How to enable Desktop Windows Manager

Last Updated : July 24, 2021
Products Affected : Media Composer, NewsCutter, SymphonyHow do I enable desktop composition to get rid of tearing and improve stability in Media Composer released in 2016 or newer.With the release of Media Composer 8.2.6, the recommendation is to Enable the Windows desktop composition for improved stability and to eliminate screen tearing in the source/record viewers, and in the full screen playback.

What versions should have the Desktop Composition Enabled?
All versions released in 2016 (and newer) should have desktop Composition enabled
Examples: MC v8.2.6-v8.2.14, MC v8.5.x, MC v8.6.x, MC v8.7.x, MC v8.8.x, MC v8.9.x, MC v8.10.x, MC v2018.x.. and newer.

What versions should have the Desktop Composition Disabled?
Examples: MC v8.2-v8.2.5, MC v8.4.x, MC v8.3.x, MC v8.1.x, and older

Improve stability!
If you don't enable Desktop Composition Media Composer will be less stable, you can also expect more lag, especially when you use some 3rd party plugins like for example Waves, iZotope, Baselight, BorisFX Mocha, to name a few.

What is screen tearing?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_tearing

Windows Desktop Composition (DWM) enables visual effects on the desktop as well as various features such as glass window frames, 3-D window transition animations, Windows Flip and Windows Flip3D, and high resolution support. The Desktop Window Manager runs as a Windows service.

Desktop Composition is normally enabled by default in Windows. But we have seen some "Windows optimization tools" that is disabling the Desktop Composition.
This might have improved performance in the past, but with newer GPU's and Drivers, it has the opposite effect, and instead makes Media Composer slower, and unstable.

Here is how you enable the Windows Desktop Composition (If it has been turned off for some reason)

(If the picture below is too small in the web browser, use Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel to Zoom in and out)

• Right Click My computer, (if you have the icon on the desktop, or in an explorer window)
• Click Advanced system Settings
• Click the Advanced tab
• Click on the Performance -> Settings button
• Enable the check box "Enable desktop composition"

On some Avid Recovery Images, or if you used some older Windows optimization tools, the actual Service handing the Desktop Composition (Desktop WindowsManager) has been disabled.

Here is a guide on how to enable the DWM service:

• Right click on My computer (Desktop icon, or icon in explorer)
• Expand the Services and Applications menu on the leftmost column
• Click On Services text in the leftmost column
• Double click on the "Desktop Windows Session Manager" (Or right click and select Properties)
• Set startup type to "Automatic", then click "Start"
• Double click on the "Themes" (Or right click and select Properties)
• Set startup type to "Automatic", then click "Start"
• Close the Services window

To verify that Windows Desktop Composition is enabled:

• Right click on the Windows Desktop, and select the menu "Personalize"
• Click on the "Window color" Link on the bottom
• Save the current theme first, so you don't lose your current theme setting
• Click the "Aero theme" -> "Windows 7, 8 and 10", this will enable the transparent windows
• If you see the transparent Windows effect, then you know the Windows desktop composition is enabled.

You don't have to have the Windows Aero and transparency enabled, but desktop composition must be enabled.
It can be a bit tricky to see if the banding/reflection is visible in the top bar of the frame, the pictures below should hopefully help out.

Example of Desktop Composition is Enabled

Example of Desktop Composition is Disabled