Best 10 Fixes for Dwm.exe Crash on Windows 11

Let us explore the dwm.exe crash on Windows 11. Dwm.exe, which stands for Desktop Window Manager, is an essential Windows 11 process that helps add significant effects like transparency and live taskbar thumbnails. Due to the significance of this process, you should ensure that this process keeps running.

But as with any other process, the Desktop Window Manager can crash sometimes. In this article, we will discuss in detail what dwm.exe means, why this process crashes, and what you can do to overcome this issue.

What is dwm.exe Windows 11?

Dwm.exe stands for Desktop Window Manager, an executable file tightly connected to the File Explorer. Microsoft created the dwm.exe file as a core system file for Windows, a significant piece of software.

Various Windows versions, including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and also Windows 11 have graphical user interfaces that are supported and managed by Desktop Window Manager.

The DWM’s primary duty is to activate hardware acceleration, which supports Windows’s graphical user interface or visual effects.

Other visual effects like Windows Flip and Windows Flip3D are also handled by this process, along with components like Windows Aero.

Why does Windows dwm keep crashing?

Many factors could be behind dwm.exe crashing on your device. Some of the most common causes of this problem include:

Corrupt system files – This problem can occur as a result of having corrupt system files on your computer
Outdated graphics driver – If your graphics driver is outdated, you will frequently encounter this problem
Virus or malware infection – Viruses and malware affect the normal functioning of a system and can cause lots of problems, including dwm.exe crash in Windows 11
Faulty or malfunctioning hardware – If one of the hardware components is faulty, you will encounter different problems, especially the dwm.exe crash in Windows 11
Conflicting apps – If one or more conflicting apps are on your system, you will encounter this error.
Dwm is disabled – If the Desktop Window Manager process has been disabled, you will encounter this error frequently.

Now that we know some of the major causes of this problem, let us look at some ways to resolve this issue.

How do I stop dwm.exe in Windows 11?

1. Run the performance troubleshooter

Hold the Windows + S keys simultaneously to open the Search bar, type cmd in the text field, choose the relevant option, and select Run as administrator.
Input the command below into the command prompt and hit Enter.
msdt.exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic
Allow this process to finish running, then check to see if the problem has been resolved.

2. Restart explorer.exe

Hold the Windows + S keys simultaneously, type Task Manager in the text field, and choose the most relevant option.
Navigate to the Details tab, look for explorer.exe, right-click on it, and choose End task.
Next, select the File tab and choose Run new task.
In the Create new task menu, type explorer in the text field and click OK.
After running this process, check whether the problem has been fixed.

3. Use the Adjust for best performance option

Hold your Windows + S keys simultaneously to open your Search bar, type view advanced system settings, and select the related result.
Click the Settings button under the Performance section.
Click the radio button next to the Adjust for best performance option, then select Apply and OK below.

4. Disable the screensaver

Launch your Settings app by holding the Windows + I keys simultaneously.
Choose Personalization from the left-hand side of your screen.
Select Lock screen.
Under Related settings, choose the Screen saver option.
Click the Screen saver drop-down menu in the next window and choose None.
Lastly, click OK and check if this process has fixed the problem.

5. Disable hardware acceleration

Hold the Windows + S keys simultaneously to launch your search bar, type regedit in the text field and choose the related option.
Navigate to the path below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common
Scroll down and locate the Common key, right-click on it, choose New, then click Key from the list of options.
Set Graphics as the name of the new key.
Next, right-click on the Graphics key, choose New, pick DWORD(32-BIT) Value, and set the new value’s name to DisableHardwareAcceleration.
Double-click DisableHardwareAcceleration and set its value to 1.
Lastly, close the registry and restart your system to initiate the changes you have made.

6. Delete the mdi264.dll

Hold the Windows + I keys simultaneously to open the Settings app.
In the System tab, click on the Recovery option.
Next, choose the Restart now button on the right side of the Advanced startup option.
When your system reboots, select Troubleshoot, then navigate to Advanced options.
When you reach the Advanced options menu, choose the command prompt, paste the following command below, and hit Enter.
cd C: \Users\Your Name Here\App\Data\Local\Temp del mdi264.dll
After running this process, check to see if the problem has been resolved.

7. Run DISM scan

Hold the Windows + S keys simultaneously to open your search bar, type cmd and choose Run as administrator.
Copy and paste the following commands into the command prompt and hit Enter after each one.
DISM /online /Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Wait for the scan to complete; once the process is complete, reboot your device to apply the changes.

8. Run SFC scan

Hold the Windows + S keys simultaneously to open your search bar, type cmd and choose Run as administrator.
Copy and paste the following commands into the command prompt and hit Enter.
sfc /scannow
Allow the process to finish, then reboot your computer.

9. Disable any problematic service

Launch the Run dialogue box by holding the Windows + R keys simultaneously
Type services.msc in the text field and click OK.
Look for the following services Skype Updater, Google Update (update), and Google Update (gupdatem), double-click on them, and change the Startup type to Disabled.
Click Appy and Ok to save the changes you made.

10. Update your Windows operating system

Press the Start button and choose the Settings icon.
Select Windows Update on the left pane and click the Check for updates button on the right-hand side.
If any update is available, download and install it on your device.

In conclusion, diligently following the steps in this article will help you overcome the dwm.exe crash in Windows 11 error and get your device up and running in no time.

Try as many solutions as possible until you get the best solution for you. Tell us in the comment section below which solution was the most effective.