If you encounter the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT Blue Screen of Death error while using your Windows 10 computer then it is most likely caused by a specified processor which is not processing interrupts. This occurs when the processor is deadlocked or nonresponsive.
Specifically, this kind of Stop error occurs when the processor is having a hard time with the cooperation of its threads and cores. The threads are the tasks performed by cores and some cores can have many threads at the same time. And this is where the problem begins – one thread is waiting for an adequate response from another thread or one kernel is waiting for a response from another kernel and those responses are not coming. In other words, when the processor is unable to continue the processing of tasks since its resources are occupied and are interdependent to get free, such a state is called Deadlock.
The CLOCK WATCHDOG TIMEOUT bug check has a value of 0x00000101 which means that an expected clock interrupt on a secondary processor, in a multiprocessor system, was not received within the allocated interval. To troubleshoot the problem, you can check out the possible fixes provided below but before you proceed, make sure that you boot your computer into Safe Mode with Networking only.
Option 1 – Undo or disable overclocking if you have overclocked your system
- Go to the Start Menu and open Settings.
- Next, select Update and Security and go to the Recover tab.
- From there, click on Restart now in Advanced startup. This will restart your computer.
- Once you’re in the Advanced startup, go to Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced Options.
- From there, select the UEFU Firmware Settings.
- Now click on Restart. Once your computer has restarted, it will automatically open BIOS.
- From the BIOS, go to the Advanced tab and navigate to Performance and then look for Overclocking.
- Once you’ve found Overclocking, make sure that it is disabled. If it’s not, then disable it and then save the changes made by tapping the F10 key.
- Start your computer normally and check if the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101 error is now fixed.
Option 2 – Try running the Memory Diagnostic Tool
The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101 Blue Screen error by checking and automatically fixing any memory-based issues. To run it, refer to these steps:
- Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type mdsched.exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
- After that, it will give two options such as:
- Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
- Check for problems the next time I start my computer
- Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.
Option 3 – Try to rollback, update or disable drivers
The next thing you can do to fix the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101 Stop error is to roll back, or update, or disable device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
- Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
- Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
- After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
- Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
- Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 4 – Try running the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
- Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
- Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Option 5 – Try to disconnect or disable newly installed hardware
In this option, you will have to disable or remove the hardware you’ve just installed recently since external devices could be the one that’s causing the Blue Screen of Death error to appear. To do that, just disconnect any external device that’s connected to your computer physically and then check if it fixes the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT Blue Screen error.
Option 6 – Troubleshoot the BSOD error in Clean Boot State
You can also troubleshoot the Blue Screen error in a Clean Boot state. There are times when third-party applications cause BSOD errors. Putting your computer in this state can help you identify which program is the culprit and thus isolates the problem. In a Clean Boot state, your computer will start using only the pre-selected minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Note that you have to disable and enable one process at a time.
- Log onto your PC as an administrator.
- Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
- From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
- Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
- Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
- Click Disable all.
- Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
- From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Option 7 – Try to update the BIOS
Updating the BIOS can help you fix the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT BSOD error but as you know, BIOS is a sensitive part of a computer. Even though it is a software component, the functioning of the hardware depends on it largely. Thus, you must be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
- From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
- After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
- Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
- If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
- Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version on your computer.
- Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.