Constant DPC Watchdog (0x133) crashes, but only on one piece of software

Troubleshooting Persistent DPC Watchdog (0x133) Crashes Isolate to a Single Software Application

Introduction

Encountering the dreaded DPC Watchdog Violation (0x133) error can be a frustrating experience for PC users, especially when it manifests exclusively with one piece of software. Recently, I faced this issue specifically with the game Star Wars Outlaws, where the system would freeze after only ten minutes of gameplay, followed by a spontaneous restart. Despite extensive troubleshooting across various system components and configurations, the problem persisted until I discovered a solution that proved effective.

Problem Overview

The core challenge was that the DPC Watchdog error appeared solely during sessions with Star Wars Outlaws. No other demanding applications or games triggered similar crashes, including titles like Cyberpunk 2077 with Ray Tracing or classic benchmarks. The hardware involved is high-end: AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D, NVIDIA RTX 4090, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and an NVMe M.2 drive. Efforts included adjustments to graphics settings, disabling/enabling features such as RTX and DLSS, running the game in Vulkan mode, and even performing a clean Windows reinstallation.

Key Findings and Diagnostics

• Crash Data Analysis: Examination of crash dump files highlighted interference involving the nvlddmkm.sys driver, indicating GPU-related issues.

• Driver Troubleshooting: Multiple driver versions, including 572.16 and 576.02, were tested via clean installations and using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU). These had no effect on the instability.

• Software Specificity: The crash occurred exclusively with Star Wars Outlaws post-launch; other intensive applications ran smoothly without incident.

Hypotheses and Considerations

Given the isolated nature of the crashes, the suspicion pointed toward driver or software compatibility issues. The fact that other high-demand titles function correctly suggests the root cause may be tied to either a specific game update or driver interaction.

Proposed Solutions and Resolution

A successful fix was achieved through driver rollback:

• Driver Rollback: Reverting to NVIDIA driver version 566.36, as recommended by community insights, resolved the problem entirely. Post-rollback, the game runs flawlessly without triggering the DPC watchdog error or system instability.

• Additional Measures: Despite the fix, I maintained thorough testing, including attempting to run the game via different Windows versions, and exploring alternative installation methods. However, the driver rollback proved sufficient