Watchdog_Violation BSOD Seconds after Startup

Screwdinger

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It has been happening since this morning. I was downloading the Panda Antivirus 2015 Trial overnight, and I woke up at 5 to see that it has finished downloading. But at 6 o'clock it crashed with a Watchdog_Violation thing. No number after it. I ignored it and went to school. 3 hours later, I came back (yearly exam yes?) and it's still stuck on the BSOD. So I forced it to turn off. Then I turn the computer on. A minute after logging in, the BSOD happened again. So I switched to Safe Mode. It doesn't happen in Safe Mode, so I don't think it's an internal issue.

I deleted Panda Antivirus, for fear that it may be causing the problem, and went back to normal mode. The BSOD still happens, with the DPC_Watchdog_Violation still happening.

Halp.
 
Also these are the recent minidumps, starting from this morning to thirty minutes ago.
 

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You 'deleted Panda antivirus'. How ? Did you perform a proper uninstall process as supplied with Panda? I don't know if the 'Watchdog' software which crashes forms part of Panda antivirus, but if it is, then clearly it did not get uninstalled.

I would start by looking around on Panda website for mention of watchdog, to see if there are clues as to it definitely being part of Panda. If it is, try re-installing Panda, reboot, uninstall (properly !), reboot again. You may need to do all that in safe mode.

If the problem is still there, then the Panda website should offer some way to fully uninstall, independant of the actual software setup, after every kind of failed installation. Most complex software of this sort has to have this type of solution.
 
Yes, that's what I meant, uninstallation. I think I uninstalled it properly, from Programs and Features. Apologies, I'm not very computer literate. Though I've found an unistaller from the Panda Security website. I'll check back after I try this.
 
I've uninstalled the antivirus fully, with the uninstaller. But unfortunately, it doesn't do anything. I've also restored to a previous restore point, but it doesn't help either.
 
If I wasn't clear, the BSODs looked just like this, just without the "It'll restart in: 5 seconds"
dpc_watchdog_violation.png
 
Um, google says this is about your SSD drive in Windows 8. Just google 'DPC watchdog violation' there are plenty of posts on that, but I know nothing more....sorry.
Here is a sample --
Then I came upon a short note from some kind soul that said something like, “Do this and your problem will stop or dramatically decrease: Go to Control Panel>Power Options>click on Choose What the Power Buttons Do>click on Change Settings that are Currently Unavailable>unclick the box labeled Turn on Fast Startup.” (This turns off Hibernate, too.) Then I restarted. I couldn’t believe it. My problem was gone.

Other posts say it can happen (in Win 8) for any device with out-of-date drivers.....chances are something changed the HDD driver. The fact it works ok in safe mode is a firm indication that it is a Windows driver problem. Any restore point from well before installing the Panda thing ?
 
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I've tried restoring to a point before I installed Panda Antivirus, but that didn't work as well. I've also disabled Fast Startup, and I've just updated my drivers. It didn't help.
 
Is it possible that having the PC on downloading overnight has actually caused HDD corruption or even damage? Don't know if you have an SSD or rotating HDD.

As a first step, I would run chkdsk /f to see if anything is reported - HDD only, not SSD. Will take a long time. Any other hardware that you can test ? Make sure no USB devices are attached during testing.

Search the Panda site for anyone reporting similar problems. Sometimes these all-encompassing softwares install their own drivers (as upper or lower filter drivers - versions of Acronis true image were horrible at that. Uninstalling even a trial version left those drivers behind, and removing them if they caused conflicts was very hard). You could search the registry (carefully and dont change anything), for the word 'panda' to see what might show up.
 
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For the moment, I'm unable to check whether my disk is an SSD or a HDD. I'm not sure if leaving my laptop on overnight was the problem; I've done that kind of thing for years now (download games from Steam, mostly). I've looked everywhere on the panda forum, but so far, the most useful post in the forum is how to completely uninstall Panda (registry, drivers, etc), which I've done.

Also, would changing the OS from Windows 8 to Windows 7 fix the problem? Since changing the OS would wipe everything, I reckon my laptop would be fixed if I do that
 
Also, would changing the OS from Windows 8 to Windows 7 fix the problem? Since changing the OS would wipe everything, I reckon my laptop would be fixed if I do that
It almost certainly would, IF the fault is purely a driver problem. If it is really a hardware fault that just coincided with the Panda problem, then of course it won't. So your first step must be to prove all the hardware is fine.

You say it works fine in safe mode? If so, it still tends to say it is a driver problem. Could you try a Windows re-install in place ? That is the OS win 8 or 8.1 is reinstalled, but none of the data or settings are changed. It is called repair installation or similar if you look it up.
 
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Check on Control Panel, Programs and features. You will see the date any ATI driver may have been installed. I have known Windows update to supply a driver for my hardware which caused problems. Now I never accept a driver from MS, only from the device manufacturer and even then only if I experience a problem. If you have MS update on automatic, that's a bad idea. Set it to advise when updates are available, but download and install only what and when you give permission.
 
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