring issue for users with an older motherboard that upgraded to Windows 10.

Specific BIOS/UEFI settings might work like a charm on Windows 7, but, on the other hand, they can wreak havoc on Windows 10.

Especially regarding an already-mentioned collision between old motherboard sound drivers and GPU drivers.

So, you’ll need to reset the BIOS settings and let the BIOS rebuild from scratch.

These actions should help you fix the watchdog.sys error that causes the blue screen of death on your Windows 10.

4. Disable Nvidia High Definition sound support

With that, we can conclude this article. Unfortunately, this is a rare but resilient error that is occasionally hard to resolve.

Hopefully, with the provided solutions, you can restore the full functionality to Windows 10. However, if you have any further questions or an alternative solution, feel free to tell us in the comments below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Finally, as we already stated above, this problem predominately occurs with Nvidia graphics due to the incompatibility of Nvidia sound drivers and motherboard generic sound drivers.

To address this, you’ll need to eliminate the Nvidia High Definition sound driver and use the generic sound drivers exclusively.

That’s easier said than done because Windows 10 will still install missing drivers, nonetheless. So, that’s a reason to use the Show or Hide Updates Tool and prevent further updates.

As you can see, there are various ways to fix the watchdog.sys error, and in this article, we offer the best and easiest solutions to solve this issue yourself.

This isn’t the only issue you can encounter, and we covered theWin32k Power Watchdog Timeouterror in another guide. We also wrote about a similar issue in our latestCluster Csv Clussvc Disconnect Watchdogguide, so don’t miss it.

We’d like to hear more from you on this matter, so drop us a comment in the dedicated section below.

Watchdog.sys Crash: 4 Easy Methods to Fix this BSOD Error#

What is a watchdog error?#

How can I fix watchdog.sys on BSOD on Windows 10?#

1. Reinstall GPU drivers#

2. Check for overheating#

3. Reset BIOS settings#

4. Disable Nvidia High Definition sound support#