CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT ERROR IN Windows 10

One of the most difficult to determine the reasons and correcting errors in Windows 10 - Blue Screen "On your PC there is a problem and it must be restarted" and the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT error code, which can appear both in arbitrary moments and when performing certain actions (launch of a specific program , Connecting device, etc.). By itself, the error says that the expected interruption system was not received from one of the processor cores for the expected time, which, as a rule, little says about what to do next.

In this manual - about the most common causes of error and ways to correct the blue screen clock_watchdog_timeout in Windows 10, if possible (in some cases, the problem may be hardware).

Blue Death Screen (BSOD) Clock_WatchDog_Timeout and AMD Ryzen Processors

I decided to make information about the error in relation to the owners of computers on Ryzen in a separate section, since for them, in addition to the reasons described below, there are also their specific.

So, if you have a CPU Ryzen on board, and you encountered the clock_watchdog_timeout error in Windows 10, I recommend to take into account the following points.

1. Do not install the early buildings of Windows 10 (version 1511, 1607), since they are possible conflicts when operating on the specified processors, which leads to errors. Further were eliminated.
2. Update the BIOS of your motherboard from the official site of its manufacturer.

On the second item: on a number of forums report that, on the contrary, the error manifests itself after updating the BIOS, in this case the rollback is triggered to the previous version.

BIOS problems (UEFI) and acceleration

If in recent times you changed the BIOS parameters or performed the processor acceleration, it can cause the clock_watchdog_timeout error. Try the following steps:

1. Disable processor acceleration (if executed).
2. Reset BIOS on default settings, you can - Optimized Settings (Load Optimized Defaults), More - How to Reset BIOS Settings.
3. If the problem appeared after assembling the computer or replacing the motherboard, check if the manufacturer's official website is updated for it: perhaps the problem has been solved in the update.

Problems with peripheral equipment and drivers

The following reason is the incorrect operation of equipment or drivers. If you recently connected new equipment or just reinstalled (updated the version) Windows 10, pay attention to the following methods:

1. Install the original device drivers from the official website of the manufacturer of your laptop or motherboard (if it is a PC), especially the chipset drivers, USB, power management, network adapters. Do not use the Pak driver (programs for automatic driver installation), also do not perceive a seriously "driver does not need to update" in the device manager - this message does not mean that there are really no new drivers (they are not only in the Windows update center). For a laptop, an auxiliary system software should also be installed, also from the official website (precisely systemic, various application programs that may also be present there).
2. In the event that there are devices with errors in the Windows device manager, try to disable them (the right click of the mouse - disable), if these are new devices, then you can disable them and physically) and restart the computer (it is a restart, and not to complete the work followed by inclusion , In Windows 10 it can be important), and then watch - whether the problem appears again.

Another point regarding the equipment is in some cases (talking about PCs, not laptops) The problem may appear if there are two video cards on the computer (integrated chip and discrete video card). The BIOS is usually present to the PC to disable the integrated video (as a rule, in the Integrated Peripherals section), try moving off.

Software and malicious programs

Among other things, BSOD clock_watchdog_timeout can be caused by recently installed programs, especially those of them that work with Windows 10 at a low level or add their system services:

1. Antivirus.
2. Programs adding virtual devices (can be viewed in device manager), for example, Daemon Tools.
3. Utilities for working with BIOS parameters from a system, for example, ASUS AI Suite, overclocking programs.
4. In some cases, the software for working with virtual machines, such as VMware or VirtualBox. With regard to them, sometimes the error occurs as a result of the wrong operation of the virtual network or when using specific systems in virtual machines.

Also, such software can include viruses and other malicious programs, I recommend checking the computer for their presence. See the best means of removing malicious programs.

CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT error as a result of hardware problems

And finally, the cause of the error under consideration can be hardware and associated problems. Some of them are just fixed, they can be attributed to them:

1. Overheating, dust in the system unit. You should clean the computer from dust (even in the absence of signs of overheating, it will not be superfluous), when the processor overheating, it may also be changed to the thermal paste. See how to find out the temperature of the processor.
2. Incorrect operation of the power supply, voltages are different from the required (can be traced in BIOS of some motherboards).
3. RAM errors. See how to check the prompt memory of the computer or laptop.
4. Problems with hard disk work, see how to check the hard disk on errors.

More serious problems of this character are motherboards or processor faults.

Additional Information

If nothing of the described has not yet helped, the following items may be helpful:

• If the problem has appeared recently, and the system is not reinstalled, try using Windows 10 recovery points.
• Check the integrity of Windows 10 system files.
• Often the problem is caused by the work of network adapters or their drivers. Sometimes it is not possible to accurately determine that the case is in them (updating the drivers does not help, etc.), but when the computer is disconnected from the Internet, turn off the Wi-Fi adapter or removing the cable from the network card, the problem disappears. This does not necessarily indicate about the problems of the network card (system components that incorrectly working with the network can also be guilty), but can help in diagnosing a problem.
• If the error manifests itself when you start some particular program, it is possible that the problem is caused by its incorrect work (perhaps specifically in this software environment and on this equipment).

I hope one way will help solve the problem and in your case an error is not caused by hardware problems. For laptops or monoblocks from the original OS from the manufacturer, you can also try to reset the factory settings.