Desktop Window Manager

E37367
Windows component compositing window manager system process

Desktop Window Manager is the compositing window manager in modern Microsoft Windows that handles visual effects, window rendering, and desktop composition using hardware acceleration.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Aero Glass desktop composition 1
Windows Flip 3D 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Windows component ⓘ
compositing window manager ⓘ
system process ⓘ
alsoKnownAs DWM ⓘ
cannotBeEasilyDisabled true ⓘ
componentOf Windows desktop environment ⓘ
Windows Shell ⓘ
surface form: Windows graphics subsystem
developer Microsoft ⓘ
executablePathTypical C:\\Windows\\System32\\dwm.exe ⓘ
handles composition of window surfaces into final image ⓘ
off-screen buffering of windows ⓘ
window thumbnails in Alt+Tab switcher ⓘ
improves graphics performance for windowed applications ⓘ
visual consistency of the desktop ⓘ
introducedConcept fully composited desktop in Windows ⓘ
introducedInVersion Windows Vista ⓘ
manages desktop effects ⓘ
visual effects ⓘ
window rendering ⓘ
operatingSystem Windows ⓘ
surface form: Microsoft Windows
primaryFunction desktop composition ⓘ
rendering the Windows desktop ⓘ
window compositing ⓘ
processName dwm.exe ⓘ
relatedTo Aero theme ⓘ
Explorer.exe ⓘ
Windows Shell ⓘ
surface form: Windows shell
replaced GDI-based direct-to-screen rendering model ⓘ
requiredSinceVersion Windows 8 ⓘ
runsByDefault true ⓘ
runsInSession user session ⓘ
securityImpact isolates window rendering from applications ⓘ
supports desktop duplication APIs ⓘ
screen capture for features like Game Bar ⓘ
supportsFeature Aero transparency ⓘ
Flip3D ⓘ
desktop composition for multiple monitors ⓘ
high DPI scaling ⓘ
live window previews ⓘ
per-monitor DPI awareness ⓘ
taskbar thumbnails ⓘ
window animations ⓘ
uses GPU ⓘ
hardware acceleration ⓘ
usesAPI DirectX ⓘ
surface form: Direct3D

DirectX ⓘ
Windows Display Driver Model ⓘ
usesRenderingModel composited off-screen surfaces ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Windows Vista → feature → Desktop Window Manager ⓘ
this entity surface form: Aero Glass desktop composition
Windows Vista → feature → Desktop Window Manager ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows Flip 3D
Windows → hasWindowManager → Desktop Window Manager ⓘ