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Hi Charles O'Hanlon
Welcome to Microsoft Community.
Based on your description, I understand how you feel when you start your computer and get an error with AORUS.exe, and then dwm.exe gets the same error nine times in a minute!
Thank you for the specific information and the solutions you have tried, and I commend you on your problem solving skills and thinking!
Generally speaking event ID 1000 usually indicates that an application or system process crashed. In your case, both dwm.exe (Desktop Window Manager) and AORUS.exe (Gigabyte Control Center) crashed.
I'd like to start by explaining the key fields in the event log for you.
- Faulting application name: dwm.exe
This is the name of the application that crashed. dwm.exe is the desktop window manager for Windows that handles the rendering of the graphical interface (e.g. window transparency effects, animations, etc.). If it crashes, it may result in a flickering screen, a black screen, or an abnormal window display.
- Faulting module name: dwmcore.dll
This is the specific module that causes the crash. dwmcore.dll is the core component of dwm.exe, responsible for graphics rendering and window management. If this file is corrupted or incompatible with the driver, it will trigger a crash.
- Exception code: 0xc00001ad
This is the specific error code for the crash. 0xc00001ad usually means “STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT”, i.e. the format of the loaded module (e.g. DLL file) is invalid or corrupted. It may be due to the following reasons:
(1) Corrupted file (e.g. dwmcore.dll).
(2) The module is incompatible with the current system or driver.
(3) Memory access conflict.
- Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\dwm.exe
This is the full path of the crashed application. dwm.exe is located in the system directory and is a core component of Windows.
Here are some of the things that I think may be causing the problem.
- VGA driver compatibility issues: Although you have updated to the latest driver (572.47), the NVIDIA driver occasionally has compatibility conflicts with older hardware (such as your GTX 1060) or Windows versions (22H2), which may cause DWM.exe to crash.
And there may be some residual files from older drivers that conflict with the registry and the driver now in use, leading to the possibility of problems.
- dwmcore.dll file corruption or version mismatch may cause Desktop Window Manager (DWM) exception, which triggers error code 0xc00001ad.
- The disappearance of the graphics card from the Device Manager may be related to poor contact with the PCIe slot, insufficient power supply, or a physical failure of the graphics card.
- GIGABYTE Control Center (AORUS.exe) may conflict with graphics card drivers or system processes, especially components loaded at startup.
I will give you some suggestions and options to hopefully solve your problem or find out what is causing it! However, this is the first time I've replied to this question, so please understand and provide more information in your reply (pictures would be great!). Thank you very much!
Option 1: Let's try to install the graphics card driver manually first.
I see that you have already tried updating the drivers, but for the sake of program completeness, I will reserve the step of updating the drivers.
Again, I will describe both integrated and discrete graphics cards.
- integrated graphics card.
- Update the driver
“WIN + x” and select ‘Device Manager’ -> Find the appropriate integrated graphics device -> Right-click on the device and select ‘Update Driver’ -> ”Automatically search for Update Driver”.
- Install Generic Driver
Also in “Device Manager” -> right-click the device and select “Remove Device” (make sure “Remove Driver” (if any) is checked -> restart the computer, the system will automatically search and install the generic driver.
- Manual Installation of Drivers
The driver involves the following cases:
(1) If it is a laptop computer, you can download the driver for the corresponding model of laptop through the brand's official website.
(2) If it is a desktop computer, you can download the driver for the corresponding model through the official website of the motherboard brand.
(3) You can also download the driver for the corresponding model through the official website of the hardware manufacturer.
Please note: Please try the latest version of the driver first, if the problem still exists, we can try some known older and more compatible versions.
- discrete graphics card.
For discrete graphics cards, I personally recommend the manual installation method.
First of all, we can completely uninstall the current graphics card driver with the help of DDU tool (Display Driver Uninstaller), then download the latest version of the driver from the official website of the graphics card manufacturer and install it.
The main reason for using the DDU tool is to prevent file and registry leftovers, which may cause driver conflicts or problems that may still exist.
Again, if the latest version of the driver still has problems, we can try to install some known older and more compatible versions.
Option 2: There is a possibility that some system files may be corrupted or missing, leading to the possibility of a problem.
At this point we try to completely repair the system in two ways to at least ensure that the problem is not due to system corruption.
- Scan and repair the system from the command line.
Click on “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following commands
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
SFC /Scannow
Please note: The above commands need to be repeated 5~6 times to ensure the completeness of the scan!
- Please try non-destructive repair.
The steps are as follows
(1) First download the Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 via the following link. (Media Creation Tool)
The link is: Download Windows 10
Once the download is complete open it and select the ISO file.
(2) After downloading the ISO file, double click to open and run “setup.exe”.
(3) Under the “Install Windows 10” page, select “Change how the installer downloads updates”.
(4) Under the “Get Updates, Drivers, and Optional Features” screen, select “Not Now”.
(5) Follow the instructions to continue.
Please note: If prompted for a key, the downloaded ISO image file does not match the current system version.
(6) Under the Select what to keep screen, make sure you select “Keep personal files and applications” so that the contents of your computer will not be affected or lost.
(7) Start the non-destructive repair.
Option 3: We try to reset the DWM component via the command line.
Click “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following command
taskkill /f /im dwm.exe
del /f /s /q %windir%\System32\dwmcore.dll
del /f /s /q %windir%\System32\Dwm*
The command will take effect after restarting the computer and the system will automatically restore the DWM files.
Please note: This command deletes dwm related files and components, so I still recommend backing up all dwm files and components that need to be deleted in advance before executing the command. Assuming some other problems occur, we can also restore them in time.
Option 4: We need to do some troubleshooting from a hardware perspective.
- Check the physical connection of the graphics card.
This is because you mentioned in the problem description that you see in Device Manager that the 1060 is no longer connected to the computer.
Unplug the card after shutting down the computer, clean the gold fingers with an eraser, reinsert it into the PCIe slot and make sure it is secured.
Try replacing the PCIe slot with another one (if available).
- Test the power supply power.
GTX 1060 6GB requires at least 400W power supply, check if the power supply is up to standard, especially if the +12V output is stable.
Use some third-party tools to check if the graphics card voltage is normal.
Due to the community rules restriction, I can't provide you with specific third-party tools, you can check the relevant information through Github, Reddit and other technical communities, and choose reliable and safe third-party tools.
- Disable the integrated graphics card and force the use of a discrete graphics card to see if the problem still exists.
Go to BIOS, find Primary Display set to PCIe and disable Intel Core Display.
We can also flip it over and force the discrete graphics card to be removed or disable it and only use the integrated graphics card to see if the problem still exists.
Option 5: Please try to clean boot your computer.
Since clean boot uses only a limited set of files and drivers, it can help us to effectively troubleshoot the possibility of problems caused by third-party applications, driver conflicts, etc.
You can refer to Clean Boot for more information: How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support
After clean boot, please slide down the webpage after opening the link and find “How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot” This is a dichotomy that can help us pinpoint the service that is causing the problem and disable it.
Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.
Option 6: Sometimes the problem may occur due to corruption or loss of the user account profile we are currently using.
Let's try creating a new local administrator account from the command line and logging in to see if the problem persists.
Click “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following command
net user USERNAME PASSWORD /add
net localgroup administrators USERNAME /add
Please note: USERNAME PASSWORD can be replaced with your preferred account name and password, if you don't need a password you can leave out the PASSWORD.
Option 7: We can also go to the event viewer and check if there are other related events.
Or drill down to locate the details.
For example, open the Event Viewer, locate Event ID 1000, expand the General and Details tabs, and check for other faulty modules or process information (e.g. nvlddmkm.sys may be related to the NVIDIA driver). ).
Other than that, and assuming the problem still exists, I have a couple of questions I'd like to check with you in addition to the Event Viewer to get a better understanding of your situation.
- Have you installed any Windows updates or third party software (especially Gigabyte/AORUS tools) recently?
- What is the exact model and power rating of the power supply?
- Have you tried to install the graphics card into another PC for testing?
- Are there any nvlddmkm.sys related errors in Event Viewer (which may point to video memory or driver problems)?
I sincerely hope that the above information and programs will help you! Please feel free to contact me (Photos related to the question would be great!).
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best Regards
Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist