Continuous Pen Strokes Snipping Tool Causing DWM Crash in Windows 10
If you have recently upgraded your existing Windows 10 installation to Windows 11, you might have encountered a weird AMD graphics driver issue that causes the DWM (Desktop Window Manager) to crash when using the Snipping Tool to capture continuous pen strokes. This article will cover the topic in detail, discussing the key concepts and providing a solution to the problem.
Background
The Snipping Tool is a built-in Windows application that allows users to capture screenshots of their desktop or active windows. With the introduction of the Windows Ink feature, users can use a pen or stylus to capture continuous pen strokes. However, since the February 2023 version of Windows 11, some users have reported that the DWM crashes when using the Snipping Tool to capture continuous pen strokes, particularly on AMD graphics cards.
Symptoms
When using the Snipping Tool to capture continuous pen strokes, the DWM crashes, causing the screen to flicker and the application to stop responding. The error message "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" may appear, indicating that the graphics driver has crashed and recovered.
Cause
The exact cause of the issue is not yet clear, but it seems to be related to the interaction between the Snipping Tool, the Windows Ink feature, and the AMD graphics driver. It is possible that the continuous pen strokes are causing the graphics driver to use more resources than it can handle, leading to a crash.
Solution
To work around this issue, you can try the following steps:
- Update your AMD graphics driver to the latest version.
- Disable the Windows Ink feature in the Snipping Tool by clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner and unchecking "Use pen to select and drag."
- Use the traditional rectangular or free-form snip modes instead of the continuous pen strokes mode.
References
- Microsoft Support: Display driver stopped responding and has recovered error in Windows 10
- AMD Support: AMD Support
The issue of the DWM crashing when using the Snipping Tool to capture continuous pen strokes in Windows 11 is a known problem, particularly for users with AMD graphics cards. By updating your graphics driver, disabling the Windows Ink feature, and using traditional snip modes, you can work around this issue and continue to use the Snipping Tool effectively.