How I Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD in Windows 10

How I Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD in Windows 10.

Have you ever been working on an urgent assignment or playing your favorite game and all of a sudden you get a blue screen with the Clock_Watchdog_Timeout error code?

This guide describes the Windows 10 error code clock_watchdog_timeout, its causes, and how to fix it.

What is a Clock Watchdog Timeout BSOD in Windows 10?

Clock_watchdog_timeout is a blue screen stop code with a watchdog value of 0x00000101, which usually indicates a problem with your PC’s processor.

The error indicates that the secondary processor clock interrupt was not received in the allocated time slot on a multiprocessor system. Therefore, this error means that the additional processor is not responding and cannot handle interrupts.

Causes of the Clock Watchdog Timeout BSOD in Windows 10

The clock_watchdog_timeout error code can occur before or after the computer boots, but there are several reasons why you might receive the error. These include:

Corrupted or defective hardware drivers;
Incompatible random access memory (RAM)
Malicious software or virus infection
Overclocked central processing unit (CPU).
The BIOS may need to be updated.
Software conflict.
Problems with system files.
Lack of communication between multiple threads of the main processor
Outdated firmware and faulty hardware

How to Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD Error

Before troubleshooting your PC to fix the clock_watchdog_timeout error, you need to back up your files to cloud storage or an external drive. This way, you can recover and restore your files in case something goes wrong.

Try the following fixes to resolve the clock_watchdog_timeout error.

Quick Fixes

Scan your computer for malware with built-in Windows Defender, or try one of our best malware and virus scanners to remove any viruses you find.
Temporarily disable your antivirus or security software and check if the error persists. If you still see the error, uninstall and reinstall your antivirus or replace it with a more powerful security suite.
Roll back any recently updated drivers.
Reinstall the video driver.
Perform a System Restore to return the computer back to the state it was in before the clock_watchdog_timeout error occurred.
Update Windows to make sure your computer has the latest Windows 10 error fixes.
Remove any latest system updates that were installed before the clock_watchdog_timeout error started.

Disconnect any external hardware you may have connected to your computer and restart it to see if the hardware is at fault. Install the latest hardware drivers before reusing your computer.
If the clock_watchdog_timeout error appears after installing a specific program, try uninstalling the software to see if it is at fault.
If you have a solid state drive (SSD), make sure the firmware is up to date. Otherwise, visit the official website of the SSD manufacturer to download and install the latest firmware update.
Clean your computer and replace any old hardware components such as video card, CPU or motherboard.
Reset and update BIOS. Your system BIOS can help fix any hardware issues responsible for the Clock_Watchdog_Timeout error. Resetting and updating the BIOS will return all components of your PC to their original state before the error occurred.

Running Windows Memory Diagnostics Utility

The clock_watchdog_timeout error can be caused by memory issues. In this case, you can run the Windows Memory Diagnostic Utility, which performs a memory check to find any errors and fix them automatically.

To do this, right-click Start> Run, type mdsched and press Enter.

Select Restart Now and check for problems (recommended) in the Windows Memory Diagnostics pop-up window.

Your computer will restart and the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool will automatically fix any problems it finds.

If the problem persists, replace the memory card. If the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool doesn’t find any issues, then the cause of clock_watchdog_timeout might not be memory issues.

Rollback PC drivers

If the Clock_Watchdog_Timeout error appears after updating your hardware drivers, you can roll back the drivers and see if that helps.

To do this, right-click on Start> Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, right-click the device you want to roll back the driver for and select Properties.

Click the Driver tab and select the Roll Back Driver option. If this option is grayed out, there is no previous driver to roll back.

After restoring the driver, select “Yes” and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Start your computer in safe mode

Safe Mode starts Windows 10 with a limited set of drivers and files, so you can narrow down the source of the clock_watchdog_timeout error. If you don’t get an error message in Safe Mode, it means that the default settings on your PC and the underlying device drivers are not causing the problem.

You can start your computer in Safe Mode through Settings or from the Windows login screen.

To enter Safe Mode through Settings, select Start> Settings> Update & Security and then select Recovery.

Select Restart Now under Advanced Startup.

Your computer will restart at the Select an Option screen. Select “Troubleshoot”.

Then select Advanced Options> Start Options and select Restart.

After restarting your computer, select 4 options from the list to start in safe mode.

If you are unable to open the settings on your computer, you can restart it using the login screen. To do this, press the Shift key and choose Power> Restart. Follow the same steps to enter Safe Mode on the Option Select screen.

Perform a clean boot

Like Safe Mode, Clean Boot starts Windows with a limited set of startup programs and drivers, but gives you more control over which programs and services start at startup. This way, you can determine which background program is causing the clock_watchdog_timeout error.

To do this, enter msconfig in the search box and select System Configuration.

Then select Services and then select Hide All Microsoft Services.

Select Disable All.

On the Startup tab, select Open Task

Manager.

Then select each startup item in Task Manager and select Disable.

Close Task Manager, and then click OK on the Startup tab of System Configuration. Restart your computer and you will enter a clean boot environment where you can shutdown individual processes until the clock_watchdog_timeout error goes away.

Note. If none of the above fixes worked, you may need to completely replace the processor.

We hope you managed to get rid of the clock_watchdog_timeout error using the solutions above. Share with us the fix that worked for you in the comments.

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