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

Many users have reported that during the Windows 10 update, they encountered a blue screen of death error. Normally, this would mean that the update process had crashed and the computer would need to be restarted. However, blue screen of death errors are always scary, and most of them are easy to fix. The reason behind these errors can be anything from corrupted PC registry entries to outdated drivers to bad hard drives. ..

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 blue screen error when trying to start your computer, it may be because of driver problems. To fix this problem, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and type “cmd” or “cmd+alt+del”. This will take you to the command prompt.
  2. Type “netstat -an” and press enter. This will show you all of the network connections on your computer.
  3. Look for the DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG connection and make sure it is listed as one of the connections. If it isn’t, try changing its name to something like DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG or adding it to a new network connection list.
  4. If you still can’t fix the blue screen error, then your computer may need to be replaced.

Update obsolete drivers

Updating any outdated or old driver can help to prevent various types of errors and malfunctions in a computer, including DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG. Experts suggest keeping them up to date from time to time. Just check for old drivers and update them through Device Manager. The console will display a yellow warning sign next to outdated ones, so locating the driver that needs an update is not at all difficult. Here are the steps you should follow for the update procedure: ..

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 you have completed the installation, just 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 because the 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 Scan Options pane, under Protection Type, choose Virus Protection. Under Virus Protection Settings, choose the type of scan you want to perform. Under Scan Type, choose Full Scan. Click Start Scan. ..

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

The entire exam may take a few hours to complete, but depending on the result, you may need to take the necessary actions to make your PC 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 any key to interrupt it and then wait for it to finish loading before continuing with step 5. 5a If you are using a USB drive as your main storage device, insert it into your computer before proceeding to step 5b . If you are not using a USB drive, skip to step 6 . If you are using a USB drive as your main storage device, proceed to step 5b . 5b Restart your computer after completing steps 4-5a . 6 Once MEMTEST has finished running, open Windows Explorer (by pressing Windows key + E) and navigate to where memtest86+ was installed on your hard drive (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Memtest86+). Right-click on memtest86+ and select “Delete” from the menu that pops up. ..

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

To ensure a problem-free and error-free PC, it is important to keep your device up to date with the latest security patches, updates, and software releases. Microsoft releases a wide variety of updates frequently in the form of cumulative updates, preview builds, security updates, and more. The delay in downloading and installing these updates keeps bugs and issues intact in the system, which causes many problems. Installing these updates is important as they contain security against potential threats and also include fixes for many known issues. Therefore, updating Windows is always necessary to keep the system healthy and free from unwanted problems. The following sequence of steps can help you check for pending updates:

  1. Open Windows Update on your computer.
  2. In the left pane under “Updates,” click “Check for Updates.”
  3. If there are any new or updated updates available, they will be listed in the right pane.
  4. Click on any of the available update files to download and install it onto 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. ..

In the adjacent panel, click the Check for updates button to trigger a check for all due and new updates.

When the page lists all available patches, click Download.

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.

Right-click on the link and select Run as administrator.

Click Yes to allow the UAC prompt to run the tool. ..

The Elevated Command Prompt window will now display up, type the syntax given below and press Enter. ..

The Disk Check Utility will run and will report the following:

  • The disk is clean.

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 guides to remove BSOD traces from the system. The tool detects the possible problems since last week and also interprets the bug checking codes. In addition, it also tries to track down whether the error was a result of corrupt hardware, memory failure, suspicious activity, obsolete device drivers or any Windows services. 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.

On the Services tab, uncheck the checkbox titled “Load Startup Items” and click on the “Startup Items” link.

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

Startup tab: Open 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 finally 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.

After the cleanup is finished, check the recoverable space and see if there are any BSOD errors.

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.