Fix: Lenovo Legion 5 Keeps Freezing (Dpc_Watchdog_Violation)

Many users have complained that their Lenovo Legion 5 keeps freezing randomly and getting BSOD with the error “DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION.” In this article, I will tell you how to fix this issue.

This issue stems from compatibility issues between the drivers provided by Nvidia GeForce and the Lenovo Legion factory settings, which causes conflict with other drivers making your laptop freeze.

To fix this issue, go to the Device Manager, expand USB-Controller and disable NVIDIA USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller -1.10(Microsoft). The Nvidia driver installs this device, and it doesn’t exist in your laptop; thus, it causes conflicts with other drivers making your laptop freeze.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Enter Device Manager on Windows Search and click on Open:
   
2. In the Device Manager, expand USB-Controller (or “Universal Serial Bus controllers”).
3. Right-click on NVIDIA USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller -1.10(Microsoft) and click on Disable device:
   
4. Restart your PC.

This should fix the issue for you.

If your Lenovo Legion keeps restarting and the problem reappears, try to uninstall the current drivers and install Lenovo factory drivers, as explained next.

How to Fix Lenovo Legion 5 Keeps Crashing (Dpc_Watchdog_Violation)

As explained above, this issue is caused by the incompatibility of the drivers provided by Nvidia. So, we will try to uninstall your current drivers and install the drivers provided by Lenovo instead.

Here is how to do it:

1. Enter Control Panel on Windows Search and click on Open:
   
2. In the Control Panel, change the view to Category.
3. Under Programs, click on Uninstall a program:
   
4. Right-click on any Nvidia components (such as GeForce Experience, NVIDIA PhysX, NVIDIA Graphics Drivers) and click on Uninstall:
   
   (To learn how to save time and uninstall multiple programs and Windows apps at once, check the article I’ve written about that.)
5. Restart your PC.
6. Go to the Lenovo Support page and search for your device or detect your device, then click on Downloads:
   
7. On the right sidebar, click on Drivers & Software, then click on Manual Update:
   
8. Click on Graphics Processing Units (GPU) and Server-AI Accelerators, then select the NVIDIA VGA Driver for Windows:
   
9. Download the driver and install it on your PC. When custom installing, ONLY install the NVIDIA PhysX, and NVIDIA Graphics Drivers. Do not install GeForce Experience.
10. Reboot your PC

(If enabling 3D Display mode makes your screen go black, check my article on how to fix enabling 3d display mode crashes video driver in Windows.)

Conclusion

Your Lenovo Legion 5 keeps freezing and displaying the error “DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION” due to an incompatibility caused by Nvidia drivers. So, fixing this issue involves uninstalling/disabling the faulty drivers or installing the right one.

To fix this issue, go to Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers and disable the NVIDIA USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller -1.10(Microsoft).

If this doesn’t work, try to uninstall Nvidia graphic drivers and components, reboot your PC, and then install the NVIDIA VGA Driver from Lenovo Support, and reboot your PC again. When installing, ensure only to install the NVIDIA PhysX and the NVIDIA Graphics Drivers.

Another common bug in Lenovo laptops is the firmware update restart loop on Lenovo 14W laptops. I’ve written an article about that.