Summary: The Desktop Window Manager is a core Windows process that deals with the graphical aspect of the OS. Sometimes, it runs into issues causing high memory usage on Windows 11/10 computers. If you are facing this issue on your PC, read this post to learn methods to fix it. And if you want to to recover your data from an error-riddled computer, use Stellar Data Recovery.
Modern computers are incredible machines packed with powerful components and security features. These machines can easily handle resource-hungry processes while blocking potential threats. However, in some instances, they fail to protect some processes from running into errors, resulting in an unusual spike in memory usage.
One such system process is the dwm.exe or the Desktop Window Manager, which is causing high memory usage. What is it, and why does it start acting strange? Let’s find answers to these questions.
What is Desktop Window Manager?
Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is a built-in process manager that renders and manages the GUI and other graphical components. It runs as dwm.exe in the task manager. DWM is a core Windows OS process that renders graphics, themes like Windows Aero, effects like transparency, etc., in the GUI.
Since it is a graphics-related executable process, its memory and resource consumption depend on the active applications. Usually, it consumes no more than 0.1–3% of the memory. However, in some instances, you might encounter dwm.exe high memory usage in the Task Manager.
Reasons Behind Desktop Window Manager High Memory Issue
The dwm.exe high memory usage issue happens due to various reasons, such as –
- Malware mimicking this process
- Outdated GPU/Integrated GPU drivers
- Outdated Windows updates
- Multiple Windows graphics effects being processed simultaneously
- Resource-hungry application/s running
- Incorrect HDR settings
Methods to Fix the Desktop Window Manager High Memory Usage
If you encounter the Desktop Window Manager’s high RAM usage in the Task Manager, some quick & conventional methods may help you fix it.
- Restart the system
- Perform a system-wide malware scan
Were the quick methods able to help you? If not, move ahead to advanced methods to fix the Desktop Window Manager high memory usage.
Advanced Methods to Fix dwm.exe High Memory Usage:
Method 1: Terminate the dwm.exe
Terminating the dwm.exe will end the background process and reduce high memory usage. Here’s how to do it –
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL and click on Task Manager.
- Go to the Processes tab and locate the dwm.exe.
- Select it and right-click on it.
- Click on End task.
After terminating the process, the screen will turn black for a second, indicating that the dwm.exe is restarting. Doing this will clear the memory and refresh the screen.
Note – This is a temporary workaround as the issue might return upon restarting your PC.
Method 2: Turn Off Fast Startup
Fast startup is a feature that saves the operating system’s state to a hibernation file and uses it to restart the PC quickly. However, it has its downsides, like, causing the CPU fans to keep spinning, interrupting various OS updates, and affecting computers with dual boot configurations.
Many users were able to fix the Desktop Window Manager high RAM usage by simply disabling the fast startup feature. Here’s how to do that –
- Open Control Panel.
- Click Power Options.
- Click Choose what the power buttons do in the left pane.
- Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Navigate to the Shutdown settings and uncheck the Turn on fast startup (recommended) option.
- Click on Save changes.
- Close everything and restart the PC.
Method 3: Change Performance Options
Dialing down the appearance and performance of Windows can help you fix the Desktop Window Manager high memory usage issue. As the dwm.exe is a graphics-related process, tweaking the appearance settings can help bring the dwm.exe high memory usage down by a notch. To do this –
- Press WINDOWS + Q and search for Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
- Click on the most relevant result.
- In the Visual Effects tab, choose either Adjust for best performance or Custom.
- If the latter option is selected, you must choose the desired features.
- Press Apply and OK.
Method 4: Update the GPU and iGPU Driver
In a recent report, Intel stated that the dwm.exe process produces memory leaks in various desktop processors ranging from 6th Gen to 10th generation. This memory leak resulted in the widespread Desktop Window Manager high memory usage issue on Windows 11 PCs.
The report included the Intel(R) Graphics driver update for all the affected Intel processors with integrated GPU. You can learn more about it here and how to install it to prevent high memory usage by the Desktop Window Manager.
Additionally, if your PC has a dedicated GPU, install the latest drivers by going to the manufacturer’s website.
Method 5: Install the Latest Windows OS Updates
Using an outdated Windows OS could also cause the Desktop Window Manager high memory usage in the Task Manager. You could fix it by installing the latest OS updates.
- Press WINDOWS + I to open Settings.
- Click on Update & Security.
- Click on Windows Updates in the left pane to check for available updates.
- Install them.
Unstable System Due to High Memory Usage
Unattended high memory usage can indeed cause many problems on a computer, such as unstable applications, unexpected system crashes, computer overheating, failing memory modules, and more.
Such issues can make your system inaccessible, preventing you from taking backups and retrieve your data safely onto an external storage device. In such a situation, you can take the help of a reliable and powerful Windows file recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery.
The software will help you recover data from an unstable or frequently crashing PC without putting unwanted strain on the native drive. Want to test its capabilities before buying? Try the free edition and recover up to 1GB of files for free!
Put an End to Unusually High Memory Usage
While experimenting with various fixes to resolve the Desktop Window Manager high memory usage problem, we found that the best way to deal with it is to install Intel(R) Graphics driver updates. Doing so will fix the memory leakage issue behind this problem. However, the other methods discussed here could also prove useful.
Which methods helped you fix the Desktop Window Manager high memory usage problem? Let us know in the comments section.
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