Desktop Windows Manager Service does not appear in services.msc

Greets all....

OK, here it is: I have NO Aero at all. When I run the Aero troubleshooter it tells me that the above referenced service is not enabled. Obviously, I need to enable the service. Problem: the service is not listed on the services.msc, so I cannot enable it. I have tried everything, and when I enter "net /stop ( or start) uxsms" it tells me the service name is invalid. I can locate dwm.exe, but when I try run it, nothing happens.

This is what the troubleshooter says, "Desktop Windows Manager Session service isn't running; Desktop Windows Manager is disabled."

Can someone PLEASE help me figger this out? I am SERIOUSLY considering a move to Mac...have never seen so many bugs as there are in Win 7.

I'm on WIn 7 Pro X64 and I don't have that service either. I do have Desktop Window Manager Session Manager though.

Anyway, possible fix here: Aero features completely missing in Windows 7 | Windows Secrets Lounge

Ztruker said:

I'm on WIn 7 Pro X64 and I don't have that service either. I do have Desktop Window Manager Session Manager though.

Anyway, possible fix here: Aero features completely missing in Windows 7 | Windows Secrets Lounge

Like I said, using command line "net stop (or start) uxsms" doesn't work; shows service is not valid. I have already tried the registry tweek. Any other suggestions?

From a post by Ramesh (3rd response) here: Desktop Window Manager service is missing - Microsoft Answers

Copy the red text below into a notepad window then save it to your Desktop as UxSMS.reg. Right click on it and select Import. That will add it to the registry.

Before doing this, export what you have and compare the two, see what is different.

This is from my Win 7 Pro X64 system:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\UxSms]
"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\dwm.exe,-2000"
"Group"="UIGroup"
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
6b,00,20,00,4c,00,6f,00,63,00,61,00,6c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,\
00,4e,00,65,00,74,00,77,00,6f,00,72,00,6b,00,52,00,65,00,73,00,74,00,72,00,\
69,00,63,00,74,00,65,00,64,00,00,00
"Description"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\dwm.exe,-2001"
"ObjectName"="localSystem"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000002
"Type"=dword:00000020
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,\
00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,\
72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,\
00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,\
00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,\
00,75,00,72,00,69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,\
00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
"FailureActions"=hex:84,03,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,01,00,00,00,e0,93,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\UxSms\Parameters]
"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,\
00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\
75,00,78,00,73,00,6d,00,73,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001
"ServiceMain"="ServiceMain"

Ztruker said:

From a post by Ramesh (3rd response) here: Desktop Window Manager service is missing - Microsoft Answers

Copy the red text below into a notepad window then save it to your Desktop as UxSMS.reg. Right click on it and select Import. That will add it to the registry.

Before doing this, export what you have and compare the two, see what is different.

This is from my Win 7 Pro X64 system:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\UxSms]
"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\dwm.exe,-2000"
"Group"="UIGroup"
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
6b,00,20,00,4c,00,6f,00,63,00,61,00,6c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,\
00,4e,00,65,00,74,00,77,00,6f,00,72,00,6b,00,52,00,65,00,73,00,74,00,72,00,\
69,00,63,00,74,00,65,00,64,00,00,00
"Description"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\dwm.exe,-2001"
"ObjectName"="localSystem"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000002
"Type"=dword:00000020
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,\
00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,\
72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,\
00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,\
00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,\
00,75,00,72,00,69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,\
00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
"FailureActions"=hex:84,03,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,01,00,00,00,e0,93,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\UxSms\Parameters]
"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,\
00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\
75,00,78,00,73,00,6d,00,73,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001
"ServiceMain"="ServiceMain"

Interesting. Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM I have the following entries:
ControlSet001, which shows the same info for UxSms as the above;
ControlSet002, which shows only "value not set";
ControlSet003, which shows the same info as above, but without the Parameters sub-key; and lastly -
CurrentControlSet, which shows only "value not set". So I'm guessing my registry is as confused as I am. Any ideas as to the next step? Should I get rid of the other control sets, or just leave them alone and import the registry data and see what happens?

UPDATE: did precisely as you suggested, did a re-start and BINGO! Aero is working again! All services are enabled and working fine. A BIG thanks to all that replied, and I am SOOOOO glad I didn't have to do a Repair Install! I will leave the other reg keys alone for now, unless otherwise advised.

Glad you didn't start deleting stuff from the registry, that could have been a disaster.

So merging the registry info I gave you fixed it?

Ztruker said:

Glad you didn't start deleting stuff from the registry, that could have been a disaster.

So merging the registry info I gave you fixed it?

Yup, it sure did; slicker than STP on a billiard ball.....LOL! Thanks a million!