Windows 10: dwm.exe has an application error and causes my screen to go black and reloads applications...

Faulting application name: dwm.exe, version: 10.0.22621.3672, time stamp: 0x85e98d33Faulting module name: dwmcore.dll, version: 10.0.22621.3810, time stamp: 0x5ddf757aException code: 0xc00001adFault offset: 0x00000000002760e8Faulting process id: 0x0x7708Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DAEBD3C8E447E0Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\dwm.exeFaulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\dwmcore.dllReport Id: f

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Get Black Screen After Login and Message that a random Application EXE error occurred

• When did the issue start?

the issue began in February of this year

• Any changes prior to the concern?

no major changes that I'm aware of

• Are you still experiencing the popup message about a random application error?

Got it this morning. It seems like a different application causing the error each time, "the application was unable to start correctly. Click OK to close the application.

• When you encounter the black screen after you sign in, can you still see your mouse pointer?

Mouse doesn't function

• Are you always experiencing the black screen even after restarting the computer?

Restarting usually fixes it, but sometimes I have to restart 2x because the 1st time I restart I see a small square with a wavy colored pattern on my screen that won't go away unless I restart again

• Can you send us a screenshot with the error message that you are getting?
  Note: Please do not include any personal information.

I will screen shot the popup error next time, this is what I see sometimes when I initially restart. Note the small square in the lower right corner.

 

Get better Game Performance under Vista by disabling DWM on a per-application basis!

I just came across this tip/tweak, which probably many who are familiar with Vista already know... It's about disabling the aero effect on a per-application basis, so that you get vista basic interface during gameplay (when you're not going to see it) and it switches back to aero when you exit the game.

DWM, or the Desktop Window Manager, turns the graphics card into a shared resource which allows for the Aeroglass effects and the tear-free desktop. When running normal applications, this is a good thing because it offloads the graphics work (the bulk of which was handled by the CPU in Windows XP) to the GPU, which, when running normal applications is sitting in your computer doing nothing. With Aeroglass/DWM on, the CPU is freed up for other duties as all of the desktop graphics are now handled by the GPU.

In DirectX 9 and OpenGL games however, having Aeroglass/DWM on can decrease performance. This is for a number of reasons :
1.DWM makes the video card a shared resource. When DWM is on, programs are not allowed direct access to the video card.
2.DWM uses both System RAM and VRAM because it maintains an offscreen buffer for every window.

Fortunately, Microsoft has provided a way to disable DWM on a per-application basis so you can still enjoy Aeroglass when not running games. To disable DWM on a per-application basis, right click on the application/game's icon and select properties. Navigate to the compatibility tab, then find and check Disable Desktop Compositing. Now, whenever you launch that program, Windows Vista will temporarily switch back to the Windows XP style graphics subsystem.

DirectX 10 games shouldn't be affected as much (if at all) by having DWM on because the DirectX 10 API is designed around having the GPU as a shared resource and is better able to handle GPU multitasking.

With a few simple steps, on most setups, you can easily make your games run as fast or faster than in Windows XP under Windows Vista.

This will work on both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.

 

What is causing dwm to crash?

Hello, matt__thomas

Thanks for posting your report here.

Based on the information provided in the crash log, the crash of dwm (Desktop Window Manager) is caused by an exception with the error code 8898008d. The error message states: "No HW rendering device is available for this operation." This suggests that the crash is related to a problem with the hardware rendering device, which is responsible for rendering graphics on the screen.

If we need to dig deeper into this issue, can you please share additional information such as:

1. What rendering software is currently running before the crash occurs? If it is rendering software, can you describe the name of this software.
   
2. As of now, can you share the hardware information of the current PC? For example, the hardware of your GPU/CPU/RAM/motherboard. The version of Windows 11(Press Windows+R to call run window > Type winver.exe > then take a screenshot of version and attach it here.)
   

From the log analysis results, the following are some possible causes:

1. Graphics driver issues: The crash may occur due to outdated or incompatible graphics drivers. It's recommended to update your graphics drivers to the latest version compatible with your system. Assuming that the latest driver has been installed before and caused dwm.exe to crash, please try to Roll back driver version.
   
2. System resource limitations: Insufficient system resources, such as memory (RAM) or GPU memory, could cause dwm to crash. Ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements for running graphics-intensive applications and consider closing unnecessary programs or upgrading your hardware if needed.
   

In this regard, factors that may need to be considered include software issues and hardware issues, such as:

• Graphics hardware problems: There could be an issue with the graphics hardware itself, such as a malfunctioning GPU or insufficient hardware resources. In such cases, troubleshooting or replacing the graphics hardware may be necessary.
  
• Conflicting software: Certain software applications or utilities installed on the system could interfere with the operation of dwm, causing it to crash. Try to identify any recently installed software or updates and uninstall them to see if the issue is resolved.
  

The following are some discussions about the dwm.exe program in the Microsoft Learn community. Some users have solved the problem by re-plugging the graphics card, replacing the PSU, and removing the PCIe cable or USB-C device. You can try them one by one. and see if these steps work for your situation.

DWM Crashing randomly causing Black Screen - Microsoft Q&A

If the problem persists, you can also try to upload the newly generated dump file to the your cloud drive and post the link here to share with me, which will help us discuss how to proceed next.

Best regards,



Chandy |Microsoft Community Support Specialist