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Desktop Window Manager High Memory

Anonymous
2024-03-26T14:28:44+00:00

Desktop window manager is using between 1.5GB and 3GB or memory at any given time and then will crash and then reconnect to my monitors and docking station (really inconvenient during meetings). I'm running 2, 27" 4K monitors through a Dell WD19 Docking station and a built in 14" monitor.

My OS is Windows 11 Pro 23H2 build: 22631.3296

My display adapters are Intel Iris Xe Graphics and an NVIDIA RTX A5500 Laptop GPU.

I've already done all driver updates, OS updates, restarts, reboots, end task, display configurations, and malware scans.

I'd love help on decreasing the memory usage so it will work as advertised and stop crashing.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-09-03T19:11:39+00:00

    I have had issues with high committed memory from dwm.exe for years. It seems to get worse when I use remote desktop to my machine, then log onto the local console again. The screen is black and nothing happens even after waiting for hours.

    One trick I have learned, if I use tasklist /s from another computer to fine the dwm.exe process, and then use taskkill /s with the PID to kill it, my machine instantly loads the screen. Then I close everything down and reboot and am good for a week or so.

    This is on Windows 10 22H2

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-03-28T15:03:04+00:00

    I'm running 10.0.22621.2506 so there is a lag on mine. Since I've already updated the drivers and the OS to the extent that is available, how would I update that?

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-03-27T14:49:45+00:00

    You can look in The Event Viewer can provide specific error codes or warnings related to DWM.exe crashes. Open windows start menu anda type: event viewer

    Open Event Viewer and Look under "Windows Logs" > "Application" for any error events related to DWM.exe around the time of the crash.

    Since you've updated your drivers, consider rolling back to a previous version for both Intel Iris Xe Graphics and NVIDIA RTX A5500 Laptop GPU, especially if the issue started after an update.

    https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-roll-back-a-dri...

    https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support...

    https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/sqwyc...

    Reducing the load on DWM by adjusting for best performance can help. This is done from System Properties > Advanced System Settings > Performance Settings

    https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/desktop...

    Since you're using a Dell WD19 Docking Station, ensure both the docking station's firmware and your system's BIOS are up to date.

    Sometimes, user profile corruption can cause unexpected system behavior. Creating a new user profile and migrating your data can sometimes resolve these issues.

    You can also test if your RAM is working well: https://www.lifewire.com/free-memory-test-progr...

    _________________________________________________

    Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-03-26T15:10:44+00:00

    Hello William, sorry about your problems. My name is Marco and I will do my best to help you.

    Some users have reported that turning off fast startup can help with memory issues related to Desktop Windows Manager.

    You can disable this feature from the Control Panel under Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.

    Under Shutdown settings > Turn off fast startup

    And performing a clean boot can help identify if third-party software conflicts are causing the high memory usage. You can do this by using the System Configuration tool (msconfig) to disable all non-Microsoft services and then restarting your computer.

    More info here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-t...

    If it no longer crashes in clean boot mode, this will mean that you will have to re-check one application at a time to determine which is the culprit.

    Some applications have hardware acceleration settings that can impact DWM's memory usage. Try disabling hardware acceleration in apps like web browsers to see if that reduces memory usage.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-03-27T13:59:10+00:00

    Well, 1 gig is not much, when I open Firefox or another browser I can go up to 2-3 GB of memory used just for this window.

    I doubt this is the cause of the crash.

    Is it a bluescreen you have during this crash? If so, can you send me the crash report (the dmp file).

    Here's how to get it back.

    -Right-click on the start button and select "System"

    -Then click on “Advanced system settings”

    • In the "Advanced system settings" tab, click on "Settings" below the "startup & recovery" section
    • In the "Write debugging information" list, select Small memory dump (256k).

    Typically, if your PC settings are configured to create small memory dump files, they will be located in the C:\Windows\Minidump directory

    Upload it somewhere like OneDrive for example and share the link with me so I can download and analyze it.

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