The Reasons Why dwm.exe Desktop Window Manager Taking High CPU Too Much? Here’s to Fix It

Dwm.exe Desktop Window Manager is defined as an important system process which is responsible for your graphical user interface. This process will be able to help to produce visual effects such as transparent windows and taskbar thumbnails, which you will see when you are operating Windows.

Why is the Dwm.exe Desktop Window Manager Taking High CPU Too Much?

To be able to create  visual effects, Windows will use the full power of your computer. In case the process of dwm.exe is using a large amount of your computer usage in Windows Task Manager, it may indicate a problem with your hardware or system configuration. So, it does not rely on your graphics card to help create the visual effects, but your CPU will be used to create them.

Let’s say that your PC is older, so it will be able to have an impact on how your system is performing. If you find that the usage of your CPU higher, it can mean higher temperatures and a more unstable system as a result.

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It is important for you to know that malware is not the main cause of high CPU usage with the dwm.exe process. There are other reasons for dwm.exe causing high CPU usage. It can be outdated drivers or missing Windows system updates and also your internal graphics which is used to generate visual effects.

How To Fix Dwm.exe Desktop Window Manager Taking High CPU Usage?

There are some methods that you are able to apply for fixing dwm.exe Desktop Windows Manager Taking High CPU usage. Here are some of them.

1. Changing Theme/ Wallpaper

For your information, Desktop Window Manager works as a manager for your visual effects and it includes wallpaper and its theme. So, it is possible that the reason for high CPU usage is because of your current theme settings.

If so, you are able to try to fix this issue with changing the theme and wallpaper of your PC. To do that, you are able to follow the steps below.

• First, you have to press Windows key and I together to be able to open Settings. And then, you have to choose Personalization.

• Then, you have to click on the Background from the left hand menu.
• In this step, you have to change your current theme and wallpaper and check if you are able to fix the desktop window manager high CPU (dwm.exe) usage problem or not.

2. Disabling Screensaver

Your Desktop Windows Manager also controls and manages your screensaver. There are a lot of users of Windows 10 that report in the latest updates of the Windows 10, the screensaver settings are consuming high CPU usage. If this is the reason your CPU usage is high, you are able to disable the screensaver by doing these steps.

• The first thing that you have to do to disable your screensaver is to type lock screen settings in the Windows search bar and then you have to open the lock screen setting.

• After that, you have to click on the Screen Saver Settings link at the bottom from the Lock Screen Setting Window.

• It is possible that the default screensaver is activated on your PC. There are a lot of users say that there was a screensaver with a black background image which was already activated but they never realized that it was a screensaver.
• So, you have to disable the screensaver to fix the issue. From the Screen Saver drop down, you have to choose (None).

• Now, you are able to click Apply followed by OK to save the changes.

3. Deleting Particular Applications

You have to check which application is causing problems for your device such as OneDrive, Dropbox and SitePoint. You are able to try deleting or temporarily disabling Onedrive, SitePoint or some of these applications to fix this issue.

4. Changing Default App Mode

As you know that the newest updates of Windows come with some advanced features. However, you have an option to be able to change the default app mode in two options including Dark and Light. It is because it is one of the causes of High CPU usage. How to change the default app mode? You are able to follow the steps below for doing it.

• First of all, you have to press Windows Key + I together to be able to open Settings and then click on Personalization.
• After that, from the left hand window, you need to click on Colors. It is available under the Personalization.
• In this step, you have to scroll down to the bottom of the screen and find Choose Your Default App Mode heading.

• Here, you have to select the Light Option.
• At last, you are able to restart your PC to apply the settings.

5. Updating Graphics Card Driver

Updating graphics card driver is another method that you can apply for fixing dwm.exe Desktop Window Manager which takes high CPU usage.

• First, you have to press Windows key + R together. Then, you have to type devmgmt.msc and then press Enter to be able to open Device Manager.

• After that, you have to expand Display Adapters and then you have to right click on your Graphics Card and choose Enable.

• If you have done it, now you have to right click again on your graphics card and choose Update Driver.

• In this step, you have to choose Search Automatically For Updated Driver Software and then wait for it to complete the process.

• If you have done the steps above and then it can fix the issue, you can stop here. But, if it does not work, you are able to continue the process.
• Here, you have to right click again on your graphics card and then choose Update Driver. But now, on the screen you have to choose Browse My Computer For Driver Software.

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• Then, you need to choose Let Me Pick From A List of Available Drivers On My Computer.

• At last, you have to choose the latest driver from the list and then click on Next.
• You have to wait for the process to complete and if the process is done, you are able to restart your PC to save the changes.