How to Fix ‘DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG Blue Screen error’ Issue on Windows 11/10 – Guide

Windows 10 update has caused many users to experience a blue screen of death. Normally, this is a sign that the update process has crashed and you will have to restart your computer. However, some users have reported that the blue screen of death is simply a result of corrupted PC registry, outdated drivers, bad hard drives, malware attack, etc. If you are experiencing this problem, it is important to check your registry and driver files to see if they are at fault.

In most cases, when you get BSOD errors, you can be prevented from logging into Windows through normal startup. To solve this problem, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and type “cmd” or “cmd.exe” to start the command prompt.
  2. Type “netstat -an” to see if there are any active connections on your computer. If there are, try to open a new connection and try again. If that doesn’t work, then your computer is probably having trouble logging into Windows because of a problem with its networking infrastructure.

DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG

If you are experiencing a DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG blue screen error on your Windows 10 computer, there is a quick and easy solution. Follow these steps to fix the problem:

  1. Open the “Device Manager” by clicking on the “Start” button, typing “device manager” in the search box, and pressing Enter.
  2. Under the “System Devices” category, locate and click on “Driver Package Watchdog”.
  3. Click on the “Uninstall” button next to the DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG entry.
  4. Restart your computer to complete the fix. ..

Update obsolete drivers

  1. Open the Device Manager and expand the Drivers category.
  2. Double-click on the driver that needs an update, for example, DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG.
  3. Click on Update Driver.
  4. Follow the prompts to update the driver and then click on Finish to finish the process.

Press the shortcut key Win + Q to access the taskbar search box. Enter “devmgmt.msc” in the text field and press Enter to open Device Manager. ..

If you find a yellow exclamation point in any of the categories on the list, it means that there is a new device available for purchase or lease. Once you find the device, double-click on it to explore its list of features and specifications. ..

Right-click on the devices and select Update Driver.

Selecting a search option automatically will help you find the drivers that are needed for your device. ..

After that, follow the instructions that appear on the display to complete the installation successfully.

Run a full PC scan to fix DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG

Windows Security offers several scanning options, but opting for a full scan is always suggested for dealing with BSODs. This tool will dig deep into the root folders to find threats. ..

Click the little up arrow under Show hidden icons on the system tray and hit the shield icon to start Windows Security.

In the left sidebar of the application interface, choose protection against viruses and threats. In the right pane, click Scan Options.

When all scanning options are visible, choose the Full Scan option. Finally, click on the Scan now button to start the detection process. ..

Please be patient as the entire exam may take a few hours to complete. Depending on the result, take the necessary actions to make your computer free from viruses and threats. ..

Dealing with system memory complications

If you are experiencing problems with your computer, one of the first things to check is your memory. Memory problems can cause a number of different issues, from poor performance to blue screen errors like DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG. To diagnose and fix any memory issues, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Memory Diagnostic by pressing the Windows key + X and selecting “Windows Memory Diagnostic” from the list.
  2. Click on the “Start” button in the lower-left corner of the window and select “Run” from the menu that pops up.
  3. Type “memtest86+” (without quotes) into the text box that appears and click on “OK”.
  4. When MEMTEST starts, press F5 to run it in continuous mode (this will run it multiple times until you get a successful result). If you get an error message while MEMTEST is running, please see below for troubleshooting tips. If you are experiencing problems with MEMTEST after following these steps, please see our troubleshooting guide for more help: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4034177/windows-10-memory-diagnostic-troubleshooting ..

Then, open the Privacy settings and select the “Do not track” option. Now, open the App Store and sign in with your Apple ID. In the App Store, tap on the three lines in the top left corner of the screen and select “Create a new account”. Enter your name and password. After you have created an account, tap on “Sign In” in the top right corner of the screen to finish signing in.

If you’re having trouble with your computer’s memory, try diagnosing your computer’s memory problems using the main interface. ..

This will immediately display the tool on the PC screen, select the option “Restart now and check for problems”.

If you choose to reboot your device, a blue screen will be apparent at startup that will scan for memory issues. ..

Windows will restart once again after the scan is complete. The results will be visible in the system tray.

Check and install the latest updates available to fix DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG

  1. Open the Start screen and type “Update”.
  2. A list of updates will appear, click on one to install it.
  3. After the update has been installed, open the Control Panel and select “Update and Security” from the left hand side menu.
  4. In the Update and Security window, check for new updates by clicking on the check box next to each update name. If there are any updates that you do not want to install, click on the “Uninstall” button to remove them from your computer.

To open the Windows settings, press the shortcut keys “Winlogo + I”.

To update and secure your Windows 10 computer, click on the Update and security category on the left side of the interface. By default, the Windows Update subsection is selected. ..

If you’re using a broadband connection, clicking the “Check for updates” button will immediately trigger a check for all available updates, but your bandwidth may be taxed. ..

When you click the Download button, a page will list all available patches. ..

Windows will prompt you for a reboot if any of them require a reboot to install. Proceed with the instructions and this should resolve the DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG error.

Disconnect unnecessary hardware accessories

Remove all external hardware items from the device. Keep them safe for later use.

If you are experiencing problems with your Windows 10 PC, restart it and check the error code. If it doesn’t, reconnect the disconnected devices one after the other to find the problem. ..

Solve DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG by running the disk verification tool

Type cmd.exe and press Enter.

To run the program as administrator, right-click on it and select Run as administrator. ..

Yes, the UAC prompt permissions will allow you to run the tool.

Elevated Command Prompt Window: Enter the following syntax to launch the elevated command prompt: C:\Windows\system32>cmd

The Disk Check Utility will run and the check will start momentarily. ..

After the computer finishes its shutdown, restart it and see if the BSOD error still occurs.

Use the offline or online blue screen troubleshooter

Microsoft has introduced a troubleshooter that can help users with blue screen errors. The tool detects the possible problems since last week and also interprets bug checking codes. Depending on the scan results, it tries to fix it right away. ..

Settings is a main menu in Windows 10 that you can access by pressing the Winlogo + I key combination. This key combination opens the Settings app, which is a default app in Windows 10. The Settings app contains a variety of settings that you can change, including your computer’s settings, such as your screen resolution and wallpaper.

Update and security are important topics for users of Windows 10. Microsoft has released a number of updates to address vulnerabilities and improve the security of the operating system. ..

Troubleshooting is a mainstay of computer repair and maintenance. It can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and knowledge, it can be done successfully.

Switch to the opposite panel, find and select Blue Screen. Click Run Troubleshooter button to start scanning.

Repair missing and corrupt system files

  1. Open the Start screen and type cmd in the search bar.
  2. Type cmd and hit Enter.
  3. Type fsck in the command line and hit Enter.
  4. If the System File Checker window pops up, click on it to start the utility.

Cmd: Run as administrator

Hit Sim when UAC starts up.

cd /usr/local/share/doc This will change the working directory to the location where you have installed the DocBook Writer software.

The check will take a little longer to complete, so wait until it finishes. If there is an error, restart your computer and check for it.

Disable unwanted services and startup programs

In the Run dialog, type msconfig and click OK to start system configuration.

To disable startup items, go to the Services tab and uncheck the checkbox titled “Load Startup Items.” ..

Next, select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” box and click Disable All. ..

In the Startup tab, click on the only existing link that opens up Task Manager.

Disable all of your computer’s background applications. This will help you stay focused on what you’re doing and avoid distractions.

Apply and OK in the System Configuration window and then restart the system.

Make sure you have enough disk space

The driver for a watchdog device on a computer can be caused by low disk space, which can make the device run slowly and various problems. If the drive Windows is installed on is jammed with useless items, constantly piling up temporary files, browser cache, download items and more, then the system will likely encounter BSOD errors. So run the Disk Cleanup tool and simply make sure the disk drive has enough disk space to avoid any problems.

Clean Mgr: Enter the command “clean mgr” in the taskbar search and choose Disk Cleanup in the result.

To access the system drive on a computer, from the next assistant up, click the drop-down menu, select the system drive and click OK. ..

This will help to clear up system files and optimize your computer. ..

You have now selected the disk drive to continue using.

Please start the cleaning process by checking all the checkboxes.

Once the cleanup is finished, check to see if the BSOD error has been thrown up. ..

Final note

If you are having a problem with the “DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG Blue Screen error” issue on Windows 11/10, then you may want to check out our guide on how to fix it. If you have any questions about this article, then please feel free to ask us. Additionally, please share this article with your friends so that they can also benefit from it.