Introduction
If you are someone who just had an encounter with Desktop Window Manager but is not sure what exactly is that, worry not because this article will help you figure that out. In this article, we have explained everything you need to know about the Desktop Window Manager.
What is a Desktop Window Manager?
A Desktop Window Manager (dwm. exe.) is a window manager that combines the display of different applications on your desktop before showing you on the screen. This composite process allows Windows to add thumbnails and transparency. It also renders some other effects in Windows such as Flip3D and high-resolution support. This process cannot be stopped from running and it is an important part of Windows.
Applications on Windows, save the picture of their window in the memory. This is done instead of applications putting their display icons straight on the screen. Windows then combines all the windows and creates a ‘single view’ of these windows. This process takes place before all the displays appear on your monitor. Since Windows is responsible to combine and display each window, it can also add effects such as transparency animations before the displays appear on your screen.
Desktop Window Manager is present in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, and Windows 10 to provide the user interface of Windows.
Is a Desktop Window Manager always on?
Yes, it is and there is no way you can turn it off. When Microsoft Vista first came out, there was a service that was used to control this desktop manager. In those days, it was possible to turn it off. Since Windows 7, Desktop Window Manager has become a core part of Windows and without it, it is impossible to create a user interface. With more research and development, the Desktop Window manager has improved its resources and the importance of this manager has further deepened in Windows 8 and 10.
Does this manager use Up CPU and Ram?
Desktop Window Manager doesn’t use many resources. Even with a dozen active apps running together, this window manager uses a small percentage of CPU and Ram. Even if the window manager somehow starts using a large percentage of ram and CPU, it settles down really quickly to stop that from happening.
If you find your Desktop Window Manager utilizing a lot of your RAM or CPU, do the following
- Check if your hardware drivers are updated.
- Make sure your desktop is free from malware. There are a few malware that disrupts the functioning of the Desktop Window Manager.
What happens when the Desktop Windows Manager stops working?
There is a possibility that your Desktop Window Manager may just stop working. This is very common with Windows 7. Tracking the origin of this error is hard but there are a few reasons that might result in the manager completely zone out. The different reasons behind this error are malware infections, some issues with Windows, or certain service issues.
Ways to fix this problem and other issues with Desktop Window Manager
Since it is hard to confirm the real reason behind the manager from stopping working, there are six ways that you can fix all the issues with Desktop Window Manager.
1. Start a system scan
You can enable the system scan process to repair all the damaged files present in Windows.
- For this task, you will require a Windows setup DVD.
- Start with pressing the R+ button on your keyboard and open the Run box.
- In the box type “cmd” and click Enter.
- Set the “cmd” on Run as administrator command.
- Then go to the command prompt and type “sfc” followed by pressing Enter.
2. Enable the Desktop Window Manager
- This is done in a few simple steps. Start with pressing the Start button and type “services.msc” in the search box.
- Look for Desktop Windows Manager Session Manager and press right-click. Click on the Start icon from the menu.
- Go to properties by right-clicking on Desktop Windows Manager Session Manager again
- The last step is to go to the General tab and press enable the Startup.
3. Run a Clean Boot
During a clean boot, your computer’s system looks for the reasons behind the issue. To run a clean boot, follow the steps below.
- Start with clicking on the search icon
- Once opened, type “msconfig” in the bar and then click Enter
- Select all the Services you want to disable and click on the box that says Hide all Microsoft services
- Once the box is ticked, go to Open Task Manager
- Take a look and select all the programs that are corrupted.
- Disable all
- Take an exit from Task Manager
- When you are done with all these steps, restart your PC and see if changes are made.
4. Restore your system
By restoring your system, you set your system in its old, clean state, when there were no issues. You need to make sure that your System Restored feature is turned on before you start this process. Here are a few steps you need to follow to carry on a system restore in your computer.
- Go to System restore feature and press on Create a restore point
- The system will create a restoring point on its own.
- Once created, press the Next button to proceed with the restoring process.
5. Check for Windows updates
Update your Windows to eradicate any errors. Follow these simple steps for that.
- Click on the Control Panel
- Press System and Security and start the updating process
Windows Update will list down the most recent updates for you.
6. Try to create a new user account
There can be a possibility that your user account is corrupted. Try creating a new user account to see if it makes any difference.
Conclusion
Desktop Window Manager is a core element for any machine from Windows to operate. There is nothing you can do without it so it is vital to make sure that this manager is working perfectly at all times.