What does BSOD 257 (CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT) mean?

 
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ConstantTypeOS
STATUS_ALERTEDNTSTATUSWindows
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LOADER_BLOCK_MISMATCH DPC_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT

CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT

Processor watchdog timeout

CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT is bug check code 0x00000101. The built-in table identifies it as CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT; the useful diagnostic question is what Windows component raised the stop and which invariant failed.

This bug check is about CPU forward progress, not about the wall-clock service or time synchronization. Windows expected a clock interrupt on a secondary processor and the processor did not respond before the watchdog interval expired.

How to read the parameters

  • Parameter 1 is the nominal timeout interval in clock ticks.
  • Parameter 3 points to the PRCB for the unresponsive processor.
  • Parameter 4 identifies the processor index that stopped making forward progress.

What to check in the dump

  • In WinDbg, compare stacks and IRQL on all processors, not only the crashing processor.
  • Look for code running at high IRQL, spin loops, firmware/BIOS problems, overclocking, microcode issues, or a hypervisor layer that can stall virtual CPUs.
  • Treat this differently from DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION: 0x101 is a processor clock watchdog, while 0x133 is about DPC/ISR time at elevated IRQL.

References


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