Desktop Window Manager or dwm.exe is a Windows Service responsible for managing the visual effects on the desktop. No doubt the service does not require some resources to run; however, modern desktops and laptops are offered to handle it with ease. Let us learn some more about the Windows process.

Desktop Window Manager – dwm.exe 

Desktop Window Manager dwm.exe tiêu tốn CPU hoặc bộ nhớ cao

DWM.exe helps display visual effects on the desktop and various features such as glass window frames, 3-dimensional window transition images, high-resolution support, etc.

Desktop Window Manager helps you write each picture on Windows to a memory location and create a composite view of them on the screen and send it to the display. In this way, the operating system can use the Hardware Acceleration Section to create smooth animations. It can also be used to create transparency effects.

Desktop Window Manager consumes high CPU or memory

The file representing the Desktop Window Manager service is dwn.exe. It typically takes up 50-100 MB of memory and about 2-3% of CPU – but it all depends on your system. As many windows and animation processes are open, it will use more memory and slow down the system or cause freezing.

If you have problems with dwm.exe, here are a few things you can try.

1] If Desktop Window Manager takes up many resources, you need to change your theme or wallpaper and see if it helps. If you have Screensaver enabled, turn it off and watch. Change all your Personalization settings like Lock Screen, Color Profiles, etc., and see if it makes the problem go away.

2] You need to optimize Windows for better performance. Run the “Troubleshooter” troubleshooter. Open an elevated Command Prompt, type the following command, and press Enter:

 msdt.exe /PerformanceDiagnostic

This troubleshooter helps users to adjust settings to improve operating system speed and performance. If this is not supported, you may need to troubleshoot Windows performance.

3] You can also search for and open the Performance Options window and click the Visual Effects tab. Select the button “Adjust the system for best performance” to adjust the system for best performance.

4] Switching to a Basic Theme will significantly reduce the load on the system and battery. However, it will not prevent Desktop Windows Manager from running.

5] Some have reported that updated display drivers helped them. So check if you are using the latest device drivers for your computer or not.

6] Some software installers are also known to make dwm.exe high memory usage. Ensure that your Windows operating system and all of your installed software are updated to the latest versions.

7] The legit dwm.exe process is located in the System32 directory. But if it’s in some other directory, it could be malware. To run a full scan with your anti-virus software.

8] Perform a Clean Boot and then manually find the cause of dwm.exe to perform ineffectively.

How to disable Desktop Window Manager

Turning off Desktop Window Manager won’t make much difference, but if you want to disable the mode, the procedure is as follows:

Type services.msc in Start Search and press Enter to open Services Manager. Locate the Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service and change its Startup to Disabled.