- \n
- Type device manager<\/strong> into the taskbar’s search box, click on Device Manager<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Go](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/finding-device-manager-form-the-start-menu-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- To see the names of the devices, choose a category, right-click the device you want to update, then select Update Driver<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Update](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Update-driver-option-in-device-manager.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Choose Search automatically for drivers<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"search](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/search-automatically-for-drivers-option.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- You can attempt to find a new driver on the device manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions if Windows cannot do so automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
To update automatically with third-party software:<\/strong><\/p>
Third-party apps can automatically update your drivers if you lack the time, patience, or computer skills to do so manually. The apps will automatically detect your system, locate proper drivers for it and your specific version of Windows 10, download, and install them.<\/p>
You can see a list of the best third-party driver update apps below:<\/p>
- \n
- Driver Easy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DriverFix<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- IOBit Driver Booster 9<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DriverMax<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Here’s how to update the drivers using the app:<\/p>
- \n
- Install one of the apps listed above. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Launch the app and press the Scan<\/strong> button. The application will then scan your computer for problematic or outdated drivers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The drivers will be downloaded automatically when you click the Update <\/strong>button next to the marked devices, and the application will install them for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Alternatively, you can click Update All<\/strong> to automatically download and install all your system’s outdated or missing drivers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n![\"in](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/update-all-button-in-the-driver-updater-app.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>Note: <\/strong>Since this is a general how-to and these steps will direct you to use four different applications, the options and buttons named above may have different names in the application.<\/p>
2. Use Driver Verifier<\/h3>
Microsoft offers a Driver Verifier tool to monitor Windows drivers and graphics drivers to find any unauthorized actions that could harm the system. To use Driver Verifier, you must be a member of the computer’s Administrators group. <\/p>
Your computer might crash in the middle of the session. You must, therefore, only try this solution after you have backed up all your crucial data and files.<\/p>
- \n
- Press the Windows<\/strong> and X<\/strong> keys simultaneously on your keyboard, and then select Command Prompt (Admin) <\/strong>or Windows Terminal (Admin).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"windows](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/windows-command-prompt-or-terminal-in-task-bar-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Click Yes<\/strong> when asked to grant administrator permission.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In the Command Prompt window, type verifier <\/strong>and press Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- To proceed, select Create standard settings<\/strong> and then click Next<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n![\"create](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/create-standard-settings.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Choose Automatically select all drivers installed on this computer. <\/strong>The verification will then begin after you click Finish<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"automatically](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/automatically-select-all-drivers-installed-on-this-computer-option.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>After the detection process is complete, simply follow the directions to fix the stop code WDF_Violation blue screen error.<\/p>
3. Repair system files<\/h3>
System files on your computer that are missing, corrupt, or damaged may be the root of the WDF_Violation blue screen error. You need to run a Windows repair to see if this is the situation. Windows has a useful System File Checker (SFC) that scans your system files and fixes any missing or damaged system files (including those related to BSOD). <\/p>
To start the SFC scan:<\/p>
- \n
- Press the Windows logo key<\/strong> and type cmd<\/strong> on your keyboard. Then, on the Command Prompt menu, select Run as administrator<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"command](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/command-prompt-in-the-search-bar-and-results-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- When prompted to confirm, select Yes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Type sfc \/scannow<\/strong> into the command prompt window and press Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n![\"sfc](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sfc-scan-command-in-command-prompt-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
4. Boot the Windows in Safe mode<\/h3>
When booting the system in the safe mode, the operating system launches in diagnostic mode instead of normal operating mode. It is primarily used to troubleshoot systems that have crashed, failed to boot properly, or are unstable after installing an update, a device driver, or a new software.<\/p>
To isolate issues causing system instability, such as WDF_Violation, the operating system loads just a minimal set of drivers and services in this mode. To boot the system in safe mode:<\/p>
- \n
- In the bottom-left corner, click the Windows<\/strong> icon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click Restart<\/strong> after selecting the Power<\/strong> icon while holding down the Shift key.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/restart-option-in-task-bar.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- After restarting, a blue screen with the title Choose an option<\/strong> will appear. Select Advanced options<\/strong> after choosing Troubleshoot<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/troubleshoot-option-in-recovery-mode.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- After selecting Startup Settings<\/strong>, click Restart<\/strong>. Your computer will switch on and off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- When the screen reappears, the system will give you a few choices. Press either 4 or 5 to start your computer in Safe Mode<\/strong> with internet access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/safe-mode-options-1024x532.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>Unnecessary device drivers or startup programs may cause the issue if you don’t experience it again after starting in Safe mode.<\/p>
5. Reset Windows<\/h3>
You can reset your Windows, which will cause the system to install a set of new drivers and potentially fix the WDF_Violation BSOD problem. But you should remember that resetting your PC will delete all your files, so you need to create a backup before attempting to reset Windows.<\/p>
- \n
- Go to the search field in your taskbar and type reset<\/strong>, click on Reset this PC<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"reset](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/reset-this-PC-option-in-start-menu.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Select Get started<\/strong> or Reset this PC<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"reset](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/reset-option-in-the-settings-1024x551.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- You will have a choice between two possibilities. To restore the computer to its “new” state, select Remove everything<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click Confirm<\/strong> or Next<\/strong> on the next few windows.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your PC will restart a few minutes later with a completely new set of drivers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
There is also another method that will not only recover the files without a backup but also retain your files even when your PC can’t boot up due to the WDF_violation stop code.<\/p>
Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows will recover your lost files from the chosen hard drive. You can also create bootable media, which will recover your files from your unbootable PC. Both procedures are presented below with their step-by-step how to:<\/p>
To recover files from a hard drive:<\/strong><\/p>
- \n
- Install the Stellar Data Recovery Professional.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Open the application, select the type of data you want to recover, and click Next<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"after](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/after-selecting-the-file-type-to-recover-click-next-3.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Select the folder location or drive volume and click Scan<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/after-hard-drive-selection-click-the-scan-button-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>- \n
- Select files after the scan and click Recover<\/strong> to save recovered data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/the-file-recovery-preview-and-recover-button-in-app-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>To recover files from an unbootable PC:<\/strong><\/p>
- Select files after the scan and click Recover<\/strong> to save recovered data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- Select the folder location or drive volume and click Scan<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- Click Confirm<\/strong> or Next<\/strong> on the next few windows.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You will have a choice between two possibilities. To restore the computer to its “new” state, select Remove everything<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Select Get started<\/strong> or Reset this PC<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- When the screen reappears, the system will give you a few choices. Press either 4 or 5 to start your computer in Safe Mode<\/strong> with internet access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- After selecting Startup Settings<\/strong>, click Restart<\/strong>. Your computer will switch on and off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click Restart<\/strong> after selecting the Power<\/strong> icon while holding down the Shift key.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- In the bottom-left corner, click the Windows<\/strong> icon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Type sfc \/scannow<\/strong> into the command prompt window and press Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- When prompted to confirm, select Yes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Press the Windows logo key<\/strong> and type cmd<\/strong> on your keyboard. Then, on the Command Prompt menu, select Run as administrator<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- In the Command Prompt window, type verifier <\/strong>and press Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click Yes<\/strong> when asked to grant administrator permission.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The drivers will be downloaded automatically when you click the Update <\/strong>button next to the marked devices, and the application will install them for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DriverFix<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Driver Easy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You can attempt to find a new driver on the device manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions if Windows cannot do so automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- Choose Search automatically for drivers<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- To see the names of the devices, choose a category, right-click the device you want to update, then select Update Driver<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Select-Waffle-menu.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Create-Recovery-Drive.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"select](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/select-the-USB-drive-from-the-Create-Recovery-Drive-.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Select-What-To-Recover-screen.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Click-Scan.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Click-Recover-to-save-the-files.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>