Understanding DWM.exe And Why It Causes High CPU Usage

As a regular Windows user, you may have encountered system slowdowns, overheating, and reduced battery life. It usually happens because of high CPU usage by DWM.exe, which handles graphic effects and rendering. When its excessive consumption impacts system performance, understanding DWM.exe Desktop Window Manager becomes crucial.

It will help you diagnose performance issues and ensure smooth personal or professional operations. Thus, you should read this guide till the end and get deeper insights into DWM. Navigate below because, without proper awareness; you may struggle with lag and unresponsive UI.

Part 1. What is DWM.exe, and Is It Safe?

Simply put, DWM.exe stands for Desktop Windows Manager, which renders graphical user interface effects. It is a legitimate system process in Windows, which makes it appear pleasing by managing displays and animations. For example, it supports Flip3D, taskbar thumbnail, animation effects, and other graphical features. Moreover, its job is to enable hardware acceleration to support visual effects and Windows graphical user interface.

Upon knowing what is DWM.exe, remember that it is safe as long as it is signed by Microsoft and does not consume excessive resources. Generally, it runs in the background, and without overloading the CPU, it ensures smooth visual performance. Yet, if you feel high CPU and memory usage, it might be due to several other reasons, some of which are discussed next.

Part 2. Why is DWM.exe Causing High CPU Usage?

A true DWM desktop window manager file is safe, but sometimes it causes high CPU usage. As a result, your system may be prone to hardware inefficiencies, software conflicts, and system corruption. To figure out solutions, you should first know why DWM.exe is causing high CPU usage, and here is a breakdown of possible reasons:

1. Excessive Windows & Apps Opened: Since DWM.exe handles all open tabs and Windows, a high number running simultaneously means more graphic processing. Rich graphical interfaces, full screens, and borderless Windows applications increase workload, leading to high CPU usage.
2. Heavy Dependency on GPU Processing: DWM is designed to unload graphical processing tasks to the GPU rather than the CPU. However, if it fails to deal with the workload, the CPU takes over the charge, which leads to high usage.
3. Hardware Acceleration Issues: Primarily, DWM relies on hardware acceleration to optimize rendering performances. In case this feature doesn't work properly due to driver issues or outdated hardware, the CPU takes a load.
4. Malware Attacks or Fake DWM Process: While it's a legitimate system process, some malware can hide itself under its name and run from unexpected locations. Ultimately, these fake DWM processes may consume high GPU resources.
5. Outdated System Files: Desktop Window Manager high CPU can also occur because of system file corruption, which consumes CPU more than intended. The reasons might also include Windows update failure and configuration errors, causing unnecessary rendering loops.
6. High-Resolution Displays or Multiple Monitors: As DWM.exe is responsible for managing screen rendering, high-resolution displays such as 4K or ultra-wide monitors can increase its workload. Besides, different refresh rates, external monitors, and increased pixels can cause high CPU usage.

Part 3. Potential Fixes to Desktop Window Manager High CPU Usage

When you are aware of the exact Desktop Window Manager high CPU Windows 11 reason, you can quickly choose an efficient solution. Before that, navigate to all the possible fixes detailed below, aiming to manage high CPU usage:

1. Restart DWM.exe Through Task Manager

Sometimes, DWM.exe consumes excessive CPU because of software conflicts, unresponsive UI elements, and graphical load. Restarting it through Task Manager can fix glitches and performance issues while refreshing Windows management. Below are the stepwise instructions to restart DWM.exe if you are trying this fix for the first time.

Step 1. Right-click the "Start" icon to choose the "Task Manager" option from the appeared list. There, locate "DWM.exe" from the "Details" tab and right-click it to press "End task" from the next menu. This will restart DWM.exe after a few seconds but may cause a black screen.

Step 2. Instead, you can access "Windows Explorer" from the "Processes" tab in the Task Manager. Right-click it and tap "Restart" from the new list since it will refresh DWM.exe, taskbar, and entire UI.

2. Update Windows OS

Since you know what does DWM.exe do when outdated system files exist, updating Windows can optimize its interaction with hardware. It will fix graphic related bugs and reduce the risk of fake DWM.exe processes. Usually when you continue to shut down a device, update suggestions appear there as soon as it is released. If it doesn’t occur there, manually check and install it by mimicking the below instructions.

Instructions. Launch your Windows "Settings" and click "Windows Update" from the top-right. From there, hit the "Check for updates" button, which will start detecting available updates and start if any exist.

3. Update Display Drivers

Similar to updating Windows software, driver updates, especially GPU drivers, can fix Desktop Window Manager's high CPU usage. It will reduce the chances of driver conflicts that use more CPU resources and will ensure your graphic card drivers are updated. If you are clueless about which display driver to update and how, the following steps can assist you:

Step 1. Enter “Device Manager” using the list after right-clicking the “Start” button. There, expand the “Display adapters” through its forward symbol and right-click the preferred one. Following that, press the “Update driver” option from the menu and get another pop-up.

Step 2. Finally, make your choice with "Search automatically for drivers" and wait for installations. Your system will search for the right one for your PC, install it, and reboot for improved performance.

4. Perform a Full Virus Scan on the Computer

As discussed above, malware could be one of the reasons for Desktop Window Manager's high CPU Windows 11. To address this efficiently, you need to perform a full system scan through the built-in Windows Security. Additionally, you can employ a built-in Windows Defender that can detect and remove malicious software. Follow along with the steps next, which will restart your device after 15 minutes to remove all threats and optimize your CPU:

Step 1. Search for "Windows Security" using your Windows Start search bar and launch it. From its main screen, choose the "Virus & threat protection" option for a quick scan.

Step 2. Now, click the “Scan options” below the “Quick scan” button and get several scan options.

Step 3. Scroll down the scan options and check the “Microsoft Defender Antivirus (Offline Scan)” before hitting the “Scan now” button.

5. Improve Performance Options From Settings

Selecting a high-performance GPU can also manage the DWM Desktop Window Manager load. It assigns the rendering of graphical elements to the dedicated GPU and ensures smooth graphical effects. Otherwise, it might increase your system temperature and cause faster battery drain. Yet, if you just intend to boost system performance, you must follow the steps below:

Step 1. Head towards the "System" settings and locate the "Display" option to continue. Upon choosing it, scroll down until you get the "Graphics" settings.

Step 2. From the "Graphics" settings, hit the "Add Desktop App" button to get a File Explorer menu. Using it, follow the "This PC>Local Device C>Windows>System32>dwm.exe" path and press the "Add" button.

Step 3. As the Desktop Windows Manager is added, expand it and head to its "GPU preference" drop-down. Through it, select the "High Performance" option, and the settings will be saved.

6. Disable Hardware Acceleration on Windows

Some experts suggest that turning off hardware acceleration will help optimize CPU usage. This is because hardware acceleration can cause CPU overuse in systems with low GPU resources. In this context, disabling it can balance the load, stuttering, and graphical glitches that occur when the GPU cannot handle the rendering workload. To minimize Desktop Window Manager CPU usage through this approach, consider navigating to the next steps:

Step 1. From your Windows Settings, press the "System" tab and later choose the "Display" settings. Afterward, tap the "Graphics" option by scrolling down, and from its screen, click the "Change default graphic settings."

Step 2. Toggle off the "Optimizations for windowed games" option, and the hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling will be disabled.

Part 4. Recover Instantly Deleted Important Files on Your Computer Leading to Malfunctions

Did you just figure out that your important system files are accidentally deleted, causing Desktop Window Manager high CPU usage? If so, it's essential to recover them and get the system back on track. For this purpose, tools like Wondershare Recoverit would be an ideal choice since it is a data recovery expert. With more than 99.5% recovery rates, it can retrieve data from over 2000 storage devices.

Notably, it provides an intuitive interface and retrieves system files without complications. Recoverit even facilitates advanced scanning algorithms with patented technology to recover data with no compromise on quality.

Features About Recoverit

1. Rescue Crashed System: This tool can recover data from a crashed system, even from a not bootable one, or with the blue screen of death issues.
2. Recover All File Types: It doesn't limit recovery to system files and restores more than 1000 file types, whether emails, audio, images, or videos.
3. Advanced Scan: Through advanced scan, it detects deleted files from SD cards, cameras, Linux systems, and countless other locations within no time.

A Quick Tutorial to Recover Deleted System Files via Recoverit

Recovering deleted system files is essential for the system to function to the maximum, and recovery seems to be the best deal. Thus, without delay, try the simple instructions given ahead for data recovery through this tool:

Step 1. Launch the Tool and Select Hard Disk

Download Recoverit to your system through its official site and access its main interface. As you reach the main screen's default display, "Hard Drives and Locations," choose a Hard Disk in which your deleted system file was.

Step 2. Witness Deep Scanning for Recovery

The system will automatically start deep scanning for the lost file, and it will take a few minutes. You can pinpoint the file location using search filters given at the top-right.

Step 3. Choose File Saving Path and Tap Recover

Once the scanning process ends, click the targeted lost file for preview or hit “Recover” after selecting the path.

Conclusion

In short, this article discussed what is DWM.exe and how it causes high CPU usage. Besides, it lists simple fixes to optimize CPU usage and leading problems. If you unintentionally delete a system file, which is crucial for system performance, this guide presents a solution.

It shows how effortlessly Wondershare Recoverit works for system file recovery. No matter which type of file you lost, try this software and retrieve your data for smooth operations.