'dwm.exe' Using 100% CPU

The 'dwm.exe' is associated with a core Windows 10 process called Desktop Window Manager. Under specific circumstances, users can experience various issues related to this important process, with one of the more common being the 'dwm.exe' using up 100% of the system's CPU capacity. The underlying reasons for this problem are varied so fixing it can require trying multiple solutions until the right one is found.

Start by restarting the 'explorer.exe.' Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard to open Task Manager. In the Task Manager window, select the 'Details' tab. Among the list of active processes, find 'explorer.exe,' right-click it, and choose 'End Task.' Now, to start it back up again, go to File, select 'Run a new task,' type explorer in the new window, and finally press OK.

Users also may try to disable processes that have been reported to sometimes cause problems. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. In it, type services.msc and press Enter. Once the Services window opens, find the Skype Updater, Google Update (update) and Google Update (gupdatem) services. To disable them you will have to double-click each, and then set the 'Startup type' to 'Disabled' in the Properties window.

Deleting the mdi264.dll file also may help in resolving the issue. Click on the start menu button and while pressing Shift on your keyboard click on Restart. During the system boot, you will be presented with several options. Choose Troubleshoot followed by Advanced Options and finally Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt window, you will need to type the following commands:

cd C: \Users\Your Name Here\App\Data\Local\Temp
del mdi264.dll

Press Enter and the file has been deleted, close Command prompt, and restart your PC.