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dwm.exe starts consuming a large amount of RAM unexpectedly.

dwm.exe starts consuming a large amount of RAM unexpectedly.

G
GreenBlue2007
Junior Member
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48
03-01-2016, 11:53 AM
#1
In recent days I've observed dwm.exe consuming a lot of RAM. My configuration remains the same—just a 27-inch and a 16-inch monitor at 1080p and 144hz—and over time dwm gradually increases its memory usage, fluctuating between 10GB and 16GB (out of my 32GB). When I open an application that demands RAM, dwm reallocates system memory to it. However, if I don't intervene, it continues to absorb more available RAM instead of optimizing, which prevents dwm from running smoothly. I usually keep only a few windows open, but after reading about older GPUs with memory leaks, I considered a patch for CPUs with iGPUs from the 6th to 11th generation. My CPU wasn't included in that update list—details below.

I also tried Intel DSA without success.

System specs:
i7 8750H w UHD630
RTX 2070MQ
32GB DDR4 3200 (2x16)
3TB Total (Nvme) SSD storage
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G
GreenBlue2007
03-01-2016, 11:53 AM #1

In recent days I've observed dwm.exe consuming a lot of RAM. My configuration remains the same—just a 27-inch and a 16-inch monitor at 1080p and 144hz—and over time dwm gradually increases its memory usage, fluctuating between 10GB and 16GB (out of my 32GB). When I open an application that demands RAM, dwm reallocates system memory to it. However, if I don't intervene, it continues to absorb more available RAM instead of optimizing, which prevents dwm from running smoothly. I usually keep only a few windows open, but after reading about older GPUs with memory leaks, I considered a patch for CPUs with iGPUs from the 6th to 11th generation. My CPU wasn't included in that update list—details below.

I also tried Intel DSA without success.

System specs:
i7 8750H w UHD630
RTX 2070MQ
32GB DDR4 3200 (2x16)
3TB Total (Nvme) SSD storage

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L
Lord_Lemon01
Junior Member
Find
8
03-01-2016, 02:06 PM
#2
Took some time to figure out the device—it's a laptop. What model is it?
Have you performed any virus scans?
Updated the Nvidia drivers? I’ll only do that if it occurs during games or highly graphical apps.
Ran ddu and cleared the installed drivers.
How to carry out a thorough reinstallation of your video card drivers.
Updated 9-19-19 – Instructions for performing a complete reinstall of your graphics card drivers using the Wagnard tools Display Driver Uninstaller.
A common problem on many systems is having several graphics card drivers installed, some of which were not fully removed before installing new ones.
Only using anti-virus scans?
Do you use igpu since it shouldn’t be active if no monitor is connected?
It doesn’t seem like a driver leak because:
driver leaks don’t release RAM until the PC restarts. They continue to request more until your system runs out of memory.
Have you run SFC or DISM?
Spoiler
Search for PowerShell, run as administrator,
copy and paste this command into the window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press Enter
Then type SFC /scannow
and press Enter
Restart your PC if SFC fixes any issues, since some repairs need a restart to take effect
The first command cleans the files that SFC uses and then SFC handles system files
SFC = System File Checker. The first command runs DISM
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows...windows-11
You might be able to track which processes use it, though I’m not sure how often that happens… it could be excessive
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysint...ds/procmon
It’s likely an executable file, which makes me wonder about its purpose.
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L
Lord_Lemon01
03-01-2016, 02:06 PM #2

Took some time to figure out the device—it's a laptop. What model is it?
Have you performed any virus scans?
Updated the Nvidia drivers? I’ll only do that if it occurs during games or highly graphical apps.
Ran ddu and cleared the installed drivers.
How to carry out a thorough reinstallation of your video card drivers.
Updated 9-19-19 – Instructions for performing a complete reinstall of your graphics card drivers using the Wagnard tools Display Driver Uninstaller.
A common problem on many systems is having several graphics card drivers installed, some of which were not fully removed before installing new ones.
Only using anti-virus scans?
Do you use igpu since it shouldn’t be active if no monitor is connected?
It doesn’t seem like a driver leak because:
driver leaks don’t release RAM until the PC restarts. They continue to request more until your system runs out of memory.
Have you run SFC or DISM?
Spoiler
Search for PowerShell, run as administrator,
copy and paste this command into the window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press Enter
Then type SFC /scannow
and press Enter
Restart your PC if SFC fixes any issues, since some repairs need a restart to take effect
The first command cleans the files that SFC uses and then SFC handles system files
SFC = System File Checker. The first command runs DISM
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows...windows-11
You might be able to track which processes use it, though I’m not sure how often that happens… it could be excessive
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysint...ds/procmon
It’s likely an executable file, which makes me wonder about its purpose.

Reply
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