Windows 10: What is the Intel Watchdog Timer

My ESET Antivirus keeps telling to install Intel Watchdog Timer. I have latest Intel chipset drivers installed from ASUS for my Prime H270 Plus motherboard, but not sure if this timer thing is needed or I can disregard the alert from ESET. Running an i3-7100 CPU, and Windows 10 Creators Update.

:)

 

Still cant download recommended updates

Thank you. This really works. Simply do update for each of them and one of them corresponds to Intel Watchdog timer.

But I am curious about what the remaining Motherboard devices are and do I need to install the updates for them?

Moreover, I googled and see that there is a "RAID controller" driver provided by intel. But my computer never installed that, nor does Windows do it automatically for me. Should I install this driver?

I have a ASUS X550JX.

Thank you again.

 

Still cant download recommended updates

If you are still looking to update "Intel – Other hardware – Intel(R) Watchdog Timer Driver (Intel(R) WDT)" I stumbled across the answer for my ASUS k-55A laptop with same update.

The way to find this update is go to Device Manager-System Devices (go view in menu and click "show hidden devices". You should see one or several listing for "Motherboard device" under Intel Management
Engine Interface. Click on each one and choose update driver software. One of these will update your intel Watchdog timer driver.

This is mine after update.

 

Well, this is what Intel says about it "A watchdog timer is a hardware monitoring tool that prompts system recovery after a failure with a simple pinging mechanism. The timer is not pinged after a certain amount of time, saving system information to aid with debugging. (v.2, Aug. 2015)".

Enabling and Configuring Watchdog Timer - Intel® IOT Gateways

 

Yes, i looked at that, and thought that i don't really need it on my PC. Just wanting to know if it is an essential driver to install or just forget about it.

 

Well, offhand I'd say it wasn't necessary. I can't find hide nor hair of it on my machine so it can't be "essential". I can find nothing anywhere that states anything different either.

 

Thanks. I have never had it on any of my machines ever. ESET has been giving the alert daily since the latest EST program update. I might just switch of the notification settings, as I always manually check for updated drivers anyway, and Windows 10 does its own thing for its updates.