Everything you see on a computer screen, be it a Windows, Mac or Linux device, is created by system processes that control everything from network connectivity to the user interface. Windows users may be familiar with some of these, including explorer.exe to display the desktop, but others will be less familiar.
System processes such as dwm.exe are common and integral parts of the Windows operating system. Dwm.exe, in particular, helps create a graphical user interface for Windows, but can sometimes cause high CPU usage. If so, here’s what you need to do to fix the problem.
What is Dwm.exe?
The dwm.exe (Desktop Window Manager) process is an important system process responsible for the graphical user interface. In particular, it helps you create visual effects like transparent windows and taskbar thumbnails that you see when you use Windows.
This is due to the approach that Windows uses to create such effects. When you open new software, the user interface design is written to Windows memory, allowing you to create the design. Windows then takes these window constructs and manipulates them to provide its own visual effects.
Windows uses hardware acceleration to make this user-friendly by using your graphics hardware in the process, although by default it can use software rendering if your graphics card (or integrated graphics chipset) can’t.
What Causes Dwm.exe High CPU Usage & Can It Be Malware?
Windows will take full advantage of your PC’s visual effects, whether you are using the default Windows theme or applying new visual themes to your PC.
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However, if the dwm.exe process is putting a heavy load on your processor in the Windows Task Manager, it could indicate a problem with your hardware or system configuration.
Instead of relying on your graphics card to create visual effects, your processor will be used to create them. If your computer is a little older, this may affect how your system works. Higher CPU utilization can mean higher temperatures and, as a result, a more unstable system.
Although malware is not a common cause of high CPU utilization by the dwm.exe process, it cannot be ruled out. Some malware is reported to try to replicate the DWM process, so it hides in plain sight.
Other causes of high CPU utilization for dwm.exe can be outdated drivers or lack of Windows system updates, and the use of internal graphics (rather than an external graphics card) for visual effects.
How to disable or remove the Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) process
While older versions of Windows allowed disabling the Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) process, this is no longer possible in Windows 10.
The DWM process is now firmly integrated into the Windows user interface, which means that the GUI you use depends on it to work. While some of the visual effects you see can be disabled in Windows settings, you cannot stop the dwm.exe process.
It also cannot be deleted. Dwm.exe is an essential system process, so unless you want to completely break Windows 10 (and as a result you have to erase and reset Windows), you should leave it alone.
Potential Fixes for High CPU Usage of Dwm.exe
The Desktop Window Manager process cannot be turned off or disabled, but there are several potential fixes you can try if you find that it is consuming your system resources, especially if your CPU load is unusually high.
Check for Windows System Updates
Check for Windows System Updates
The first (and probably most important) fix for Windows users is updating your system. Microsoft regularly releases bug fixes and system updates that can help improve the overall stability of your system, especially for new hardware.
- You can check for updates in Windows settings by right-clicking the Start Menu icon and clicking the Settings button. In the Windows Settings menu, click Update & Security> Windows Update> Check for Updates â€to check and install the latest system updates for your PC.
After the update, restart your computer to check if the updates affect the dwm.exe process.
Check for graphics driver updates
Check for graphics driver updates
If Windows is up to date, your next step is to make sure your graphics drivers are up to date as well. You may find that you need to check the manufacturer’s website for the latest driver releases, as drivers often arrive in Windows updates much later.
For example, NVIDIA cardholders will need to check the NVIDIA website for the latest updates, which are often released alongside major game or hardware releases. They also contain the latest bug fixes that can help resolve unusual issues such as high CPU usage.
Make sure your graphics card is in use
Check your graphics card usage
If you’ve installed a new graphics card and updated your drivers, you should also make sure the card is being used correctly.
If you mistakenly connected the monitor cable to the motherboard and not to the video card, the video card will be ignored. This can cause Windows to use software acceleration for visual effects by default.
- You can double check if this is the case in the Windows Task Manager. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager to open it, then click the Performance tab in the Task Manager window.
Devices with more than one GPU will be shown here (like a PC with an integrated GPU on the motherboard and an external graphics card) as GPU 0, GPU 1, etc. If the resource usage for the internal GPU is higher, it means that your graphics card is not being used.
To resolve this issue, check the connections between your monitor and graphics card to make sure you are using the correct device.
Scan Windows for Malware
Scan Windows for Malware
If your system is up to date and working correctly, high CPU usage could indicate a malware infection.
Remember to thoroughly scan Windows 10 for malware, including running a boot-level scan with Windows Security or another antivirus. If you are worried that the dwm.exe process is not an official system process, you can double check it in Windows Task Manager.
- To do this, right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager, then locate the running Desktop Window Manager process listed on the Processes tab in the Task Manager window. Click the “Open File Location” button to open the location of this running file in Windows Explorer.
This will take you to the location where the Desktop Window Manager process resides. If the file location is not in the C: Windows System32 folder, then the running process is not an official dwm.exe file.
In this case, run another malware scan, and if all else fails, you may need to reset Windows to factory settings to ensure you have a fresh configuration.
Other important system processes in Windows 10
The Desktop Window Manager process (dwm.exe) is just one of many important system processes that you may not have heard of before. Like svchost.exe and others, dwm.exe can sometimes be associated with spikes in CPU usage. But in many cases, this can be fixed by updating your computer and checking for malware
While it is not possible to disable dwm.exe, you can disable some of the new Windows 10 visual effects in Windows Settings. This can help deal with spikes in CPU usage, if it isn’t malware. But you may need to consider alternatives, including upgrading your hardware, if your computer is struggling.
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