How to Fix Clock Watchdog Error (BSOD) In Windows

Sometimes while working on your PC, you may encounter the blue screen (BSOD) showing the error message, “Clock Watchdog Timeout.”

It’s quite annoying. It usually happens when the time allotted by the CPU to a process expires and your system cannot provide an output at a specific deadline, as a result, this error appears.

There could be many more reasons why you are facing this error.

Here are some possible reasons that could cause the Clock Watchdog Timeout error. 

  • Faulty RAM
  • Corrupt or outdated device drivers
  • Missing or corrupt system files
  • Malicious third-party app/software
  • Outdated firmware or BIOS settings
  • Hardware failure
  • Missing updates

In this guide, we will help you to fix this blue screen error with some common troubleshooting steps.

How To Fix Clock Watchdog Timeout Error?

Here are some easy methods to resolve the Clock Watchdog Timeout error: 

Restart Your System

A simple solution is to restart your system. The Clock Watchdog Timeout error doesn’t always mean a serious problem, it could be a bug that you can fix by restarting your system.

Restart your system once before trying anything else.

Unplug All Devices

Disconnect all devices from your PC, such as the mouse, keyboard, printer, and monitors.

Make sure the RAM, SSD and GPU are properly Installed, and check for any loose cables, and unseated RAM.

Reconnect all external devices again, wait for a minute and then press the Power button to restart.

Check For Windows Update

Windows usually updates automatically in the background, so it’s possible you may not have the latest updates.

See if there are any pending updates for Windows, do the following:

  • Open Settings. You can do this by pressing Windows + I.
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  • Select Windows Update.
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  • If you have any updates available, click on Download and Install to Update your System.
  • That’s it. 

Update Firmware

Updating a firmware is also important. There are chances that the firmware might be corrupt or outdated. 

If the firmware is corrupted, you are likely to encounter the Clock Watchdog Timeout Error.

Follow the steps to Update your Firmware:

  • Right-click on the Start menu, and select Device Manager. 
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  • Now, here select Firmware and then select Update Driver.
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  • Now, select Search automatically for drivers.
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  • If you have any updates available, Windows will automatically update your firmware.
  • Once done, make sure to restart your PC and see if the problem is solved.

Uninstall Newly Installed Software

If you have installed any new software recently and started facing the BSOD Watchdog Timeout Error.

It’s possible that the newly installed software is not compatible with your system.

In that case, you need to uninstall that software.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
  • Click on Apps and select Installed Apps.
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  • Right-click on your Newly Installed Software.
  • Click Uninstall.
  • After that, restart your system and see if the error continues.
  • That’s it. 

Run Windows Memory Diagnosis

One of the common and major reasons for the BSOD Watchdog Timeout Error is corrupted memory slots in the hardware.

In that case, you can use the Windows Memory Diagnosis to perform a memory check, find errors and resolve them automatically.

Here are some easy steps to follow:

  • Press Windows + R on your keyboard.
  • Type “mdsched” in the search bar. 
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  • Click Ok.
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  • Click on Restart now and check for problems.

Doing this will restart your system, and the Windows Memory Diagnosis will automatically fix any issue or bad memory in the system.

Those were all the effective solutions for the BSOD Watchdog Timeout Error on Windows.

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