**EDIT 2/23/22: Making this edit because I think my solution to this is getting missed by a couple people. I found that the weight of modern GPUs are what's causing the issue - If you're running into the same problem, try reseating the GPU and/or get yourself a GPU support. I still run into this problem occasionally (2/23/22), but after reseating, the problem goes away. ** For some reason, DWM.exe is crashing randomly, causing my display to go black, making my Graphics card (GTX 1070) fans go to 100%, and forcing me to either force restart/shutdown, or use the keyboard to "guess" shutdown - doesn't work all the time because these crashes sometimes make the Keyboard unusable) Thing's I've tried: Adjusted Visual Effects for best performance Reinstalled last known Nvidia Driver that didn't cause crashes (436.02) Tried latest drivers (both DCH and standard drivers - 461.09) Restored from a system restore Memory Diagnostic Check sfc/scannow Reinstalled Windows While I don't think the Event Viewer in Pinpointing my issue, I've included a snippit below (There's multiple entries like this) Faulting application name: dwm.exe, version: 10.0.19041.746, time stamp: 0x6be51595 Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.662, time stamp: 0xec58f015 Exception code: 0xe0464645 Fault offset: 0x000000000010bd5c Faulting process id: 0x3c40 Faulting application start time: 0x01d6eea666c814e6 Faulting application path: C:\Windows\system32\dwm.exe Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\KERNELBASE.dll Report Id: 7bbb8f92-a819-4a60-b81e-45b7c4caba33 Faulting package full name: Faulting package-relative application ID: Any Help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! -- Machine info: Intel Core i7 - 4790k (No overclock) Asus Maximus Formula VII 16GB Ram (Stock speeds) Asus Strix GTX 1070 O8G (No Overclock) Corsair HX1000i Power Supply ~ Software versions: Windows 10 Pro Version 20H2 (19042.746) Standard 460.89 Nvidia Drivers

Hey! These are from the mini dump files dumps created by WER. Unfortunately WER isn't enabled by default, and you'll have to configure it to enable it. (you should be able to find instructions just by searching online for "Using WER") *you'll need a debugging tool (or the CMD command) to view the minidump files My theory is (at least in my situation), the weight of these modern GPUs are essentially ripping the GPU out of the PCIe slot (Obviously on a very small scale, but significant enough to disconnect the GPU from the Motherboard itself.) Anyways, if you're having the same problem as me, I'd suggest that you try reseating your GPU. Hope that helps!

Hi, Thank you for all the information you've provided and troubleshooting you've done. Just to remind you that Microsoft Q&A forum supports uploading pictures (gif, png, jpg, jpeg) so there is no need to post links of pictures. But please make sure that no personal data is included in the picture or the file you posted. The posted links will redirect to unknown websites so I have to delete them for security concerns. Hope you don't mind. Please provide me with more details to narrow down the issue Were there any software or hardware changes made to your PC before the crash? For example, a Windows update, an installation of a software, a replacement of video card, etc. After things you've tried, were there any different results? Did the latest drivers you've installed come from manufacturers' website or from device manager? Usually, latest drivers are always available on manufacturers' websites before we can get them from Microsoft's side. I understand that troubleshooting might be frustrating after you've tried a lot, but please follow these instructions Perform a clean boot This action can help us determine whether it's a Microsoft issue or a third-party software issue. Start your PC in safe mode If a problem doesn't happen in safe mode, this means that default settings and basic device drivers aren't causing the issue. DWM.exe crashing randomly Opened the case, removed the GPU, and then slotted it back in. That, along with the clean driver re-install Maybe you can try this solution. Please note: Information posted in the given link is hosted by a third party. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy and effectiveness of information. ---------- If the Answer is helpful, please click " Accept Answer " and upvote it. Note: Please follow the steps in our <a href="https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flearn.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fanswers%2Farticles%2F67444%2Femail-notifications.html&data=04%7C01%7Cv-xiuyang%40microsoft.com%7C0166ab2ada6d45b26f9108d88f8cd736%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637417182352878009%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=gsoXQuaUHMA8D6wFE9dAtg11manCJVT0V4AxTTpGtpQ%3D&reserved=0" rel="ugc nofollow">documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Hey, I have the same issue, did you manage to fix it? Many thanks!

i had the same issue crashed million times, my cat crazy got into the computer was open offcource , and i pull out the GPU kart and push back, let see it solves

Seems like a flaw with the latest. MS, any hope for a fix?

DWM Crashing randomly causing Black Screen

Rico Marley 166

**EDIT 2/23/22: Making this edit because I think my solution to this is getting missed by a couple people. I found that the weight of modern GPUs are what's causing the issue - If you're running into the same problem, try reseating the GPU and/or get yourself a GPU support. I still run into this problem occasionally (2/23/22), but after reseating, the problem goes away. **

For some reason, DWM.exe is crashing randomly, causing my display to go black, making my Graphics card (GTX 1070) fans go to 100%, and forcing me to either force restart/shutdown, or use the keyboard to "guess" shutdown - doesn't work all the time because these crashes sometimes make the Keyboard unusable)

Thing's I've tried:

Adjusted Visual Effects for best performance
Reinstalled last known Nvidia Driver that didn't cause crashes (436.02)
Tried latest drivers (both DCH and standard drivers - 461.09)
Restored from a system restore
Memory Diagnostic Check
sfc/scannow
Reinstalled Windows

While I don't think the Event Viewer in Pinpointing my issue, I've included a snippit below (There's multiple entries like this)

Faulting application name: dwm.exe, version: 10.0.19041.746, time stamp: 0x6be51595
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.662, time stamp: 0xec58f015
Exception code: 0xe0464645
Fault offset: 0x000000000010bd5c
Faulting process id: 0x3c40
Faulting application start time: 0x01d6eea666c814e6
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\system32\dwm.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 7bbb8f92-a819-4a60-b81e-45b7c4caba33
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Any Help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

--
Machine info:

Intel Core i7 - 4790k (No overclock)
Asus Maximus Formula VII
16GB Ram (Stock speeds)
Asus Strix GTX 1070 O8G (No Overclock)
Corsair HX1000i Power Supply

Software versions:

Windows 10 Pro
Version 20H2 (19042.746)
Standard 460.89 Nvidia Drivers

Jonathan Medina 1 Reputation point

2021-12-18T04:43:32.773+00:00
Same issue

Screen goes black, computer still runs, I can still hear discord and game running, but no video.

Event viewer shows Error event id 1000

Faulting application name: dwm.exe, version: 10.0.19041.746, time stamp: 0x6be51595
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.1387, time stamp: 0x0b9a844a
Exception code: 0xe0464645
Fault offset: 0x000000000010b302
Faulting process id: 0x6204
Faulting application start time: 0x01d7f3b279d1a7eb
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\system32\dwm.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 82b5e313-188e-460c-9c8b-e4a736b32a1a
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Machine Info:

Intel Core i9 9900k (no oc)

Asus ROG Maximus X Code (z370)

64GB trident z rgb (stock speeds, no xmp)

Zotac RTX 3080 trinity oc (Factory clocks)

EVGA 750 G5 80+ gold modular

Samsung Odyssey G9 (1st gen) 5120 x1440p @ 120hz gsync (via 1.4 DP cable)

Not sure what to do.

Accepted answer

Rico Marley 166 Reputation points

2021-02-10T00:16:57.16+00:00

Hey!

These are from the mini dump files dumps created by WER. Unfortunately WER isn't enabled by default, and you'll have to configure it to enable it. (you should be able to find instructions just by searching online for "Using WER") *you'll need a debugging tool (or the CMD command) to view the minidump files

My theory is (at least in my situation), the weight of these modern GPUs are essentially ripping the GPU out of the PCIe slot (Obviously on a very small scale, but significant enough to disconnect the GPU from the Motherboard itself.)

Anyways, if you're having the same problem as me, I'd suggest that you try reseating your GPU.

Hope that helps!
Please sign in to rate this answer.

10 people found this answer helpful.
RobMarkF 11 Reputation points

2021-07-12T13:45:59.97+00:00

Yes, this does seem to be the answer! I had exactly the same problem, re-installed drivers, etc., but then found this answer. Unscrewed the side of the PC, pushed the GPU card a bit, put the panel back on and no crashes since! Thanks v much!

Mesut Michael Özcan Anderson 11 Reputation points

2021-08-24T06:46:53.92+00:00

i took the card and replace it make sure screwed , and worked... thanks

Cristian Sponchiado 6 Reputation points

2021-11-01T23:36:15.527+00:00

Hello.
I just created this account to thank you.
I was having the same issue with my computer for months, and removing the GPU and conecting it back solved the problem.
So, thank you very much!

J G Enterprises 1 Reputation point

2021-11-15T00:59:57.743+00:00

I've been having the same problem randomly. I have an AMD Radeon HD 7670 connected to 2 monitors, plus a third monitor connected to the Internal Intel video port, all via HDMI
Normally, like most of you, I restart the PC but of course, I lose whatever I was working on. Today, it did it again, but this time I noticed that if I disconnect additional monitors and change the ports, I can get the screen back long enough to save and shut down properly. I hope this action helps someone else. Of course, that does not solve the original problem but if it happens again, at least I can exit properly. I will try the suggestion given here about resetting the card to see if it helps.

JKINT123 1 Reputation point

2022-01-04T18:43:34.633+00:00

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Tried everything I could find on the internet to sort this issue, but I think it was ultimately removing and re-inserting my graphics card that fixed the issue.

As many others say I had black screen going into games or anything slightly graphics intensive.
After fresh windows install I ran Unigine Heaven and the PC still crashed, re-connecting the graphics card was my last shot - and it worked!
Now it's running flawlessly so far on the highest settings.

Didn't clean the card or anything, just made sure I proper shoved it in (not too hard though :)).
The only other things I did between crashing and success were to remove and re-insert display port cable, unplug power supply, and also I used another PCI-E plug that was available to me in the machine (i don't think that's what fixed it though, just thought I'd try at the same time).

Still ahve issues with my CPU on BF2042, but many do.

Good luck people!!

justin carpenter 1 Reputation point

2022-02-13T16:36:10.78+00:00

You are a life saver, I was about to get the hammer out. My card was seated fully but the power connector to the videocard had a loose pin. Replaced the connector and now no problems.

JP Ford 1 Reputation point

2022-03-07T18:03:31.493+00:00

I was having this same exact issue; it was causing me trouble for months before I found this answer. Reinstalled my GPU and haven't had a crash since!

Jim Buchholz 1 Reputation point

2022-10-13T12:42:36.363+00:00

Yep... this seems to have fixed it for me too
Thanks for posting.

stee11 1 Reputation point

2022-10-27T20:55:29.217+00:00

Also making a comment here to say THANK YOU. I assumed it was software based. I just took out the card and psu cables and put them both back in and it worked. I guess my card is so big that over time it sagged out of the slot.
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8 additional answers

AliceYang-MSFT 2,081 Reputation points

2021-01-21T03:28:37.923+00:00
Hi,

Thank you for all the information you've provided and troubleshooting you've done.

Just to remind you that Microsoft Q&A forum supports uploading pictures (gif, png, jpg, jpeg) so there is no need to post links of pictures. But please make sure that no personal data is included in the picture or the file you posted.

The posted links will redirect to unknown websites so I have to delete them for security concerns. Hope you don't mind.

Please provide me with more details to narrow down the issue

Were there any software or hardware changes made to your PC before the crash? For example, a Windows update, an installation of a software, a replacement of video card, etc.

After things you've tried, were there any different results?

Did the latest drivers you've installed come from manufacturers' website or from device manager? Usually, latest drivers are always available on manufacturers' websites before we can get them from Microsoft's side.

I understand that troubleshooting might be frustrating after you've tried a lot, but please follow these instructions

Perform a clean boot
This action can help us determine whether it's a Microsoft issue or a third-party software issue.

Start your PC in safe mode
If a problem doesn't happen in safe mode, this means that default settings and basic device drivers aren't causing the issue.

DWM.exe crashing randomly

Opened the case, removed the GPU, and then slotted it back in. That, along with the clean driver re-install

Maybe you can try this solution.

Please note: Information posted in the given link is hosted by a third party. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy and effectiveness of information.

----------

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Rico Marley 166 Reputation points

2021-01-23T00:02:22.39+00:00

Thanks for your response Alice,

My apologies about the links - I wasn't aware. But on that note, what would be the easiest way to share minidump (.dmp) files on this forum?

To be quite fair, this issue first started about 10 months ago, when I upgraded Windows 10 from 1903 to 1909. At the same time, I had also updated my graphics drivers from Nvidia. Thinking it was a graphics driver issue, I did a driver rollback to the previous version. While it did not eliminate the issue 100%, crashing was much less frequent, and stopped entirely a couple months later.

To be clear- these drivers came right from Nvidia's website, additionally, the Windows upgrade was not forced either.

Just last month, the issue started happening again. I do not recall installing any major new updated, nor did I change my graphics drivers - it just kind of started happening.

I've reinstall Windows a couple times but again, but am still faced with crashes.

Rico Marley 166 Reputation points

2021-01-23T00:19:41.75+00:00

In any case, Here's what the stack text looks like in the dump file - I've omitted the memory address as it goes over the character limit:

KERNELBASE!RaiseFailFastException+0x15c
dwmcore!MilFailFastForHR+0x69
dwmcore!ModuleFailFastForHRESULT+0x9
dwmcore!MilInstrumentationHandleFailure_MaybeFailFast+0x69
dwmcore!MilInstrumentationCheckHR_MaybeFailFast+0x5f
dwmcore!CD3DDevice::CreateD3D11Device+0xc8500
dwmcore!CD3DDevice::Create+0x3b
dwmcore!CDeviceManager::CreateNewDevice+0x48
dwmcore!CDeviceManager::GetDevice+0x78
:dwmcore!CLegacyRenderTarget::EnsureSwapChain+0x195
dwmcore!CLegacyRenderTarget::CheckOcclusionState+0x31
dwmcore!CComposition::PreRender+0x3fb
dwmcore!CPartitionVerticalBlankScheduler::ProcessFrame+0x55f
dwmcore!CPartitionVerticalBlankScheduler::ScheduleAndProcessFrame+0xb4
dwmcore!CConnection::RunCompositionThread+0x194
kernel32!BaseThreadInitThunk+0x14
ntdll!RtlUserThreadStart+0x21

AliceYang-MSFT 2,081 Reputation points

2021-01-26T10:03:23.04+00:00

Sorry for my delay.

To post minidump (.dmp) files on the forum, you can upload them in your OneDrive and share the OneDrive link here. But we usually deal with CBS, DISM, Windows update logs etc. Maybe other forums users can analyze the minidump file.

According to your description, the issue happened after the Windows update and Nvidia driver update. No other software or hardware changes were made. Have you tried clean boot and start your PC in safe mode? We can narrow down the issue to Windows or Nvidia. If the issue persists in safe mode or after you perform a clean boot, we think something is wrong with Windows.

Rico Marley 166 Reputation points

2021-02-01T03:30:09.617+00:00

Thanks for the update Alice.

I've actually gone ahead and reseated the GPU yesterday, and have not run into any crashes yet. I'll be sure to update if I run into more crashes this week

Mavark 6 Reputation points

2021-02-07T22:52:31.31+00:00

May I ask where you found these logs? I think I'm having the exact same issue.
I don't really want to hijack this thread though.

Rico Marley 166 Reputation points

2021-02-10T00:20:03.167+00:00

Hey I left an answer on my post by accident, but I meant to address your comment!
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Lou88 1 Reputation point

2021-04-05T21:30:05.577+00:00

Hey,

I have the same issue, did you manage to fix it?

Many thanks!
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Mavark 6 Reputation points

2021-04-05T22:50:22.397+00:00

I had the same issue until I set my power profile to Maximum performance. Disabled every sleep/hibernate option (except for wake ability, its need to be able to wake up just in case) and chose 100% performance. Or something along those lines. It's been a month or two without any issues. It might take a few tweaks to get it right, but I believe that's where you should look.

Rangga Wijaya 1 Reputation point

2021-04-06T07:04:14.327+00:00

Hi Mavark,

I also have similar issue with AMD Ryzen balanced power profile. Did you just set power plan to high performance or did you set a specific custom power profile? Thanks in advance

Mavark 6 Reputation points

2021-04-06T07:30:10.92+00:00

This is my first Ryzen build and I was baffled by the temps and there for the fans ramping up and down constantly. I ended up downloading custom power plan from AMD and I think that threw they system. I currently have8 power plans, balanced, ultimate power, ryzen balanced/high performance, high performance and power save.

I have ultimate performance selected but went through and specficially changed some of the settings to disable sleep/hibernate and to stop the powerdown of usb devices.
I do however believe that High performance should be the one to choose if you don't have ultimate and the amd ones.
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Mesut Michael Özcan Anderson 11 Reputation points

2021-08-16T10:51:12.527+00:00

i had the same issue crashed million times, my cat crazy got into the computer was open offcource , and i pull out the GPU kart and push back, let see it solves
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Erwin Gove 1 Reputation point

2021-08-24T05:25:39.543+00:00

Seems like a flaw with the latest. MS, any hope for a fix?
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