RX 6500 XT: amdkmdag.sys DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION, driver fails to load (Code 31, STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR 0xC00000E5)

Sebbekakaka 0 Ryktespoäng
2026-09-26T18:23:34.0233333+00:00

I've been dealing with a frustrating issue on my Windows 11 PC with an AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT and I'm hoping someone here can help me figure out what's actually going on, because I feel like I've hit a wall.

The original problem: Repeated DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x133) blue screens, random freezes, sometimes freezing right at the lock screen before I could even type my password. I pulled the minidump and ran it through WinDbg, and it pointed to amdkmdag.sys (AMD's graphics driver) as the faulting module.

What I've tried so far:

I ran DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode to completely wipe the AMD driver. With Microsoft's Basic Display Adapter running instead of the real AMD driver, the PC has been rock solid — no crashes, no freezes, tested for 10+ minutes of normal use, multiple times.

But the moment I install the actual AMD driver again (I'm on version 32.0.21005.5002, dated August 17, 2026), the computer freezes for 2-3 minutes on the next boot. It does eventually come back, but afterward Device Manager shows the GPU with a yellow warning triangle — Code 31, "Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device." Even dxdiag still shows Microsoft Basic Display Driver, like the AMD driver never actually took control of the card.

I checked the Events tab on the device in Device Manager and found repeated "Device Not Started" entries for the AMD driver, with status 0xC00000E5 (STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR).

I've already done a full Windows reset and the problem came back after. I've also tested with the network/Ethernet completely disconnected, so I don't think this is a Windows Update driver conflict overriding my install.

What I'm trying to rule out:

I don't want to just throw money at a new GPU without knowing if it's actually the card, so I'm trying to figure out if this is:

**•**	A driver bug/incompatibility with this specific AMD driver version

**•**	A Windows/graphics stack issue

**•**	A BIOS/PCIe configuration problem

**•**	Or genuinely failing GPU hardware

Questions:

**1.**	Has anyone seen STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR (0xC00000E5) specifically at the driver initialization stage for a GPU, and what ended up being the cause?

**2.**	Anyone else running the RX 6500 XT had issues with driver version 32.0.21005.5002 specifically?

**3.**	Is there anything else diagnostic-wise I should pull before assuming it's the card itself?

thanks in advance // Sebastian

Windows för hemmet | Windows 11 | Enheter och drivrutiner
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  1. Lester Bernard Reyes 86,175 Ryktespoäng Oberoende rådgivare
    2026-09-28T21:45:59.1633333+00:00

    Hi, thank you for patiently waiting. Upon checking and analyzing the logs, there is an error in your AMD Graphics driver. Since you have done a Windows Reset and reinstalled the AMD driver, I recommend running a clean installation of the AMD driver. This is different from doing DDU or updating the driver, as this will remove all entries and replace them with compatible ones. Kindly follow the steps from the link below:

    Step 1. Completely uninstall the AMD GPU Driver using the steps from this link:

    https://www.amd.com/en/resources/support-articles/faqs/GPU-601.html

     

    Step 2. Reinstall the AMD Graphics driver using the steps from the link below:

    Install AMD Radeon and automatically detect the AMD driver:

    https://www.amd.com/en/resources/support-articles/faqs/GPU-131.html

    Note: If the issue persists, I suggest contacting a local technician to physically check the device for any hardware-related issues.

    Var det här svaret till hjälp?

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  2. Lester Bernard Reyes 86,175 Ryktespoäng Oberoende rådgivare
    2026-09-27T17:25:58.6766667+00:00

    Hi, thank you for replying. The filtered logs contain only information related to the errors and do not include personal information. You may safely share the filtered logs here so I can further check the issue.

    Var det här svaret till hjälp?

  3. Lester Bernard Reyes 86,175 Ryktespoäng Oberoende rådgivare
    2026-09-26T18:58:35.5966667+00:00

    Hi, I'm Bernard. I'm happy to help!

    Based on the initial information you have provided. It seems that there is a graphics-related issue on the PC. Moreover, can you please check the System logs on the PC so I can further examine the root cause of the issue?

     

    To share the System logs, please follow the steps in the link below:

     

    Press the Windows key + X, then select "Event Viewer"

    Click the drop-down of "Windows logs"

    Right-click System > click Filter Current logs > Check: Critical, Warning, and Error > Hit OK

    On the right pane, click "Save Filtered Log File As..."

    Save the System logs file to your desktop and share it by following the steps from the link:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/share-onedrive-files-and-folders-9fcc2f7d-de0c-4cec-93b0-a82024800c07

     

    Note: You can also use your preferred cloud storage to upload and share the logs.

    Var det här svaret till hjälp?

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