Hardware Requirements
In Windows Vista, DWM requires compatible physical or virtual hardware:
- A GPU that supports the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM)
- Direct3D 9 support
- Pixel Shader 2.0 support
- Support for 32 bits per pixel
- Passes the Windows Aero acceptance test in the Windows Driver Kit (WDK)
In Windows 7, the Desktop Window Manager has been reworked to use Direct3D 10.1, but the hardware requirements remain the same as in Windows Vista; Direct3D 9 hardware is supported with the D3D10_FEATURE_LEVEL_9_n device type introduced in the Direct3D 11 runtime. Windows 8 has the same requirements as 7, but it can also run DWM using the "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter", which uses software rendering.
Until recently, virtualization software could not emulate the shaders required for DWM to be functional. However, VirtualBox 4.1, VMware Fusion 3.0, and VMware Workstation 7.0 onwards support it. In addition, Windows Virtual PC allows composition using the Remote Desktop Protocol.
Read more about this topic: Desktop Window Manager
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